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General => Cosmetic and bodywork matters => Topic started by: x.Girl.Loves.VW.x on 13 January 2007, 17:01

Title: arches
Post by: x.Girl.Loves.VW.x on 13 January 2007, 17:01: i want to change my standard plastic arches. i dont like the plastic look...i want painted ones but wouldnt have thought that painting them would look great. any suggestions about what ones to get, from where and how easy they are to fit.

any info would be great
Title: Re: arches
Post by: Pete Taylor on 13 January 2007, 17:11: Why did you buy a golf with plastic arches if you don't like them?
Title: Re: arches
Post by: Stu.750 on 13 January 2007, 17:26: i dont think you can actually buy ;ainted one can u ? (correct me if im wrong anyone)

But the only way to colour code them is to have them primer filled and painted

By a body shop or yourself ?
Title: Re: arches
Post by: Pete Taylor on 13 January 2007, 17:30: I smoothed the arches into the panels and painted them on an XR2i once but they were sturdy arches. I think the golf arches may be susceptible to cracking if painted.
Title: Re: arches
Post by: x.Girl.Loves.VW.x on 13 January 2007, 17:43: its not that i hate the look of the plastic...im just thinking about trying to give the car a more smooth look. i didnt know if you could get aluminium arches or something similar
Title: Re: arches
Post by: Dub-77 on 13 January 2007, 17:53: Go at your arches with a DA and some 320 grit untill all of your pattern has gone then hi build primer them, flat them off with some 600 wet and dry then have them painted with some good quality 2k paint and baked off in an oven :wink:
Thats what I done.....and mine are smmmmooooottthhhhhhhh........ :grin:
See what you think.....

(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/DUB-77/Dub2238.jpg)

Darren
Title: Re: arches
Post by: sacvwgolf on 13 January 2007, 17:54: whats DA?
Title: Re: arches
Post by: rich mk3 on 13 January 2007, 17:59: take them off!
Title: Re: arches
Post by: Dub-77 on 13 January 2007, 18:03: A "DA" is an of centre orbital sander that is used in bodyshops for the preping of bodywork etc.

Darren
Title: Re: arches
Post by: x.Girl.Loves.VW.x on 15 January 2007, 21:24: cheers for the help. By the way, stunning arches Dub-77!!!
Title: Re: arches
Post by: Dub-77 on 18 January 2007, 21:50: Cheers :cool:

Darren
Title: Re: arches
Post by: patch900 on 21 January 2007, 16:25: Dub77, your arches look wicked. Did you smooth down the door strips as well ?

I want to smooth of the bumpers and arches on my MK3.
Title: Re: arches
Post by: Len on 21 January 2007, 17:53: patch900 - on a Mk3 its best to just take the plastic arches off!

Carl's car shows that look best!
Title: Re: arches
Post by: patch900 on 22 January 2007, 10:18: Cheers for the info.

Len, does he has pictures of his motor on here ? Whats his tag ?
Title: Re: arches
Post by: Len on 22 January 2007, 10:27: Yes its in his sig. Try Carl.

he's like me - no fancy username!
Title: Re: arches
Post by: patch900 on 22 January 2007, 10:31: Sweet as, patch is my old dog BTW. Always use the same sign in.
Title: Re: arches
Post by: Len on 22 January 2007, 10:34: In that case mine would be Free or Ben. :grin:
Title: Re: arches
Post by: patch900 on 22 January 2007, 10:39: Len, just found it. Thats a sweet looking Mk3. Can see what you mean.

Definately looks nice with the arched off. Looks like he has had the bumpers smoothed as well ?

Where can you get hold of new smooth door strips ?

Not the ones for the bottom of the car, the ones across the middle of the doors etc.

The ones I have are the bobbly plastic ones, same as the arches, and they look a bit tatty. Dont think it would be worth smoothing them off.
Title: Re: arches
Post by: mase on 22 January 2007, 10:40: Quote from: Len405 on 21 January 2007, 17:53
patch900 - on a Mk3 its best to just take the plastic arches off!

Carl's car shows that look best!

mk3 with no black arches u say?

hmmm....

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v57/mase220/mk3/bought1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v57/mase220/mk3/bought4.jpg)

p.s: thats mine... not carls, in case anyone get confused :grin:
Title: Re: arches
Post by: patch900 on 22 January 2007, 10:49: Mase, while your on you can answer.

Bumpers smoothed (Y/N) ?

Door strips - where did you get em ?

Looking very nice, nice colour as well :wink:
Title: Re: arches
Post by: mase on 22 January 2007, 10:56: my bumpers arent smoothed... just had the black arches removed, the black parts of the bumpers colour coded, along with the door handles and the rubstrips... :cool: the rubstrips just unclip from the doors, so any body shop would be able to paint them body colour. im prob going to get the side skirts and a gti spoiler done at some point as well. (if the spoiler ever turns up.... f*cking ebay)

p.s: its all about the mystic blue!!! :cool:
Title: Re: arches
Post by: patch900 on 22 January 2007, 11:01: Cheers dude

I tell you that ebay is the devils work :laugh:
Title: Re: arches
Post by: Len on 22 January 2007, 11:15: Yeah! Mystic Blue rules! :grin:

I'm thinking about the small mid rubbing strips too!
I got a feeling they are a Mk 2 part??????
Title: Re: arches
Post by: mase on 22 January 2007, 11:33: u can change the gti rubstrips with golf CL ones, AFAIK they sit closer to the body and were originally designed to be put on cars without the black arches, so might look a bit smoother if thats the look your going for.

:cool:
Title: Re: arches
Post by: Len on 22 January 2007, 12:57: Cheers mase.

I guess I will be making a trip to the VAG Stealer for those!
Title: Re: arches
Post by: d-dubz on 07 February 2007, 21:22: Hey Dub77, just want to say the arches look great! i want to do the same to the ones i have on my mk3! How can i do this in a cheap and easy way?