Note:
All Collector Edition Corvettes have Crossfire fuel injection. For information
on maintaining and modifying this unique injection system, look here:
http://www.thecubestudio.com/CrossfireTechSeriesIndex.htm
1982 Corvette Collector Edition Simpson Hatch
Hinge Installation Instructions
© 2007 –
2008 Steve Simpson -
theCUBEstudio - steve@thecubestudio.com
Revision 11- 12-23-08 Added instruction on dealing with stuck attachment parts
with links to newly available replacement buttons and washers.
Revision 12 12-24-08 Word smithing for clarity, fix typos, cull outdated
stuff, moved some photos, general shuffling to better accommodate PDF version.
Added link to replacement weatherstrip vendor. Added some Restoration tips.
Revision 13 04-04-09 Deleted availability of Struts. Price increase on
Attachment parts.
Great appreciation goes to those who reported their
install experience, including any problems and tips & tricks that can
now be incorporated and passed on to the next group of buyers.
Note the silver set of hinges in some of the photos are the
very first prototype which I made for my wife's Ceover three years ago. Your
new hinges will look different but still fit and work the same. The replacement
hinges are sleeker and usually satin
black in color as you will see in a photo showing punch marks and
comparing your new hinges to the originals. The hinges are finished by hand* so there are slight variations from one
set to the next and some sets are slimmer by special request and some are very
heavy for cars that are used for racing (eek!).
*NOTE: Hinges are now cut on a CNC machine, but still
finished by hand.
I have now made about 100 sets of hinges over a period of
three years. To my knowledge, one set has been powder coated for a custom show
car, one set has been painted silver-beige body color, my wife’s original
prototypes are brushed and the rest are satin black. None have been polished,
chrome plated, or blasted for a matte satin finish. If anyone has done
something interesting with the finish, please let me know.
First, some background on
the hatch glass problem:
The opening hatch for a C3
Corvette was first offered by a third party as a kit. GM bought the kits and
installed them on production Collector Edition Corvettes as a way to make them
unique (and to sell more of the cars).
Note:
Photos in this document are web links. Use your browser back button after
viewing.
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/StrutsNew/Cars&ConceptsHatchAdWEB.jpg
So, it is significant to consider
that GM's engineers did not design the hinges. The original hinges are sand
castings made from very weak and inexpensive material . . . most likely a zinc
alloy.
The latches on the rear of
the glass are slotted and therefore are not intended, and are in fact incapable
of fixing the glass position in the forward/backward direction. The gas springs
('struts') impart a steady pressure rearward when the glass is closed and that
force must be resisted by the hinges. Acceleration adds to the stress placed on
the hinges. They are not strong enough and are made of a material that
'creeps', so, as we all know, over time (in some cases only a few months!) the
hinges slowly bend and allow the glass to move rearward until the latch pins
reach the end of the latch slots, which then jams the hatch closed.
So there you have it. Other
than disconnecting the gas springs, there is no way to stop a Collector Edition
hatch from creeping rearward and eventually jamming. Unfortunately, many of the
cars have had both the hinge mounting brackets and also the latch pins mangled
in an attempt to get more adjustment or to free the latches. People have
removed the hinges and squeezed them back in a vice to what they thought were
the original dimensions. It is very unfortunate that some owners have bought
used original hinges from less-that-ethical sellers for about $200 and for as
much as $500 for a set described as 'unsprung' hinges from a 'super low
mileage' car or even hinges claimed to be 'new'. All in vain . . . the hinges
will stretch and stretch again no matter what you do to them, or how new or old
they are. It is just a bad design.
Your new Simpson hinges are
a permanent solution. These instructions will step you through not only
installing your new hinges, but also adjusting the glass and latches for a good
seal and a perfect operating hatch. Once you complete the task, you will never
have to do it again. Your new hinges will not stretch . . ever.
To
get started, you will need only a couple of small open end wrenches, a Philips
screwdriver, a helper and a lot of patience. I supply a new allen wrench, pivot
end centering washers, optional new glass attachment hardware (buttons and
washers), a new bolt for the glass end of the hinge, and usually also a few
extra shims (depending on availability), and PDF version of these instructions
that can be printed with the photos for you to refer to during the install. .
If
you need a new weatherstrip for your CE, I have gotten good reports from hinge
buyers on this replacement. If you buy one, please give me feedback on it.
http://www.corvette-rubber.com/6882windshield-hatch.shtml
I
recommend you avoid Eckler’s as I have gotten bad reports on that piece.
