Re: Corolla Plastic on Trunk

On Aug 15, 4:01 am, "CIL" <Get_ba...@xxxxxxxx> wrote:


Start noticing how many are fading, they have changed the part on newer
units, I am not sure what year that they changed.

I've never seen a faded one yet myself.. Actually, didn't realize
they were
made of plastic until you mentioned it. On mine, the whole trunk
area,
including that piece are all the stock color. So, if one was to fade,
I would
think the paint/primer would be more at fault than the plastic piece
itself.
Mine is a 2005 though.. I haven't taken a close look to see the
differences
if any.. I know in a general sense, there were supposably 700+ total
changes to the corolla in 2005, but I don't seem to remember that
piece
being one of them. The only thing I've seen different on the newer
ones
is a black "step guard" of sorts that covers the painted bumper top,
right behind the trunk. But... Seems the part you mention is the same
though.. The 05 does not have that step guard.. Must be a 06-07
thang..
There is no fading at all on mine. The color of that piece is exactly
the same shade as the rust of the trunk lid. Maybe it depends on how
much sun shines on the trunk. I keep mine in the garage when I'm not
driving it, so I would assume my piece may very well hold up longer
than one whose rear of the car faces the hot afternoon sun every day.
So I kind of agree with ph@xxxxxx Normally, it should not fade at
any
faster rate than the rest of the trunk. If it does, I would guess
possibly
repainted at some point, and if not that, maybe a semi botched paint
job on that part. If not that, maybe it faces the hot sun every day,
and for some reason the plastic heats differently than the metal parts
and effects the paint..
Is a 2003 still under warranty? If not, toyota has no real cause to
have
to fix it, so like Ray O says, better kiss the sales dudes rear when
you go in... :) Even then, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for a
repaint.
If that happened to mine, it's quite possible I might repaint it
myself
if they wouldn't do it.
I can paint fairly well, and those colors are easily matched. They
sell
all those exact colors aftermarket. I've got a touchup painter that I
got at
autozone, and it's a perfect match.. The only thing... If you
repainted
it yourself, you will need a top clear coat if you want it to look
right.
Of course, if I were to repaint it myself, I would remove it from the
car
before repainting if possible. Then paint it on a flat surface to
reduce
runs, etc.. I'd put 2-3 layers of base color, and at least a couple
of
coats of clear. If there is any cracking, flaking, etc, you would need
to
strip and re-prime before painting.
MK


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