FHC trim questions

PaulColeman · Post by **PaulColeman** » Wed May 29, 2013 11:54 am

Does anybody know how the chrome trim on the roof gutter comes off please? I can't see how it's fixed on. Is it available new as mine are a bit dented and don't look that good. It seems a difficult thing to try and straighten?

Also, are the rear side window supports available from anywhere? I'm talking about the chrome uprights that are bolted between the top of the rear wing and the roof which the rear side windows slot into. One of mine has been badly repaired in the past and the other one is broken where the screw goes into the bottom part that fixes to the body. If they're no longer available does anybody know what they're made out of so that I can see if it's possible to get them welded or repaired in some way.

Thanks, Paul.

richard btype · Post by **richard btype** » Wed May 29, 2013 4:29 pm

Paul

I'm a bit new at this game but so far I've come to the conclusion that replacement parts do not match the quality/fit/finish of the originals so try where ever possible to find originals - so you might try Ken Verity, RJ Smith.

With the chrome upright I wonder whether the item should be sent to a chromium platers to have a repair done before presumably re plating?

SteveG · Post by **SteveG** » Wed May 29, 2013 4:53 pm

Paul,

I took my gutter trims off starting at the front and eased a small blunt screwdriver into the end at it's lowest point, i.e. where the trim starts to fold under the roof gutter. The trims are only pressed on and as you ease it away from the gutter the top should spring out from the roof channel.

As for repair, one of mine was full of dinks and scrapes. I put it on my workbench and worked around the inside of the channel using anything that fits, from a blunt cold chisel to a large flat bladed screwdriver and tapped all the dents out. It is now quite good, with a bit of patience and working slowly you should be able to get a good result. I am still waiting to get the gutter trims re-chromed and fully expect they will get a little twisted during the chroming process but if they came off the car at least you know they are the correct size and shape and should go back on. Some aftermarket pattern parts need fettling and some adjustment to fit, IMO it is worth a bit of perseverance and re-use as many original parts as possible.

PaulColeman · Post by **PaulColeman** » Thu May 30, 2013 10:22 am

Thanks for the replies - I managed to get them off without bending them in half woohoo!

Now to see if I can get all the dents out...

Cheers, Paul.

Vegard · Post by **Vegard** » Thu May 30, 2013 11:14 am

Our passenger side gutter just fell off on its own ;)

I think I'm in the market for a new one as well...

38E · Post by **38E** » Thu May 30, 2013 2:34 pm

The gutter trims hook over the top edge of the roof gutter and additionally have a small tab on each end which is supposed to be bent over under the ends of the gutter. These tabs are often broken off and the trim may also have a sealant underneath helping it to stay on.

Don't know about the later cars but the early ones had brass trims. I had mine re-chromed but that is not always successful either because of cracking due to embritlement during the process.

I heard the replacement trims don't fit too well so it's probably best to save the originals if possible.

christopher storey · Post by **christopher storey** » Thu May 30, 2013 4:01 pm

Paul : if yours is serviceable, but just won't stay attached , it can be stuck on with Sikkaflex ( as is used to glue the bonnet ) .221 is the correct grade but is not always available ( yacht chandlers are your best bet ) so ask a supplier for the nearest grade to that . Once the sikka has semi-hardened any excess can be wiped off with white spirit and no-one will know the difference ! To get it off again, warming up with a hairdryer will usually soften the mastic sufficiently to allow you to pull it off

Cgarside · Post by **Cgarside** » Thu May 30, 2013 9:57 pm

When restoring my 66 FHC, I planned to have the original gutter trims rechromed but recommendations from chromers was that the end result could not be guaranteed - the brass apparently does not lend itself to rechroming. I tried replacements from a well known supplier but found them to be a mile out ! Eventually I got a pair from A C F Howells who rechromed all other items for me (to a high standard). While their gutter trims were the best I could find, they were not quite to the profile of the originals I was trying to replace.
If you can reclaim your original items I would definitely go this route.
As stated in earlier posts, these are held in place with metal tags at either and and flexible adhesive along the whole length of the gutter.
Regards
Chris

PaulColeman · Post by **PaulColeman** » Fri May 31, 2013 11:57 am

Okay, I'll try and rescue the originals but they're pretty dented :(

They almost want putting through a miniature wheeling machine to straighten out the dings?

Cheers, Paul.

Post by **Heuer** » Fri May 31, 2013 1:12 pm

Still worth trying Paul. I was just speaking to someone who had repro ones fitted and they went through three sets before achieving success! Why not contact one of these dent removal people and see if someone will take them on as a bit of a project?

ChrisC · Post by **ChrisC** » Fri May 31, 2013 8:34 pm

Of course I stand to be corrected on this but I am told that there is only one company who produce the gutter chromes and it is a small company in Poland who make them by hand and the major suppliers all buy them from him but naturally production is slow which is why there is a backlog with the likes of SNG (and other suppliers).

I managed to lay my hands on a pair and they almost fit he says diplomatically. I suspect the profile was probably originally correct but the chroming process (i.e. the polishing) bends them out of shape. I am slowly re-shaping them to fit but it is taking a while. They are also too long so need cutting down.

Sikoflex does indeed stick them nicely to the gutter :D but you need to get the profile pretty close first. I heartily recommend using the originals if you can. I never had them so I had no choice...

Interestingly I only have the driver side fitted and so far no-one has noticed the other side is missing

Minerva · Post by **Minerva** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 9:49 am

I think I have one of these buried somewhere. Not sure which side though.
In good nick and original and I had to buy two after one came of returning from the paint shop and got run over!- let me know if you are interested.

andrewh · Post by **andrewh** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 11:55 am

Just getting around to these gutter trims. I appreciate that they hook over the top of the roof gutter but the bottom edge does not really want to clip I to the underside. Are they meant to? I see along some sections there is a slight groove suggesting that somehow they do fit in but not on the A post end. This looks like another tricky job!

ChrisC · Post by **ChrisC** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 12:09 pm

It is not tricky if the trim actually fits.... but its very tricky if the gutter chrome is not correctly curved to fit the gutter.

In fact it is soooo tricky, 1 year later and I have only fitted one side so far as it is hard to recurve trim that is chromed.

I suspect the plater bent it out of shape when polishing..

johnney · Post by **johnney** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 2:55 pm

The gutter trims should have a tab at each end that you bend behind the gutter to keep them in place, sounds like they are missing from your trims.

andrewh · Post by **andrewh** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 3:14 pm

My new trims do have the tabs but this alone will not hold them on all the way round. They either push on and Grip the gutter or they are bonded. My originals had no bonding on them and were just pushed on tight .

johnney · Post by **johnney** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 4:07 pm

My factory fitted trims had some kind of adhesive as well as the tabs.

Cgarside · Post by **Cgarside** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 5:54 pm

I understand the factory used some form of black adhesive in addition to the trim clipping over the gutter. I used Sikaflex and this seems to have worked on my car.
Chris

andrewh · Post by **andrewh** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 6:02 pm

Sounds like Sikaflex it is then if I can get me new trims to fit that is!

andrewh · Post by **andrewh** » Sun Feb 09, 2014 6:21 pm

Ok, so after quite a lot of work I have now managed to get the near side A post trim to fit as it should. As you can see I have not finished the Jon just yet, I am awaiting some sealer that a pn Aston restorer friend of mine recommended to me. It dries to an elastic but matt finish rather than a high gloss silicone type look. I will apply this to the ends and the top of the A post and hopefully smooth into a nice bead. It is critical that you get the top and bottom screen chromes central or you will not manage to cover the tooling holes in the strips.

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