You
may also want the paint that comes on your hinges in order to fix up other
parts as you go thru the install. Restoration tips are sprinkled thru the instructions.
It is expensive and normally only available at body shop supply stores, but I
find it here for a very good price:
http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/sem39143.html
(if you find any links broken,
please let me know.)
As
of November 2008, after many, many requests, new replacement buttons and the black machined
washers that they sit in are finally available on a limited basis exclusively to
my hinge owners.
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeCNC/AttachPartsWEB.jpg
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeCNC/WashersWEB.jpg
OK, let’s start
taking stuff apart!
1) First step is to get the interior panels off. Remove
these screws. This can be done with the glass closed if needed.
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/TrimPanelsRearWeb.jpg
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/PanelScrewBottomWeb.jpg
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/PanelScrewCenterWeb.jpg
TROUBLE
TIP: If your glass is jammed shut, then you can remove the struts from the car body end with the
hatch closed. The strut end is a ball and socket. Study the following
pictures. The ball is attached to the car and the socket is on the strut. The
socket can be easily popped off the ball AFTER you remove the nearly
invisible retainer clip. It simply rotates and then pulls out, allowing the
socket to then pop off the ball. There is probably some pressure from the
spring, so you may have to grab the tube and push it toward the back of the car
while you pop it off the ball mount. Hang on to the tube and let it slowly
extend. There is not a lot of pressure and the strut is hydraulically damped,
so getting it off is not as scary as it might seem.
2) Remove the gas struts.
You will have one of these
type of connectors on the strut . . . the top is original or a correct
replacement.
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/StrutBaseEndCloseupWeb.jpg
Detail of the retainer clips:
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/StrutBaseEndClipCloseUpWeb.jpg
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/StrutBaseEndClipUnhookCloseUpWeb.jpg
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/StrutBaseEndClipOffCloseUpWeb.jpg
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/StrutRodEndReleaseCloseUpWeb.jpg
Once you have the struts
free, proceed with the next step.
3) Pull seat belt all the way out of retractor to allow
you to put the panels aside. You can hold the belt with a clip or small vice
grip:
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/SeatBeltTrickWeb.jpg
4) With the hatch closed, remove the old hinges from
the car . . . note that I will refer to this part (shown in the next
picture) as the ‘glass button’. It is made of steel and has a smaller diameter
‘barrel’ that reaches thru the glass and into the hinge. It has two plastic
washers; one that you see under the button (this one reaches thru the
glass), and one plain flat washer
on the under side that goes between the hinge face and the glass surface:
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/GlassButtonWEB.jpg
Use the supplied allen
wrench (as shown in the next photo) to remove the bolt (socket head cap screw)
from the glass end of the hinge then remove the 4 screws that hold the mount to
the car. Keep the shims and the bracket mounting bolts. A new bolt is
supplied for the glass end of the hinge.
http://thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/HingeGlassBoltWeb.jpg
TROUBLE
TIP: If you cannot remove the glass mount bolt. There are little flats on each
side of the metal glass button that are intended to prevent it from spinning in
the hinges so that the bolt can be tightened. If the steel bolt has corroded
into the steel button, then the button may rotate in the hinge pocket anyway.
If the button turns when you try to remove the bold, and you intend to re-use
the original button, then do not hold the button from the outside of the car
with a vice grip or similar tool. Take a 5/16" drill bit and drill into the
head of the allen bolt that is up inside the hinge. Just straight into the hex
socket. That part of the bolt is soft and can be easily drilled out. You are
only trying to drill off the HEAD of the bolt. You should only have to drill
about 1/4" deep or so to get the head off the bolt. Then you can
pull the hinge off and push the button (with the bolt shaft still in it) out of
the glass. Put penetrating oil on the bolt threads and work on getting the bolt
shaft out of the button by gripping the barrel of the button (it does not show)
and not the head.
TROUBLE
TIP: If the button is still stuck tight in the hinge. Sometimes even
after getting the bolt out, or drilling the head off, the button is still be
stuck fast.
Why is it stuck? In addition to the problem of rusting, I
have noted that the barrel diameter of the stock buttons varies quite
a bit, so they can be loose or snug or even stuck in the original as
well as the replacement hinges. Therefore, the following tips apply to
both original and replacement buttons . . and also to original or replacement
hinges . . or any combination thereof.
Note that hinge buttons and washers are shipped in the ends of
the hinges with the bolt threaded loosely into it. The bolt head is up in a
hole where you can't see it readily so I though it would be a good idea to
mention that it's in there. Remove the bolt before you try to pull the
button off the end of the hinge, and keep these buttons separated from the rear
buttons as they are different.
