PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

As per the suggestions on this board, I bought this stuff for about $4.00 at a local hardware store, and I re-did the gaps on the bodykit and they came out PERFECT. No more gaps. All four corners are perfectly flush w/ the OEM bumper... I love it.

Now to get about four hundred rolls of this 3M magic tape and re-do the headliner.... :sqnteek:

rets

Sorry, Peter, I kind of lost. Do you mean the gaps on the four corners of the bodykit (skirts)?

kazuaki

Any chance you can post before and after pics? Anything special about the way you applied the tape? Is the "3M Heavy Duty" tape the best? I have a similar issue that I need to resolve.

Thanks!

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

I can snap pics of the "after"... didn't take shots of "before."

The 3M heavy duty is the strongest i found at the hardware store (Home depot). It supports up to 5lbs of force .. which is more than ample to tack down those fronta and rear skirts to the OEM bumper.

One thing you must do: On the bodykit, the ORIGINAL double sided tape that comes with it must be removed completely, included the black stripping that adds thickness to the tape. Once this is done (and this is all very self evident upon attempting this maneuver) you must layer the 3M tape by two layers to adequately allow the OEM bumper to meet and securely contact the bodykit.

Cdn04TL

I too have the body kit on my Abyss Blue TL.....here's what i experienced.....i had the kit installed back in April when i took delivery.....a noticed after a few days that there were some gaps at the rear skirt.....the front and sides were ok.....then after a month or so i noticed the front skirt had gaps.....my dealer tried to re-apply the front and rear skirts with what i assume was heavy duty double-sided tape.....however a few days later gaps reappeared.....my dealer then replaced both skirts with new ones.....and they fit perfectly and have stayed that way for a few weeks now.....it's interesting that when i drove down to Seattle recently i dropped my 2 Acura dealers in the area and checked out 3 A-Spec TLs.....all 3 had gaps with their front and rear skirts.....i believe that some of these skirts are not up to spec with the bumper dimesions.....they should fit on snug and not have to be secured or held on by tape as well as screws.....that's why gaps appear because some skirts are off a little in terms of their shape.......but man does this body kit make this car look sweet !!!

dsc888

PeterUbers,

Which thickness tape did you get? The ones on the kit is about 1/2 inch wide. I've seem Home Depot and Target sell them in that width PLUS in 1 inch widths.

I honestly think that Acura skimped on the 3M tape which is why it's coming loose. I have the kit sitting in my basement and noticed that both the front the rear skirts use the 1/2 inch tape in about 5-6 inche strips to stick to the bumper. There are 1 inch gaps between each of these strips. What they should have done was to include longer, continuous strips with breaks for corners around bumpers.

dsc888

Cdn04TL

But don't you think that these skirts should fit snug with some pressure instead of tape needed to hold them in place ???

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

dsc .. use the 1" width tape from Home Depot... it'll hold it much better..

Check this out... i screwed up the first corner I tryed "mending" and I had to peel the skirt off to redo it.. it was near IMPOSSIBLE to retract the corner from the OEM bumper thanks to this 3M heavy duty stuff.... plus it's WATERPROOF/WEATHERPROOF... so I am confident that once it bakes in the sun, it'll be rock solid.

I totally agree w/ you about including longer pieces of tape w/ thicker margins.. perhaps they were considering if you ever wanted to go back to stock, the thinner pieces would allow a better cosmetic end-result.

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

I DO think that the kit is poorly designed, so i am NOT surprsied that it does NOT fit snug ... i am aware however that other manufacterers' bodykits DO in fact fit snugly w/o any need for double sided tape.. oh well

dsc888

PeterUbers,

Thanks and I agree with you on this point. It may be helpful at trade or sale to a private party who may not want the kit.

dsc888

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

Here are some AFTER pics... sorry, I didn't snap shots of it before, I wish I would have to show you how horrendous the gaps were:

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

I found a grey-ish car wax that i used to sorta fill in the final microgaps to eliminate any black line at the approximated edge. Therefore, the quick will reveal absolutely no gaps, and unless you crouch over and look very closely at the approximated edges, you won't see any gaps.

rets

Much better than those A-Spec 04TLs I saw in the dealership.

dsc888

PeterUbers,

Ooops...one more question for you. How many rolls of the 3M tape did you get? I assume you need about 2. I will got to Home Depot tomorrow to get some. I wonder if it is better to do as you said and remove the old tape or should I add to the old stuff. Thanks for your advice.

dsc888

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

If you screw up a couple times, you'll need FOUR rolls ... however, three should suffice. I suggest taking off the original tape as well as the "risers" ... it seems in this way, you do not end up w/ too much padding under the bodykit that will not allow the kit to go up flush against the bumper.

kazuaki

So, you remove all the tape and "risers". Did you then clean both surfaces with any special solvent or anything? Then you apply the tape to the kit pieces first and stick the kit pieces to the body, correct? How long did you need to hold it in place for it to stick? Any other tips I may need to know about?

Thanks!

dsc888

PeterUbers,

Thanks again for the help. Now I have a very clear picture of how to install it perfectly.

dsc888

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

Make sure you first use a damp towel to remove the grossly visible dirt and debris. Then take a dry piece of soft cloth and dry it down. Then take RUBBING ALCOHOL as recommended in the OEM bodykit instructions and clean all "mating" surfaces. Make sure you clean more area than you think will be involved so that you don't have to re-clean should you decide you want to tack down more area.

