4 replies to this topic

[Sammy D]

Betty had a full respray in January last year, the trouble is, the person that did it stripped every component off the car apart from the group 2 arches.

This meant that my arches were painted to the car, even the screws holding them on had been painted over.

I didn't like red arches, I wanted them black so I used a scalpel to carefully cut the paint joint between the car and arches. That went pretty well and I got them off quite easily. I rubbed them down, sprayed them black, put on some chrome arch trim and put them back on. They looked top dollar.

Anyhow, I then later had some suspension issues and subsiquently one of my arches got smacked off by the wheel and half destroyed.

In addition, the nearside front arch was a bit scratched so I really needed to replace the whole lot.

I bought some new group 2 arches from a guy on here, got them and they are brill, except... They are not as tall as my old arches, the width is the same but they dont go up the wings as much.

This now means that I will have Ford Radiant Red, then a ridge where it joins a band of dirty Maroon paint, then the black arches.

Bugger.

What do I do?

Sam

edit: AND my 1275 GT door stripes just stop and there is now a gap between the arch. I do have some spare ones but I was saving them for something else. Hmmn!

Edited by Sammy D, 18 March 2007 - 12:07 PM.

[Bungle]

if you fitted some rubber trim to the arch would that cover the gap ?

[Sammy D]

Nope.

We are talking a good inch gap!

[cooper_shaz]

Add a 1 inch band of paint in the same colour as the arches, then put the arches on..

or have an inch tall vinyl graphic made to do it (i.e. follow the countour of the arch)
on the vinyl you could maybe add a couple of logos...

[craig 1010cc]

I found this problem in th epast, theer are 2 different styles of grp2's. Did your original ones finish at 90deg to the panel or did they lip up and have a trim ontop of the arch. The 1st type I had and are taller than the latter (and more common). Sommerfords and minimail sell the 1st type as delux grp2's.

If you can post a pic of them it woudl help identfy the originals.

Hope that is of help.