protraxduner

I searched and couldn't find a specific answer to this nor anyone who has removed this and what it looks like. Few questions as I have had plenty of cars with urethane bumpers (most inferior cars vs the 928) and NONE had this between body parts. Any cars outside of black or dark cars surely would look better without this overstated seam. Help me understand.

1. Why is it there in the first place?
2. Has anyone removed this and reassembled without? what does it look like?
3. If I remove does the fender and/or bumper cover require work to make it flush?
4. I don't want to paint the beading, as I cant imagine this would be a long term viable solution.

What are everyone's thoughts and opinions as my car is due for a respray.

thanks

Chalkboss

Good questions. I wonder why it is there myself. Also, it's starting to look like crap on an otherwise very nice body.

linderpat

I would leave it stock, and never paint it. You can tell a car with a bad paint job when the painter just sprays right over the bumper beading on the front and back. If you leave it out, there will be a gap, and it will look unfinished to anyone who knows 928s. To somebody who doesn't know these cars, it may or may not look funny. To me, it looks fine as it came from the factory. To try to fill the gap would be difficult because you have aluminum on one side, and polyurethane on the other, and I don't think that would work well, especially with the PU flex.

protraxduner

I would NEVER paint it assembled. I was suggesting paint the bumper, paint the fender , paint the beading and assemble. not sure the beading could handle being assembled painted.

What am suggesting is removing the beading. Then filling the fender and/or bumper, I assume there is a indention to fill. Comfortable with filling the metal side, not so comfortable filling the urethane side for fear of eventual filler separation from urethane.

And after doing this will it look like 99% of other car body seams?

linderpat

It appears that you don't like the look of the beading. Painting it as you described seems like it would not hold up either - the paint would flake off as the beading is a very flexible almost rope like item. If the paint would have any chance of sticking to the beading, I would think that it has to be painted once mounted on the car.

docmirror

I have a car with painted beading. It was done off the car, and then assembled. I like the look of the beading painted body color. Use a flex additive in the paint, or use a specific trim paint of the right tint to match. Prep the beading to take the paint by scuffing it with 0 or 1 steel wool.

I would not leave the beading off as there is a noticeable gap in the panels, and it will collect crud, and look unfinished.

Captain_Slow

I like the beading...front and rear bumpers. Don't know why, but beading on Porsche's and VW Beatles are things I noticed were unique to these cars...and I strongly associate them with these cars.

mike77

I have no beading on mine and don't like it. It leaves a big gap.

I had my front bumper off to get painted and didn't get a chance to put the new beading on. Seems like you need a massive stapler to get it on. Anyone know what sort of stapler you need?

Randy V

A couple folks have done custom clips that eliminate the beading.

Perhaps someone can find the previous pics posted of them.

It is a very difficult thing to do well.

If you have a gap with no beading that indicates the bumper had been removed in the past and reinstalled without installing new beading. Very shoddy workmanship that.

Chalkboss

I do like the beading, it just is getting faded and old looking. Wish there was a way to easily refresh it without removing body parts.

protraxduner

So I looked at the front fender and it would appear where it meets the front bumper cover it is flat and that the bumper cover has the 'recess' in which the beading lays. It would seem in theory you could fill this recess with flexible body filler for urethane therefore eliminating the beading and therefore the gap. Am I missing something?

BC

Its doable, with enough time. QC and computer controlled manufacturing have removed the need for these "gross gap" cleanup beads.

It doesn't look that bad with no beading and no other work. More work would make it very nice - smoothing that surface and taking that step out of the corner.

Tom. M

Pat Edwards did that on his Predator (85 928S) that had an aftermarket front/back clip. It looked really good, but he did say it took a lot of man hours to get it done correctly. You'll have to search way back for pics of the Predator unless someone has some to share....(his user name was doublenuts or something like that)...

hagen454

I just repainted my car and installed new beading. All I used for a stapler was your basic T50 which turned out to work fine. The bumper was soft enough that the staples went right in without a problem.

The Fixer

Must be there to help with fitment because the pre production cars did not have it iirc.

And it will keep thing clean between the panels and covers. Lots of crud would build up between the two.

But it is likely a production thang. (fitment)

Sorry if this was already stated.