Mine has begun to oxidize in multiple places. I want to sand and paint it, and it would be so much easier off the glass than on.

Anyone ever taken that off? If so what did you do, I'm not sure if I want to just start yanking off without knowing what might happen.

 

I'm not so sure you can take it off.

I just sanded mine to scuff it up. Used a power sander where I could. Taped it off, and gave it a few coats of engine paint. Looks good so far, after two years. Just make sure to mask off the rest of the car. That damn overspray gets EVERYWHERE!

 

That's the other reason why I want them off the car. I did see a L and R stampings on each side at the bottom of the hatch.

To me that means that are seperate peices, so they should be removeable.

 

you mean the metal deck in the back right? if so remove the plastic trim panel on the inside. and there should be a few studs with nuts if i remember right. It is removeable... in fact you can remove everything off the rear hatch right doen till it is just the glass left. the R/L thing is just tyhere so idiot who were puttting those pieces on got them on the correct way...

 

i pulled mine partially off...it came off fairly easily and it went back on easy too. the metal bends very easily so beware.

 

Thanks guys! That'll be much easier to sand and paint off the hatch.

 

I've been wondering on this forever too, but I could never figure out how it came off

 

 

Well that explains everything very well. Thanks deadbird! I tried taking some of it off and it didn't want to. Figured it was glued on.

Looks to be a bigger project that it should be lol

 

It's really not the undertaking as explained via the service manual (the scan I posted).

Generally, the underside (what faces the w/striping), is rarely in bad shape (rust).

When I have done mione in the past I will go out an buy some painters plastic from lowes or home depot (10-20' x 10' sheets of 2-4 mil plastic) for $2-3/ea

open the hatch and run a sheet up to the hinges and shut the hatch. This takes care of the rear half. Tape another roll from the hatch forward. Tape off the glass with whatever.. even newspaper is fine if you use a few pages around the edges. You're going to be using spraybomob paint anyways.

Navel jelly or, scotch-brite and some cold galv is the simplest prep.. enough to knock off the loose rust. Blow or wipe clean

I prefer to use Duplicolor Trim Black.. it is as close as you can get to OEM oxide black and it's a very durable/resistant paint.

It looks like crap wet.. once it flows/dries.. it's a very nice 'semi gloss' black.


JMO though...

 

When Jay painted my car, I had him shoot that trim body color. He taped-it off and painted it while still attached to the glass. I like the way it looks painted blue, but it looks funny on cars with certain colors.