Removing Trim?

[p_trice]

I have an 82 280zx 2+2. I am about to start the sanding and body work. I am wondering what is under the trim on the bumpers? I want to take off all the trim, but I am not sure the end product will be what i want. Is there a polishable metal under the trim? If so that would be perfect. Or should I just remove the trim off the sides and leave bumpers alone. Any thoughts on this? If any body has pics of a z car with the trim taken off the sides or bumpers, please post it, I would like to see what it looks like as a reference. As you can see in pic, my side trim is broken on the end and is warped pretty bad. the other side of the car is missing part of the trim behind the front wheel.

[esmit208]

I don't think you will be happy with the metal under the rubber cover. I have a bumper in my garage from a 1981 and I will take a pic and post it to this thread. The metal is not the same shape as the outer cover. A company called SEMCO makes a bumper spray that a few people have used to put a finishing coat on restored dashboards from early 240Z's. That is what I would suggest after a thourough cleaning. Seeing your car brings back memories. I had the same car color and everything back in 1984. It was my very first Z. I was in way over my head in monthly payments and the car was reposessed in the fall of 1986. The T-Tops the opening quarter windows and the nice interior. Man those were the days.

[p_trice]

Thanks for the info. I would definitely like to see the pic of your car with the bumper trim off. This is my first z too. I have only had it for about 5 months. When I got, it had been sitting for about 4 years. It was a mess, didn't run, didn't drive, had junk tires, and the interior was all torn apart. The clutch was stuck to the flywheel. It was in really rough shape. I got it for a steal though, I only paid $500 for it, and I got about $800 in parts so far. Turned out to be a great investment. My z has only 83,000 miles on it. I am going to do paint and body work myself. I'm hoping the end product is something that I and other people can really appreciate. I love my z car.

[zbane]

Hopefully you won't find what I found under the rubber outer...

I was able to find a rear bumper from an 82 model (same extended rubber edges as on your year) but due to the extended section, wasn't able to mount it as a whole. Additionally, the indent that runs the length of the bumper was in a different location as my original, so I wasn't able to swap it in, hence my need to install it as it is...

But at least now you'll know what it looks like, should you reinstall without the rubber cover.

[ZXCrazy]

I recently bought a 1983 zx (this is my second zx, stupidly sold the first one years ago). I plan on painting it, so I would love to hear how your experience in painting turns out. The inside of mine is a mess, so I have to replace almost everything. I love my z, too.