Installing rubber in bumper deco strip

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Vincent Gillespie
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Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 8:33 am
Location: United Kingdom

Installing rubber in bumper deco strip

#1 Post by Vincent Gillespie »

Hello, with some judicious trimming and working in my conservatory at 45+C I have managed to get the end I start at in and looking good but when I get to the other end, no matter what I do, it just won't stay in.

I have done a subject search and see that a method suggested is to use a wire wheel to shape the ends from the underneath. Can anyone help with what shape this should be or is it just a case of removing some material to make the end thinner?

Ta V
V. Gillespie

Brad Ripley
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Re: Installing rubber in bumper deco strip

#2 Post by Brad Ripley »

Are we talking 356A or B/C deco strips?

Vincent Gillespie
356 Fan
Posts: 439
Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 8:33 am
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Installing rubber in bumper deco strip

#3 Post by Vincent Gillespie »

Sorry should have said it's a '55 pre A.

V
V. Gillespie

Vincent Gillespie
356 Fan
Posts: 439
Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 8:33 am
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Installing rubber in bumper deco strip

#4 Post by Vincent Gillespie »

Hello, I managed to get this done so I thought it might be useful to someone to see how I trimmed the profile. Also I think my idea of working in a roasting hot conservatory was making the rubber too floopy. The next day I tried it in a cooler room about 30C the rubber was stiffer but still easy to work with and it went in and stayed put. I pulled out about the last 6 inches pushed in the end held it tight and then reinstalled the last bit leading up to the end. I then put them in the conservatory and shut the doors to get them hot too see if they would pop out & 2 days later all's still good.
Attachments
OS interior rubber profile & H Lights 013.JPG
OS interior rubber profile & H Lights 011.JPG
OS interior rubber profile & H Lights 012.JPG
V. Gillespie

Brad Ripley
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Posts: 4205
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:28 pm

Re: Installing rubber in bumper deco strip

#5 Post by Brad Ripley »

Vincent, How did you grind/cut the "bull nose" in each end? The rubber strips come just rough cut as you have in your photos. See photo below.
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BumperDeco end finish.jpg
BumperDeco end finish.jpg (19.37 KiB) Viewed 607 times

Vincent Gillespie
356 Fan
Posts: 439
Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2010 8:33 am
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Installing rubber in bumper deco strip

#6 Post by Vincent Gillespie »

Hello Brad, The ends of my rubber strips were all just cut straight across, I was thinking about shaping it a bit but I didn't. What you see is what I pushed into the end of the Aluminium. The lip/channel, on the aluminium extrusion that holds onto the rubber, is 6-7mm deep so I thought it would form the right shape and when I tried it, it did and I was happy with the result, so I carried on. I did make sure this channel was well cleaned out of any rubber remains and crud, dental tools were great for this.

Regarding the rubber strips I had one long length, enough for both decos, from International Mercantile and 2 from Sierra Madre, Lesson:- If buying parts over a number of years keep an inventory including where it's stored!!

I used the one from IM as I thought it was a teensy weensy bit softer, so easier to work with, and the profile was a teensy weensy bit lower and I thought matched what I pulled out. I didn't measure them it was simply done by eye, but seen as these are decades old, have been exposed to the elements and battered for years who knows exactly what they were originally. But there was nothing in it and if I hadn't had both I would be happy to use either of them.

Hope this is of some use.

V
Attachments
End of Deco strip installed 002.JPG
End of Deco strip installed 001.JPG
V. Gillespie

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