1996 850 - Rubber/plastic roof trim cracking

[Teddy1975]

I've diagnosed the noise problems I'm experiencing from the driver's side A pillar and it turned out to be the rubber or plastic lining/trim that runs next to the wind shield up over the roof and down to the trunk of the car, this being a sedan. (Diagnosed it using masking tape on different parts of window trim and was baffled when the noise was still there with tape all around the window.)

The rubber/plastic is detoriating and lifting from the metal underneath. Which I guess is only reasonable with the car being 20 years old.

Anyway, my plan is to remove the strips of plastic completely, sand the metal smooth, apply primer, black paint and clear top coat. Basically just treat it as any other paint job.

I don't want to remove the plastic before I have what I need for the paint job, but I'm not sure what kind of metal there is under the plastic. Does anyone know if it's aluminum or steel?

Thanks,
Teddy

[crlande]

I had that problem once, the paint strip was lifting off the metal and at speed was acting like a reed instrument. I think it is aluminum metal. I left it in place, masked off the metal strip, sanded carefully and then used Rustoleum flat black spray paint. Still looks fine after several years.