There really isn't anything else to it. You do NOT need to completely remove both the front and rear underspoiler .. you can simply have a friend retract the bodykit while you weasel the new adhesive tape into place. When applying the tape, obviously do not remove the red backing until you're ready to affix both sides of the kit and bumper together for the final integration. And remember, if it doesn't come out right, the 3M tape will come off no problem and you can start over again. Re-clean, re-estimate, and re-attempt.

Best of luck.

XtraKrispy

Is the tape "3M Scotch® Exterior Mounting Tape". I tried to search on Home Depot website but didn't see anything. I did a google for "3M Foam tape 5 lbs" and saw this but I don't think it has foam. Do we really need 5 lbs of force or does the lighter duty version (2 lb) work?

joed40

The best place to get the stuff is at an auto body supply store. They use it to mount BSM and other accessories. It has a red backing, do a Google search, you can find it that way. Or even easier:http://www.autobodysupply.net/store/...5-F1D1E3972A73

misterlien

The dealer will fix this for you if you ask.
Actually, i complained about the front and they just replaced the whole front lip, free!

DaveD

When I did my front lip I beefed up the existing adhesive tape with some 3M foam tape, but after installation it still had the unsightly gaps so I ran a bead of black automotive adhesive silicone all the way around. Wiped off the excess with a microfiber cloth soaked in Prep-Sol (you can also use mineral spirits), and the result was almost seamless. Looks great, and easy to do. Also keeps water out of the 3M foam tape which will cause it to deteriorate after a while.

XtraKrispy

Thanks to all! I was at Home Depot yesterday and I couldn't find anything. I'll try a bodyshop or auto store next. I think I have to wait until it gets warmer to install the front lip. The instructions are telling me to install in temperatures above 60 degrees.

XtraKrispy

Anyone know how thick the foam is on this tape? I bought both 3M 06383 and 06378 rolls of tape for this and I'm thinking I might have bought the wrong stuff because its pretty thin. Here are the specs:

3M Automotive Attachment Tape (06383) [black] - 7/8 in x 20 yds x 0.045 in thick
3M Automotive Attachment Tape (06378) [gray]- 7/8 in x 20 yds x 0.030 in thick

I've probably spent more than $80 on these rolls and I want to make sure I do this right. Any thoughts? Am I good with the rolls that I bought?

TL2ENVY

peter can you post the exact 3m tape you bought?

ILLustriousUA6

iTrader: (2)

Yea. Anybody else use a certain kind of tape? I just bought the Scotch 3M Heavy Duty Mounting Tape that holds up to 900g/2lbs from Target. Will this work? Or has anybody tried this yet?

HiHenry.com

I just spent 9 hours installing the kit and now my knees, crouch, and back are killing me. I do notice the minor gaps at the fender area. Luckily, it's not just 1 gap. It's at 4 fenders so if you don't pay attention, you might think Acura did this on purpose. They are minor gaps, but if you are a perfectionist, it might be annoying. Can I add more 3M tape and close the gaps without heaving to remove the bumpers at all? I don't want to reinstall the spoilers ever again. It's too much pain. Or is there a WDP filling or some sort that we can use?

Thanks in advance.

dhkkim

i think there is glue kinda filler for gaps. but color might not match.

DaveD

Run a thin bead around the perimeter of the lip where it meets the car.
Take a clean rag moistened in PrepSol or mineral spirits and wipe the excess off and smooth the filled gap so it looks seemless.
I used black silicone on my NBP. It looks perfectly seemless.

stavebomb

hey DaveD what is prepsol or mineral spirits? also i see you have the 2007 tl type s guage bezel. is that the thing where the tach and speedometer and gas gauges are?

deltaboxxx

iTrader: (1)

hey guys since alot of you guys dont know much about double sided adhesive or other auto body products,check out www.tcpglobal.com there is a 3m outlet,and alot of other things u guys can order (and get the RIGHT products for the job).

i dont work for these people and am not affiliated with them,i am just trying to help u guys get car products for CAR mods. not house caulking for sealing your headlights,if u kno what i mean.

Fulani has a TL

iTrader: (1)

Hey DaveD, can you post close up pics of the silicone job, want to see how it looks.

stavebomb

word.

DaveD

It's been pretty crappy weather here in Southern Illimois.
I'll try to clean my baby up and post some pictues of the front lip for ya'll this week.

Tripnbeats

Acura recommends retaping every 14000 miles......its about that time for me.....sux having to take all that stuff apart

Walshstl

So any news on the miracle glue? No matter how good of a job you do with the tape, its only a matter of time before the gap reappears.

DaveD

Sorry it's taken me so long to post these guys! I've been on the road a lot and the weather here has been really crappy.
I installed this lip in Jaunuary of 2005 and have had no problems whatsoever.
I think that most of the problems with the 3M tape coming loose is from chronic exposure to moisture through the gaps between the body and the lip.
I used automotive silicone adhesive caulk to fill my gaps and it looks great. no problems for over 3 years.

[IMG][/IMG]



Questions?

darksom1

Dave, is that line (seam) going around the top the caulk, or is it just the reflection of the flash?

Jeffa1

That caulking looks pretty clean. I'm going to give this a try. My gaps are more wider due to hitting one of my kid's bike.

o4Komodo

iTrader: (2)

You can purchase the 3M tape at Home Depot at the paint section..
It's the red-band by SCOTCH. I'll upload (a) picture(s) soon for those who are wondering..
Atleast--this is what I'm sure he has purchased.