1998 S70 - Drip/Roof Molding Falling Apart

ferocity02 · Post by **ferocity02** » 08 Aug 2016, 17:01

I have a 98 S70 with 188k miles. As expected, the drip molding along the roof is looking terrible. Rather than spending $150 to replace each one, I'm thinking they can be refurbished slightly.

The drip molding consists of a metal center section (coated in some rubber-ish material) and then rubber seals/trim on both sides of the metal center.

On the driver's side, the rubber coating is gone and most of the rubber seals too, so I can actually see into the channel. The passenger side is in better shape, but it's on its way out.

Has anyone removed the rubber seals/strips and just left the metal center section? This kind of defies the point of having the trim at all. But its the cheapest solution. Would be nice to see some pics of this.

Is this a safe long-term solution? Would water getting into the channel cause any significant damage?

Post by **E Showell** » 08 Aug 2016, 18:02

I've read about black out tape as an option and was considering doing that myself when I found a good set in a scrap yard.

ferocity02 · Post by **ferocity02** » 08 Aug 2016, 22:15

E Showell wrote:I've read about black out tape as an option and was considering doing that myself when I found a good set in a scrap yard.

I've read about that too, but isn't that just to cover the metal piece? I was planning on painting it. Easy enough once it's off the car.

The issue is that the rubber seals attached to the metal piece are pretty much gone. So I'm curious if it's okay to remove the rubber seals completely, leaving just the metal center section.

If I need to keep the rubber pieces then I'll need to find an entire trim piece from a junkyard or buy a new one. The local dealer agreed on $135 for a new one.

Post by **E Showell** » 09 Aug 2016, 05:36

I don't know, but I think the black-out tape approach involves wrapping down to and slightly overlapping the rubber on the bottom.