The snugness comes from the sharp edge between the flat and the
barrel. The corresponding corner in the pocket is rounded because of the round
cutting tool that makes the pocket.
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeCNC/ButtonInterfereAreaWEB.jpg
Knocking that sharp edge off should cure the snug. But the bolt
will pull it in no problem without modification, as was done in the example
shown in the above photo.
*Note: Replacement
hinges shipped after 11/01/08 have revised pockets that eliminate the
snugness issue.
If you pry the button by it's 'hat' it will probably bend the
hat edge, so if you do get a button stuck, or find the original button stuck, I
would suggest the following procedure:
Remove the bolt, then thread it back in one or two threads only.
Now tap on the end of the allen wrench to get the button out. Hold on to
the allen wrench or it may bounce out and scratch something. I supply a new
long-arm allen wrench with each hinge set. If you have drilled the head off in
a previous step, you can still use the allen wrench or any sort of long pin
punch to accomplish the same thing.
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeCNC/ButtonStuckWEB.jpg
The above technique works to get the original stuck
buttons out during disassembly, but be very careful if you are tapping
on the allen wrench (or pin punch) to get a button loose while the hinge is
still installed as the glass is taking the shock of the tapping. If it requires
more than a light tap, I would suggest getting a tube of some sort that
the 3/4" diameter button head will just slip into and place it over the
button. It must rest on the washer and NOT the button head or the
glass. Possible examples are some 12point 19mm or 3/4"
sockets. Perhaps a pipe nipple or copper tube fitting. Whatever you use, make
SURE that the button head can slip into it, and that it is not resting on the
glass. Then have a helper hold something hard and heavy (like a hammer
head) on the socket. The arrangement is illustrated here:
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeCNC/ButtonStuckBackupWEB.jpg
NOTE: the hammer is not used to hit the socket. It is a stationary backup to absorb shock of tapping from the underside to free a stuck button on an installed hinge.
The purpose is to have some mass to absorb the shock rather than the glass itself taking the hits. The glass is tempered and is very tough, but there's no sense tempting fate.
If you use this technique, make sure you or your helper
carefully watches the tube or socket to make sure it does not touch the glass
at any time. If you have any concern at all that the tube may slip off the
washer, or that the washer may slip up into the tube allowing the tube to then
touch the glass, then cover the glass up to the washer with several layer
of duck tape as a precaution.
In the very unlikely extreme case where the button refuses to
budge, do not just 'ramp' up the strike force without limit. Better to drill
the head off from the outside and get a new button (now that they are
available) than to shatter the glass. You should contact me with any
problem before using excessive force in any procedure during the installation
of hinges and adjustment of the hatch.
RESTORATION
TIP: The glass
buttons are just mild steel and can be cleaned, sanded and painted like any
other steel part. I recommend SEM trim black for the final coat. That is what
your hinges are painted with. It also does wonders for the windshield trim and
the black around the T-tops . . see additional restoration tips at the end of
these instructions! It is the only
product I have ever found that actually sticks to aluminum with no adhesion
promoter. Use regular primer on the steel button for corrosion protection.
5) Now for the glass adjustment. Typically, the glass
has moved way back on the car. You may have daylight between the glass and the
front of the seal and typically the rear edge of the glass is very close to the
fiberglass body. When you are finished with this step, your glass should be
sealed and there should be about a 1/4" or better of weatherstrip showing
at the rear edge of the glass.
With the struts and hinges
off, the hatch is no longer jammed and can be pushed forward by just slapping
your flat hands on the glass and giving a shove from the back of the car.
Unless the latches have been badly misadjusted, you should be able to move the
glass without opening the latches. Take your time here and get the glass to fit
as well as possible all the way around the seal.
Note:
unless you reposition the glass to its original position, it can be difficult
to get the new hinges on as they are built to the correct dimensions of a new
hinge and may not reach the glass if it is far back from where it should be.
TROUBLE
TIP: If you cannot reposition your glass.
The glass makes indentations in the weatherstrip and may be caught in
them. Have a helper gently push the front of the glass up off the weatherstrip from
inside the car while you push the glass forward. It is also possible that the
latches are misadjusted to the point where the glass will not move forward
enough. The latch adjustment also centers the glass in the back. If the glass
refuses to move or it is off center, you’ll need to get the latches off before
you can get the glass to settle in nicely. If this is the case, then go into
the car and unscrew the latch pins from their mounts (chrome parts under the
glass). The pins have flats on the side and are turned with a small open end
wrench. Once the pins are off, you can proceed to position the glass. As an
alternative, you can unscrew the balls (which are actually bolts) from the glass buttons and remove the
entire strut mount from the glass.
