Hi all,

Removing the rubstrips on the side of the car (or trying to at least). I'fe just finished up one side. If anybody wants to take the rubstrips off, BUY A TOFFEE WHEEL, they are God's gift to us in the battle against stupid double sided foam tape. Thanks to Dave for inadvertantly letting me know about them (search function).

Anyway, as well as the foam tape crap, at each end is some sort of black rubber that is very, very stuck on. It reminds me of the stuff the guy that did my rear windscreen used to bond it on.

On the side I have done, I got the worst off with a hair dryer. However in places it took the paint with it . Paint does look very thin in the area this black stuff covered.

Attempted to start other side, and came across this big bit:



So I've stuck the rubstrip back down with decent double sided that won't break up, for now.

This is the side I've done:


Looks like filler under my petrol flap, but it's just a freaky reflection

Close up, you can see legacy the black crap left behind :



So, finally, my question. Is there a special de-activator for this stuff, because I don't want to ruin this side of the car too!

try auto glym intensive bug and tar remover. ****fs the **** quickly

ps - i want your wheels!

white spirit

Hmm, thanks to both of you, (and you can't have them Charlie so ner, I thought you were an anthracite guy through and through anyways?!).

I'll give white spirit a go first (as I have that readily available), then onto the tar remover if that fails!

anthracite and black through and through, yesh. but! .... i never said i wanted them white, just i want them would look better in anthracite on my car hehe

Why bother trying to get it off,gonna get dented anyway as you have removed the side protection strips!

However 'tar & glue' remover is best thing to use.

Thank you Dave!

Got it off a treat (the side I had done, I'll do the other side tomorrow). However, where either the glue had uncovered, or the white spirit had reacted, it has further damaged the topcoat:



It's bad, but the flash of the camera highlights the primer layer more, so it's not quite so drastic in real life!

I'll enquire to see if the garage can partially respray the panel.

I'll have to buy you a drink if I go to the Ace meet

T14086 said:

Why bother trying to get it off,gonna get dented anyway as you have removed the side protection strips!

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if they gonna get dented then they gonna get dented, them strips are in the wrong place to stop it

Exactly, pretty much all doors on other cars, if opened into my car, would hit way above where the strips are. I put alot of thought into it, I was going to colour code them, but I thought, because their made from rubber, the decision to paint them may come back and bite me in the arse a few months on when it starts to crack off. I love the way the absence of them accentuates the crease along the body, really smooths it out.

Tomorrow I'll try and get the other side done. I think the white spirit surely couldn't have eaten the paintwork. It looks like the glue used went on bloomin hot because I could see contraction marks as it cooled. Maybe due to the paint still being 'fresh' when the glue was applied, it messed with the layers?

In the past when I've spoken to the garage (I really should start calling him the mechanic, I don't really spend my time getting advice from inanimate objects ), he said that you can't spray partially, should do the whole panel. I'm guessing he means if I want a perfect job, Surely he could just spray the bits that are thin and blend it in, it's only flat black afterall.

yeah you can just spray and blend it in, got a bit of mine touched up by a place called pannel craft in colchester, perfect match and its metalic, am going to go back there and get bit where my rub strip was done on pasenger rear quater because its a bit wrong.

Dave, how expensive were they? Paint wise my punto needs a fair old amount of work to look decent (I might just sell her for 500£ and be done with it)

Right, got delayed today. Got started on the left rear strip and noticed a stone in the tyre. So I try to flick it out, and this stone is actually a screw:bang: . So, that took priority as I need to use the car, so on go the old wheels and I cart the stricken tyre to the local new & used tyre fitter. Made me realise how awful those old, thin and high tyres really are. Wobbling around, just turning corners I could feel the flex in the tyres.

Anyway, he repaired it for a fiver (luckily it was lap bang in the middle of the tread so was repairable) and I got back, got the wheels back on an continued work.

I'm getting better at taking this rubbery crap off, getting the worst of it off is the most damaging phase, where the paint comes off with the glue. The white spirit was actually thinning the paint giving that effect I decribed. However I different technique of using my nails to scrape the glue off, and not the rag, stopped this. So now, the last piece I did, just has chip marks, and no other damage to the layer. Still not good, but better!

What was the damage to the wallet Dave? Let's say roughly, per area that needed spraying and blending.

I'm giving the nails and fingers time to relax and stop aching/hurting and I'll get the last strip off on Sunday! Why oh why couldn't FIAT have just settled for double sided tape, what's the point with this other stuff!!

hey mate, im looking for rub strips, can i have yours? if i get my car though

dave said:

if they gonna get dented then they gonna get dented, them strips are in the wrong place to stop it

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Not if parked next to a sinclair C5

T14086 said:

Not if parked next to a sinclair C5

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or a lambo ....

StoneNewt said:

Dave, how expensive were they? Paint wise my punto needs a fair old amount of work to look decent (I might just sell her for 500£ and be done with it)

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col7104 said:

What was the damage to the wallet Dave? Let's say roughly, per area that needed spraying and blending.

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<Gives Dave a nudge> Nudge Nudge

Done! Well as much of it I could do. Damn it why couldn't this hot weather have been around when I first started it. I peeled the rubstrip off to find a maHOOsive piece of the black crap. My heart sank. So I set on it with a hair dryer, and it came off in one piece, no breaking up at all. I can only attribute this to the warm ambient temperature.


Thats 11cm long.

I found the toffee wheel was burning the paint slightly as it heated up. I turned the drill speed down and it was perfect, got everything off without touching the paintwork.

The black stuff still left a 'residue' on the paint. The white spirit got this off. However, do not rub at it with a rag, you end up going through to the primer like I did . Instead, wet the area with the white spirit, then use your finger nails to rub. This gets it off and didn't damage the paint for me. When your initially getting the worst off, heat it up nice and hot with a hair dryer, then, with ur nails, pick at an edge. 9 times out of 10 unles you are very careful, the paint will conme off with it initially (about a 2x2mm bit), but that should stop and you'll have something to tug on.

So, if you want to do this, take note:

- Buy a toffee wheel, set the drill at low speed. You'll get the hang of it, and the 'feel' to it after a few passes.

- To get the black rubbery crap off, heat with a hair dryer, then pick it off. Try and do it on a very hot day (fat chance here )

- Get the left overs off with white spirit by damping the area, then scraping with your nail. Giving the spirit time to soak in helps loosen it.

- The toffee wheel does get rid of the tape, but there was still two lines down the paintwork for me. Use G3 rubbing compound to get rid of the worst. Then progress to T cut to get the area smooth and ready for polish.

- Once all tape residue, black crap and marks in the paintwork are off, give the whole area a T cut. Be careful around the area where the black stuff has been, the paint is thinner here and you run a risk of going through to primer.

- Give the whole lot a nice good polish

- Then ring your local body shop up to book it in for the chips youve made