Hi, I know this maybe an obvious one, but I went to pick up a 308 GTS ( 1980) I had just bought when I noticed the rebate had black tape instead of paint ? is this usual ? or should I complain and get them to paint it. Any help thank you ( I didn't take the car as there were other issues !) Stephen.
Its pretty standard when there has been paintwork done. Whether you accept it or not is upto you but its widely done. Better question is therefore why was there paintwork done......?
Solution would maybe be that you accept it as is (unless you really hate it) with the proviso that if it starts peeling then they have to paint the line in. Otherwise you have a fight about it & they will probably just tell you you got what you paid for & if you want it painted it will cost more.
I would not accept it. On a Fiat X1/9 or a go-faster stripe on a Scooby maybe it is standard practice. But dear god, not a 308. If they used tape for the swage line, I'd honestly worry about the general quality of the paint job they've done.
Absolutely the right thing to do if its bothering you. I guess that the argument should be that it was painted originally & therefore unless they specified that they were going to use tape, they should have replicated the original by default. Good luck, hope they do a proper job for you on it. Unless you are paying more, the profitability on the job is diminishing every minute they spend on it - so inspect carefully!
Maybe we have different words for this across the pond, OP is in the UK like me. I'd normally call it a crease or swage.
Good point, my reference is architectural terminology. There's probably a cool Italian word, for "seam, where we welded the two parts together."
Mine has a black rubber piece running the entire length on both sides (3 pieces per side). By the rust on the screws holding them in place, they have been there a looooooooooong time........
Mmm, rubber ? No one has mention that ? So I hope we are talking about the same 'line' (swage) from the front wing, to the rear across the door,it is now black tape, some have said should be paint, now. . . Rubber ?. . . I need to know what is the original for a 1980 308 ? Rubber,paint,or tape?, Thanks to all so far. . .Stephen in UK.
Some owners have filled the 'reveal" with a protruding rubber profile to act as a bump strip in parking lots against door dings.
Maybe in a modern family car, to prevent supermarket door dings. But not the 308. I think it's a styling cue that dates back to the Boxer and the Daytona before that (where it was much more subtle). Swages were originally a way to combine two metal sheets and cosmetically circumvent the join. I don't know if the 308's panels were still constructed that way or if it just came down to the 308 as a styling cue. Or a bit of both.
That's a good idea. Could just place some hose in there . BTW, When you have good/new paint, paint it. For me...fair paint...taped. Later, when I repaint...painted.
It's a great look. I thought long and hard about doing the same with red on black but went for the full red in the end. It was close to 50/50 though.
I agree on both points......I just let the car impact the savages of time, and repaint it from time to time.....