cladding replacement question

[kingvibe]

Just wondering if anyone can tell me the price of cladding unpainted. I just deceided that I want a true 2 tone paint job and planning to paint it hopefully this summer along with the bodykit. I asked the bodyshop if they could paint over the gray cladding thats on the car now without peeling and they said they could. But I want to know if you can go to the dealer and purchase it in primer or does it come already painted. If not than I'll trust that my body man can handle the job. Hes done good work in the past so we will see.

[tecton]

ask how much they will charge to do just the claddingim from wv and im looking for a place that will do it for not that much $

[ColonelPanic]

I don't think the cladding is available in anything other than the standard grey like we have on the 2-tones. Not 100% sure, can't say if I've ever came across any part numbers for painted or primered cladding. I too have kicked around the idea of a true 2-tone Vibe. Several months ago, I would have loved to have satellite cladding on my Neptune Vibe - I think that would look kinda neat! But I had the cladding replaced with the new design, so I threw that idea out the window. With the original '03 cladding (and monotone cladding with all years) I think it would have been great, but not so with the '04+ 2-tone cladding with the rocker extensions and whatnot. As long as they take care with prepping the surface of the cladding and use the right stuff, I'd say you'll not run into any problems getting it painted. If you decided to go forth with this, do share some pics! I know I'd love to see 'em! With all of the work involved with this little project however, I'd say it isn't going to be an inexpensive one.

[esjones]

When I was Vibe-shopping and deciding on monotone or standard (two-tone) cladding, I looked at several Vibes on the lot and came to the conclusion that the cladding was NOT the same. The two-tone, standard cladding seemed to be a bit more textured on the surface. The monotone Vibes I looked at were much smoother.Now, this has ramifications to someone who wants to paint their standard cladding to achieve a monotone or "true" two-tone paint job. Does anyone know for sure if the underlying cladding is indeed the same for both monotone and standard trim?

[ragingfish]

Believe it or not, all replacement cladding pieces come from the factory unpainted, the same color gray as the two-tone models. If it's a monotone model, the cladding gets painted by the dealer...The monotone and two tone cars have the same part number for the lower cladding...

[Reynoma]

[QUOTE=ragingfish]Believe it or not, all cladding comes from the factory unpainted, the same color gray as the two-tone models. If it's a monotone model, the cladding gets painted by the dealer...QUOTE]How did you find this out?

[ragingfish]

Parts lists show the same part number for "paint-to-match" as well as gray.

[Reynoma]

Quote, originally posted by ragingfish »Parts lists show the same part number for "paint-to-match" as well as gray.But that doesn't necessarily indicate that all monotones where made that way by the dealer, does it? I would think that the factory paints the cladding for monotone, and doesn't paint it for two-tone - depending on the options list. It is just hard to believe that the dealer needs to spend the time painting the cladding for any Vibe that rolls off the truck with "monotone" on the factory sticker. I would think some dealers wouldn't do it.(Am I reading into this too much?)

[jonathonbarton]

Has anyone put a two tone and monotone vibe up next to each other recently? I know the two tone on my '03 does have a texture to it, but the pics I've seen of the monotone seem smooth as a baby's...well..as smooth as the paint on the non-clad portions of the cars...If it's the same prep, and the same finish underneath, how do they deal with the texturing?

[ragingfish]

Quote, originally posted by Reynoma »But that doesn't necessarily indicate that all monotones where made that way by the dealer, does it? I would think that the factory paints the cladding for monotone, and doesn't paint it for two-tone - depending on the options list. It is just hard to believe that the dealer needs to spend the time painting the cladding for any Vibe that rolls off the truck with "monotone" on the factory sticker. I would think some dealers wouldn't do it.(Am I reading into this too much?)Yeah, you're reading into it too much. All monos come from the factory painted...But if you ever had to have a monotone lower panel replaced, it would be ordered from the factory the two-tone gray color, and then painted by the dealer.

[damronjr]

Quote, originally posted by kingvibe »Just wondering if anyone can tell me the price of cladding unpainted. I just deceided that I want a true 2 tone paint job and planning to paint it hopefully this summer along with the bodykit.Hmm, I'm liking this idea! D@#$ you people and you're ideas!!!!

[RIT]

As an "authority" - since i did the NUMMI tour in Freemont, CA, I can attest that the Monotone's cladding is painted at the factory and it begins with the same cladding as the 2-tone. It looks and feels different because the paint fills in some of the roughness. And no, you can't order the replacement cladding pre-painted. It (the replacement part) comes in "grey", and has to be primered, and painted at the dealer - with a flex-additive added to the paint so it will adhere to the cladding when it bends. Otherwise the paint will crack off when the cladding is flexed.

[esjones]

Quote, originally posted by ragingfish »Believe it or not, all cladding comes from the factory unpainted, the same color gray as the two-tone models. If it's a monotone model, the cladding gets painted by the dealer...The monotone and two tone cars have the same part number for the lower cladding...I hate to disagree, but it is quite common for service parts to come unpainted, so that the parts depot only needs to stock one part. That does NOT mean that all the monotone Vibes were dealer-painted.

[ColonelPanic]

I've spent a lot of time looking at Vibes out on the dealer's lot when I go in for service... There is a texture that you can see with the monotone's cladding. Some colors show it more than others, and certain areas of the car show the texture more than others. Seems to depend on the car as well, some monotones seem to have a smoother look to their cladding than others.

[ragingfish]

Quote, originally posted by esjones »I hate to disagree, but it is quite common for service parts to come unpainted, so that the parts depot only needs to stock one part. That does NOT mean that all the monotone Vibes were dealer-painted.LOL!I must clarify...I've thrown a few people off.I meant to say all REPLACEMENT cladding comes to teh dealer unpainted...Monotone cars come fully painted, of course...but if you order replacement cladding for a monotone vibe, it comes unpainted...I have edited accordingly.Sorry for the confusion!

[kingvibe]

My bodyshop I deal with said that he is using a new flex additive to bond to the cladding after its been prepared. Hopefully this will work. We willl see.

[ALi3N]

i have to disagree with all of you. I am having my vibe repaired currently and i had to make an issue of the type of cladding the body shop ordered. The part numbers are not the same i assure you. I got a look at the listing. The ready-for-paint ones are flat black plastic and the 2-tone style are grey. I have seen it with my own eyes. I will post pics of the cladding on my repair diary (http://www.cardomain.com/id/dj_vip3r) when i get the chance.

[ragingfish]

Dunno what you were looking at.MOULDING, LOWER SIDEGRAY: 88969791-2 (R/L)PAINT-TO-MATCH: 88969791-2 (R/L)Unless it's changed for the 05s...

[ALi3N]

Appearantly i have no idea... I think i may be going crazy.