This is what the parts look like:
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/LatchPinWithNotesWEB.jpg
6) Install the new hinge in the mounting bracket in the
same orientation as the old hinge. Use the washer provided to center the hinge
pivot in the bracket:
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/HingeWasherWeb.jpg
CAUTION: your new hinges may look identical but
they are left and right and cannot be interchanged. There are two center punch
marks near the pivot of each hinge. These marks face the OUTSIDE of the car*.
Note that if you received your hinges prior to November
of 2007, the punch marks face the inside. To make the punch marks easier to see
during installation, I began placing the punch marks facing toward
the OUTSIDE of the car after that.
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/HingePunchWeb.jpg
7) Before you do this next step, test fit the glass
buttons into the new hinge faces. The button should go down into the hinge face
once the flats are aligned and should not rotate. If the buttons are too snug
to push into the hinge, see the ‘stuck button’ Trouble Tip a few pages back.
Slide the hinge mounting
brackets fully up into place (it may take some wiggling because the pivot bolt
may just barely clear the opening) and then put the washers in pace and get the
glass button snuggled into the hinge face and make very sure that
the flats on the sides of the glass button go down into the pocket in the
face of the new hinge before you snug up the new bolt. You will likely need a
helper for this.
CAUTION: Do not over tighten the glass bolt.
Do NOT bolt up the mounting bracket first, then the glass bolt second.
Your new hinges have ZERO flex and the glass bolt is fine thread and can exert
a lot of force. If something is out of alignment and you crank down hard on the
bolt, . . . well it hasn't happened yet, but it could get ugly. The
glass bolt need only be snug . . maybe as tight as you can make it by hand
turning the short side of the allen wrench.
I have observed a lot of
variation from hinge to hinge (the originals), one glass to the next and
especially from one body to the next in C3 corvettes. I believe there are also
‘replacement’ glass and I know there is ‘replacement’ weatherstrip. This adds
up to a lot of variation from car to car. There is a lot of adjustment
available in the hinge mount so you should be OK. At this point the hinge
mounting bracket should be fairly well aligned with the car body
mount. It should be parallel and need a few shims like the next picture shows.
If not, something is wrong so please STOP and contact me.
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/HingeShimLookingForwardWeb.jpg
The shims adjust how hard
the glass is pulled down onto the weatherstrip. Get all 4 bolts started loosely
and just slide in enough shims to fill the gap between the bracket and the
car body mount. Snug the bolts for now.
RESTORATION
TIP: You may find
that the factory has done a crappy job of cutting out the slots in the panels
which will have the hinges rubbing when the glass is open. Carefully remove the
rubber trim piece and cut the slot straight as shown:
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/HingeTrimClearanceWeb.jpg
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/PanelSlotWeb.jpg
Shims go between the
mounting bracket and the car body, but the following pictures help to show the
location and orientation of the shims. The brackets are also adjustable side to
side. You may want to test fit the appropriate interior piece at this
point and line the hinge up with the slot.
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/HingeShimInstallWeb.jpg
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/HingeShimLocateWeb.jpg
8) Install the shims and tighten the hinge bracket
bolts . . . and test the seal.
This is a good way to test
the seal . . should be a slight drag on paper:
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/WeatherstripTestWeb.jpg
If you don't have a good
seal, add another thin shim and retest. Remember that the shims control how
tight the glass is against the seal vertically, but moving the glass forward
and back also has the effect of tightening and loosening the seal, so get the
glass where you want it and THEN adjust with shims for a snug seal against the
weatherstrip.
9) Once you get everything adjusted and sealed, tighten
the hinge mounting bracket for the last time.
10) Open the glass and install the struts. The
tube end goes UP (toward the back of the car when the hatch is closed).
RESTORATION TIP: it is important that the pressure be the same
in each strut. These are actually called ‘gas springs’ and they typically loose
pressure slowly over time. Obviously if the struts loose too much pressure they
will be unable to open the hatch fully, but less obvious is that the DOFFERENCE
in pressure for one to the other will rack the glass and prevent the latches
from working smoothly and the glass from closing properly. Fortunately, this is
easy to check. Simply hold the strut vertically tube end up. Put the shaft end
on a bathroom scale and compress the strut by pushing down on the tube end. The
bathroom scale will show the pressure. It is important is that the pressure is
the same on each side. If it is
not, you will not get the hatch to
operate properly. ‘Reproduction’ CE struts are sporadically available from a
couple of sources. If you are into NCRS, then you can get the original struts
resealed and recharged by an outfit in Canada. Last I knew the cost for that
was $90 per struts. There is more info at the end of these instructions.
