Rochester

iTrader: (9)

Cool. That's the general idea. Exactly right on the weatherstrip, too.

Personally, I'm thinking of matte black, irrespective of the CF wrap, so that I can mount my left over INFINITI badging from the trunk.

AARONHL

just an idea but you might be able to cut out some Polyethylene foam with a knife and stuff it in there, might be easier than cutting the plastic. (Polyethylene foam is what pool noodles are made out of but they sell it in flat sheets of various thicknesses...I can send you some) Its light and flexible and you could probably put a few dabs of silicone on it to make it stay and then wrap your fake carbon fiber sticker over it

Rochester

iTrader: (9)

"Packing" the sections with pieces that provide structural support behind this new panel... that's a great out-of-the-box idea. Noted.

Rochester

iTrader: (9)

I saw a $4.99 storage bin in Target yesterday that seemed like reasonable material for proof-of-concept. So I bought it and hacked into the lid, creating a plastic section 12.5" long and 2.5" high. Again, just as an unpainted proof-of-concept.



Fitting it against the area, it's not horrible, but not nearly there yet. There's a barely perceptible curvature at the bottom of the plastic, which really isn't a problem. The width could probably support another 1/8" on each end. And obviously there's no connecting support.

The biggest problem is the lower lip. It needs to be more deep than this, illustrated below.



...and for side-by-side comparison, here's the fitment I'm trying to accommodate:




Anyway, still thinking about this little project.

And still trolling the storage bin section at department stores.

Rochester

iTrader: (9)

That bin I originally found at Walmart a while back, then lost. I found it again a Lowes. Turns out the lip design is identical to the one I was playing with. However, it was longer, and I was thinking about how this project might work better with extended sides, instead of looking for back support. So I bought it and hacked into it for a 2nd proof-of-concept.

Here's a crude cut-out of what I'm thinking. The panel is wider by 3/4" on each side. And by cutting the lip by 2" on each side, the panel would sit above the big plastic tab, instead of around it.



Still a lot of exact fitment to go, and other considerations, but just to get a better handle on what it might look like, I painted it, too, in a satin black. I need to do this better, but I just wanted this to be black so I could eyeball it in black. There are lessons learned about painting a piece like this, and sanding plastic.



I also think it would benefit from some back-piece adhered to it for rigidity, however retaining that lip as a design element actually keeps it pretty stiff.

Here's what it would look like on the car... as 2nd-pass prototype.



This picture here is a good perspective.



Honestly, I've swung the spectrum of expectations for this little project. But at the moment I'm feeling enthusiastic again.

Rochester

iTrader: (9)

I was planning on purchasing that long piece of weather stripping that runs along the back. Then cut it up to extend the length of this new panel, as well as an inch into the side panels... which means cutting the S-shaped weatherstripping back by 2" each.

Guess what actually costs a lot of money as an OEM part? Like $90 or more. WTF? It feels like sourcing that thing is itself a project.

That piece is Part #66834M SEAL ASSY-COWL TOP. Curiously, the GTR uses the same one, and if you look for it on Nissan sites instead of Infiniti, the price comes down to under $50. But still... $50 for a piece of weatherstrip? That just seems weird. There's got to be a more cost-effective solution.

Rochester

iTrader: (9)

In order to keep this thing in place, I was thinking the weatherstrip at the top would go a long way to making that happen. And the wings resting against the bottom should give it something solid to sit on. So if the wings were tacked to the flat panel behind it with nothing more than a strip of indoor/outdoor mounting tape... It might just be steady.

I was thinking the backside could benefit from something stiffening up the panel. And the 2" cut-outs at the wings would look and work well by some rubber edge trim. I wonder how you find and buy something like that? Hobby store, maybe?

PNW_IPL

iTrader: (5)

Take my money!!!

Rochester

iTrader: (9)

What if...

What if I replaced both S-shaped weatherstrip sections with one huge length of after-market weatherstrip?

pri.g

We'd all be mindblown.

Looks so OE. Nice work.

Epiphany

Definitely go aftermarket for the weatherstripping. Swing by a Napa or something and they should have a bunch of different types. Piece that big shouldn't cost much more than $10-$15 I don't think. Take one side of the OEM weatherstripping with you to match it up.

Rochester

iTrader: (9)

I've been thinking about this ever since the day I swapped badges on the trunk, wondering if there was something I could do with these. I'm not saying this is the goal of the project, but it's what started it.

Here's a pic, playing with the idea.



I didn't actually adhere them to the panel yet. I mean, this isn't the final piece, and I'm not 100% convinced I want to. Plus, I'd like to get through summer blank, to see if the plastic will hold up to engine bay heat.

PNW_IPL

iTrader: (5)

Rochester

iTrader: (9)

Will do.

I removed one of the S-shaped pieces, to get a better look at it. You'll find stuff like this referred to as "Vertical Bulb Trim Seal". (Freaking terminology )



I measured things out at 58", so 60" to round it up. Or if they're sold in 6-foot sections, then one 6-foot section would be ideal, so it could be casually cut to fit.

Pretty sure it has a metal core, to maintain its shape and grip. Because if you squeeze it before sliding it over an edge, you can create a really strong grip on the strip.



Five feet of a similar design can be had through Amazon for $10. But I need to keep digging now that I know what I've got and what I need. Probably need to measure the grip depth and bulb diameter, blah blah blah.

Here's a link:

It only has one pair of internal barbs, and the bulb section isn't ribbed like the OEM. Plus, the OEM trim has a little wing on one side. Hmm.

Rochester

iTrader: (9)

Swung by Advance Auto this evening... that's a big no on the weatherstrip. I still need to hit up Napa and Pep Boys, but I'm wondering if online is my best approach here.

If I were to go with a 3-piece design like I was first thinking, then I could just buy another one of the S-shaped pieces and straighten it out, for about $20 - $30. Thing is, now that I'm thinking of using one big piece, I kind of prefer that idea.

In the meantime, the 2" sections cut out on each end are a rough edge. So I smoothed the curvature out on the grinding wheel, and picked up some black door edge trim while I was at Advance Auto. It was only $4, and I only need two, 2-inch pieces.

Not sure if I like this edge-trim design, and think I might like a softer rubber material, instead of this harder, glossy plastic. I don't know... need to put it back on the car and reassess things. I also need to assess how it's going to connect on the sides, and how to strengthen the backside. Actually picked up a length of aluminum at Lowes for the backside. Haven't figured that out entirely yet, either.