Ever since I took possesion of the car, the left side B-Pillar trim had a crack right through it, very obvious and plain to see. My theory is that - well, I haven't the slightest idea why this happened. I never photograhed the defect because it detracted from the nice conditon of the rest of the car. But here it is, after I removed the trim from the car. Oddly, both sides popped right out. Seldom on an NK does any part just snap off easily; usually each item is attached to several others, requiring complicated disassembly. But not this time.
Except for a msyterious piece of masking tape on each side of the car, underneath the trim the metal was clean and rust-free.
I had bought from Germany two used trim pieces, with a view to replacing both. Because they were black, they had to be painted to match. Luckily I found a version of Rustoleum spray paint that was an identical match, nearly.
I painted the trim on the floor of the garage on a wet, rainy day. The pieces took forever to dry.
What was really astonishing was how close the color match proved to be. I moved the newly painted pieces to the hood of the car and placed one of the old pieces beside them for comparision.
The original part from the car is on the left in the above photo. The newly-painted pieces look glossier because they are still damp.
Lastly, I noticed that the bolts that hold the seat belt in place had once been painted also, whether or not in the factory I had no way of knowing. But I decided to repaint them, too.
I had to wait about eight hours for the paint to dry sufficiently to put the new trim back in the car. The project was a great success, approved by all concerned.
Toward the bottom on this side was where the old trim piece had cracked in half. Now gone, vansished without a trace!
Except for a msyterious piece of masking tape on each side of the car, underneath the trim the metal was clean and rust-free.
I had bought from Germany two used trim pieces, with a view to replacing both. Because they were black, they had to be painted to match. Luckily I found a version of Rustoleum spray paint that was an identical match, nearly.
I painted the trim on the floor of the garage on a wet, rainy day. The pieces took forever to dry.
What was really astonishing was how close the color match proved to be. I moved the newly painted pieces to the hood of the car and placed one of the old pieces beside them for comparision.
The original part from the car is on the left in the above photo. The newly-painted pieces look glossier because they are still damp.
Lastly, I noticed that the bolts that hold the seat belt in place had once been painted also, whether or not in the factory I had no way of knowing. But I decided to repaint them, too.
I had to wait about eight hours for the paint to dry sufficiently to put the new trim back in the car. The project was a great success, approved by all concerned.
Toward the bottom on this side was where the old trim piece had cracked in half. Now gone, vansished without a trace!
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