Replaced Chrome on Neon Tail

[Tractionless]

Yesterday I finally replaced the lower chrome strip on my neon tail. Rather than spend $815 on a entire new assembly I hit up Flexchome.com and ordered a strip. Now they don't have the exact size needed as the stocker measures .572" x .2xx" so i went with .700" by .2xx". Unless you are up on the split between the deck lid and the taillight chome you can't tell any difference.

The stock one pulls right off. I then cleaned the mounting surface for the new chome with alcohol, sealed the cut chrome end with clear nail polish, panted the end black, applied some additional 3M adhesive promotor and viola....done in about 30mins. Definitely well worth the $34.

 

[MonsterMark]

I'm looking for the black rubber molding that runs around the light, in between the trunk edge and the light.

 

[Tractionless]

The lower chrome piece and the rubber "gasket" are molded together. There is a black plastic piece which the rubber is mended to (you can't get it off without ripping it) and that black plastic piece is the "chassis" if you will for the chrome. If you try and detach the rubber you ruin all three components. I left the rubber out on the piece I replaced as the extra .128" covers that area so there aren't any gaps.

 

[fossten]

The lower chrome piece and the rubber "gasket" are molded together. There is a black plastic piece which the rubber is mended to (you can't get it off without ripping it) and that black plastic piece is the "chassis" if you will for the chrome. If you try and detach the rubber you ruin all three components. I left the rubber out on the piece I replaced as the extra .128" covers that area so there aren't any gaps.

I just got my strip from flexchrome today. Do you mean detach the rubber from the NEW strip? Should I take any extra precaution, or will it just come off?

 

[Tractionless]

Keep the new strip as is the only thing you will be detaching is the protective cover on the chrome face and the protective cover on the adhesion strip. Did you get the extra 3M adhesive accelerator crap? If not you probably are going to want that to help it hold as the surface it adhears to is uneven. Flexchrome sells it as well. Email me direct if you want any further assistance Tractionless@adelphia.net

 

[fossten]

I've got some weatherstrip adhesive. I figure that should do the trick. It's nasty stuff.

 

[fossten]

@$#!%%^&* This strip is 12 inches too short! Now I've got to call and reorder, and ship this POS back!

 

[Tractionless]

@$#!%%^&* This strip is 12 inches too short! Now I've got to call and reorder, and ship this POS back!

Damn thats short! The one I got I was able to cut two. Sorry to hear it. Get youself some of that accelerator too it helps alot!!

 

[fossten]

Damn thats short! The one I got I was able to cut two. Sorry to hear it. Get youself some of that accelerator too it helps alot!!

You are referring to replacing the trim above your taillights. But in another post you referred flexchrome to a guy wanting to replace his bumper trim. I mistakenly thought you were referring to the bumper trim in this post, so I bought the trim. My fault, I should have measured first, but I assumed that was what you meant.

 

[Tractionless]

You are referring to replacing the trim above your taillights. But in another post you referred flexchrome to a guy wanting to replace his bumper trim. I mistakenly thought you were referring to the bumper trim in this post, so I bought the trim. My fault, I should have measured first, but I assumed that was what you meant.

Well both pieces can be bought from flexchrome. The piece i was referring to is the one UNDER the neon tail on a Gen2. I got the type that has a .770 width by X height. The one for the tail doesn't come custom cut you have to do it yourself.

 

[fossten]

Well both pieces can be bought from flexchrome. The piece i was referring to is the one UNDER the neon tail on a Gen2. I got the type that has a .770 width by X height. The one for the tail doesn't come custom cut you have to do it yourself.

I sent you an email.

 

[fossten]

Ok, I pulled the chrome off the front and back bumpers, and the strip I bought from flexchrome is too wide, so I'm going to exchange it or replace it with a thinner strip. This installation will be a piece of cake, though.

 

[Tractionless]

Ok, I pulled the chrome off the front and back bumpers, and the strip I bought from flexchrome is too wide, so I'm going to exchange it or replace it with a thinner strip. This installation will be a piece of cake, though.

Wow you are not having too much luck with those measurements. I was right on but then again I used a dial caliper to measure the stock tolerances.
Good luck and let me know if I can help.

 

[fossten]

Wow you are not having too much luck with those measurements. I was right on but then again I used a dial caliper to measure the stock tolerances.
Good luck and let me know if I can help.

Keeping in mind that I'm re-doing my back and front BUMPER chrome, I called flexchrome today and they said they could not get me a piece of .485" (which I need to fit in the groove) at 120" length (which I need for the back bumper) b/c it comes pre-cut at 111" long, not on a spool. So all I can do is cut it and do the front. I guess I'll have to break down and spend $61.00 for the stock back bumper chrome strip from Ford (and that's discounted from $88.00).

Anyone got any other ideas?

I've already considered painting the strip itself, but it's totally screwed after 12 years. I threw it away.

 

[Tractionless]

How do you think it would look if you spliced two pieces together at an inconspicuous spot? If you cut them and pulled some of the white material out and where able to get the two chrome pieces to touch it shouldn't be bad. Hell my Gen2 came from the factory like that. It has chrome spliced above the drivers side, side view mirror!!

 

[fossten]

How do you think it would look if you spliced two pieces together at an inconspicuous spot? If you cut them and pulled some of the white material out and where able to get the two chrome pieces to touch it shouldn't be bad. Hell my Gen2 came from the factory like that. It has chrome spliced above the drivers side, side view mirror!!

Hmmm. I thought about that. But where is an inconspicuous spot on chrome stripping? It would HAVE to be on a straight area, otherwise the curve would eventually pop loose.

I just figured it would look like it had a big crack in it.