Restoring 2000 GLX trim near rockers & front and year fog grilles. Want suggestions!

[Vexatious]

The black GLX trim (or moldings?) on each side of the rocker panels on my 2000 silver beetle GLX is heavily faded and worn out from sunlight and one of em actually fell off. The plastic is supposed to be black but it looks more like a light grey (like clay) color.

What would be a place to buy the sticky strips inside the trim pieces that glue to the body. They're sticky double sided strips that feel like rubber and one of em is curved. An extra strip around the edge would keep water out from reaching the strips inside. Or maybe a sealant; just don't want the body paint to come off with it.

Is Wal-Mart the cheapest place to buy paint? I wanna sand em smooth (they're scratched from debri) and primer them with some black paint and a clear coat for shine. The mud flaps should be done along with the trim under the door handles.

Also wanna paint the front and rear fog grille black. The front one was replaced with a silver one after an accident but was supposed to be black like the old one; the rear one was black, but got faded over the years. The interior could use black here and there; it looks too grey in my opinion.

How much is it to restore a crushed passenger side rocker panel in a good shop without filling? Does anyone know a good one in Washington State (United States). I put a truck jack under it and it crushed like an aluminum can! It was under the jack point too. Even the stronger jack points further inwards are getting crushed. This car has got to have the worst jack support, not to mention it's already too low to the ground. The instructions are unbelievable. Not to mention the front end is so heavy, when you do lift the front, the back wheels start going in the air too! Crazy. Scary when I do a oil change even on ramps.

Here's a pic of the front driver's side--trim molding that fell off near the rocker panel.

EDIT: Just noticed many 2000 GLX Beetle's without any trim moldings near the rockers (where the mud flaps are. Do they normally have mudflaps even?) or even under the door handles? I thought all GLX beetles had them. I added another pic so you can see the trim pieces I'm talking about on each side of the rockers.

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

All your trim pieces (except the front grille of course), are add ons. They should remove fairly easily because of age. Applying a little heat may help. Paint underneath should be undamaged, but may not match any longer due to paint fading from ultravilet sunlight.

If you really like them, and want to re=paint and re-install them (assuming you get them off undamaged), try Krylon Fusion paint (Wallyowrld, Lowe's, etc), marketed to paint plastic. Re-install with 3M high bond foam tape (as close to what was used originally as your going to find). Most, if not all of these items were never intended to be glossy, that defeats their purpose.

New fender guards and door handle guards are available around the web, I haven't seen the rear bumper insert.
Here are the factory fendor guards (dealer option)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VW-Vo...item2a06b536fc

M.

[Toad]

As MORAV said, they aren't factory, but they're close.

All those pieces are drivergear stuff. I'm pretty sure you can't find those exact pieces anymore.

But they should just all be held in with double sided tape. The rear one might have a couple screws on the underside of it also, i can't remember it's been awhile since i've seen one in person.


They would look nice in the same satin black they were, or maybe even a gloss black, or if you can find it, body color.

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Here are some new ones, can't beat the price.
VWVortex.com - FS: Color matched Mupflaps/gaurds for your beetle NIB

M.