Turning now to the latches:
Take a look at this photos:
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/LatchLeftWeb.jpg
The
other side has a similar latch, but both cable adjustments are on the left side
hatch shown. The cable adjuster (on the right in the photo) is for the pull
handle, and the other one is between the latches and is used to adjusts the
latches to open at the same point.
The latches have all manner
of adjustment and will make you crazy if you let them. After doing several
cars, I have found what works best for me is to slowly close the hatch while
observing where the latch pin aligns with the latch.
11) With the latch attaching bolts just snug enough that
the latch can be tapped around, tap it around until the latch pin comes down
exactly in the center of the latch, both forward and back and side to side if
possible. The latch only grabs one side of the head on the latch pin, and
has the effect of pushing it to one side on closure, but the latch will not
release smoothly unless the pin comes down centered, so ignore the catch in the
bottom of the latch and adjust for the pin to come down nicely right in the
center of the latch.
12) The latch pin is threaded and serves the same
purpose on the back as the shims on the front; tightness against the
weatherstrip. It adjusts by turning it with an open end wrench using flats on
the sides. I like to set this
adjustment so that when the hatch is closed you can still push the glass a bit
further down by pressing firmly on the glass at the latch. This provides a
perfect seal and is not so tight that the latch will not pop open easily
and smoothly. Whether tight or loose, what is most important is that the
setting is the same on each side.
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/LatchPinWithNotesWEB.jpg
RESTORATION
TIP:
Unfortunately, I have seen some of these latch pins with half of the head
ground away in an effort to free a stuck hatch. If you have this situation, you
will be limited in adjustment to the orientation where the remaining head can
be caught by the latch. If your weatherstrip is still fairly supple, you might
be OK. If not, you might try swapping the pins side for side to see if you can
get a different adjustment that way. Failing that, the head can be welded up
and then filed or machined back to the original contour. Any machine shop can
also easily make new pins for you, although it is likely to be pretty
expensive. I have no plans to produce these pins.
13) And now for the final adjustment: Using the threaded
ends on the pull cables, adjust so that each latch releases at the exact same
moment. If you pull the release handle very slowly, likely one side will pop
open before the other. Adjust a little and repeat. It’s a it tedious, but the
results are very satisfying and with your new hinges, the setting should hold
for a long time.
RESTORATION
TIP: This is a
good time to fix or reinforce pulled thru screws:
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/HingeInstall/PanelHoleFixWeb.jpg
14) Reinstall all of the interior pieces in reverse
order.
15) Enjoy using your hatch! My wife hauls a laptop and briefcase back and forth to work in the back of
her CE every workday so the hatch gets used at LEASTE twice a day (more on
weekends) and has never been readjusted since the first set of hinges was
installed over three years ago. It still works perfectly. You can expect similar
results.
© 2007-2008 Steve Simpson -
theCUBEstudio. Please feel free to report errors or suggest additions. steve@thecubestudio.com
Cost for the hinge set is $330 including
insured shipping.
Replacement attachment buttons are $10 each.
Replacement machined black washers are $5
each.
NEW REPRODUCTION STRUTS
Note:
After many requests and people being on wait lists for a long time, I am making
new reproduction struts available on a limited basis.
03/04/09
Note: there are currently no
struts available.
Here
is a comparison of the current struts. The center strut is original and the
bottom is the one I made up three years ago for my wife’s CE.
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/StrutCompWeb.jpg
Here
are photos of the actual reproduction strut I am making now (top is new
reproduction strut, bottom is original):
http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/StrutsNew/ExrensionGlossCompareWEB.jpg
The
new struts have correct dimensions, correct chrome shaft, correct black metal
ends, correct size black body, correct extension distance, pressure and
damping.
In
other words, they fit perfectly, operate correctly and look exactly like
original struts with the exception that there will be no blue printing
identifying the manufacturer as on the original, and there is a slight ring
where the extensions mates to the bottom of the strut, as you can see if you
look closely at the photos. The ring is in the strut and not my extension. Also the paint on the new strut is much
smoother than the original.
The
struts come with new ends and new safety clips. You do not need to re-use any
part of the old struts, so even if you have incorrect plastic ended struts
(Eckler’s previous ‘repro’ struts) or no struts at all, you’re covered.
26
sets were made. Delivery started in mid April 2008. Strut sets are sold out
as of 03/04/09. I am not
planning to make more struts.
The
cost is $120 plus $15 shipping for hinge buyers. Struts are shipped separately
in a new super heavy duty tube to protect them from damage in shipping.
By
contrast, Eckler’s repro struts are now $220. http://www.ecklers.com/product.asp?pf_id=35564&dept_id=1502
They
have incorrect ends, the reduced diameter ‘stud’ at the end of the tube is
incorrect and they do not have the original blue printing.
Contact
steve@thecubestudio.com for any
additional information.
The
paint on your hinges is SEM trim black. It is made specifically to go over bare
aluminum without having to use an adhesion promoter first. Note that this
paint gets harder and tougher with time, but is somewhat delicate for as long
as a few weeks.
Adhesion promoter (I have used Bulldog) is a self etching clear paint that sticks to aluminum and other problem materials and give the topcoat something to grip.
The SEM is pretty rugged stuff being made to go on aluminum trim outside the car, and I used nothing over it on the hinges, so touch up is easy and should blend well. It does an awesome job on the trim around the windshield, and also the rubber edge around the T-Tops. I did my wife's daily driver CE two years ago and it looks like I just did it!
I'm not sure if the debate over brown vs. black for the rocker covers (on the body, not the engine) was ever resolved, but if you want satin black, the SEM trim black will do that job also.
This paint is expensive and usually only available at auto body supply companies. However, I recently found it on-line . . and almost $5 cheaper to boot!
http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/sem39143.html
Satin paints usually touch up well. Just crinkle up some tin foil, close spray a nook or cranny with the black and then use a small hobby brush to dip into the little paint pool you made and fill in scratches. If you have gotten wax on the hinges, you will have to clean them first with a prep product.
Note that lacquer thinner strips off the SEM trim black. Do NOT get lacquer thinner anywhere near your car's paint., The fumes alone can lift nearby paint.
To do your windshield trim, obviously wash the car and make sure it is completely dry. If you have compressed air, blow over the trim to get as much water and dust out from under it as you can. Any drop of water hiding in a crack will jump out just as the spray paint nozzle passes over.
Then clean the trim with a prep product. I use PPG 'wax and grease remover', but Dupont 'Prep Sol' is also good. These are strong solvents but are completely safe to use on your car's finish. In fact they work about 100 times better than 'road tar' or 'bug' or 'goo' removers you get at the auto store. Just remember they remove the wax also, so re-wax any areas you clean with this stuff.
You must use these products in a specific manner or they will NOT work and in fact will make things worse. To use these products you get the surface very wet and keep it wet continuously for a minute or two . . no rubbing . . and them wipe with a clean rag (I use paper shop towels) while the surface is still wet. Do not use the same area on the wipe rag twice! The solvent dissolves and suspends the silicone and other contaminants. Wetting one rag and wiping it around only moves the contaminants from place to place and may actually drive them further into the surface.
Do not skip the prep step as you surely have silicon on the trim from waxing the car and it will ruin your new trim restoration. Also do not sand before using the prep or you will grind the silicon into the remaining paint and aluminum surface making it extremely difficult to get out.
Tape off the area and then scuff the surface with 400 grit paper . . no finer than that . . and feather the edges of any chips. Do not wash the area again, and do not touch the surface with your bare skin . . which includes finger tips. If you do, clean it again with the prep product, being careful not to get big drips into cracks where they can hide and jump out later. This stuff is pretty volatile so if you wait 1/2 hour, it's a safe bet even a big drip is evaporated. Be careful anyway. Blow with air if you have it and then use a tac rag to remove the last bits of sanding dust and other 'fuzzies' and you are ready to rock.
The
SEM trim black is a little weird to use but the finish is dead smooth and even
. . pretty amazing stuff. Spray light coats until it is ALMOST smooth. If you
don't spray enough it won't flow out smooth, but if you spray till it is
smooth, it will likely run. It's not very forgiving in that sense. I won't
mention how many hinges I had to strip and repaint . . :-) It's worth the
effort though because this stuff actually sticks to bare aluminum and no
other top coat I have ever used will do that. Adhesion promoter
solves the adhesion problem, but it is very, very difficult to get a smooth top
coat over that stuff.
Here
is a link to the article that covers fixing some common problems with the hatch
release cable.
http://www.thecubestudio.com/CrossfireTechFixingCollectorEditionHatchCable.htm
