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240 Has anyone removed the rain gutters above the windows?

GeneralBurrito

GeneralBurrito

Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2017
Location
California
I did a quick electrical tape job to see how my 244 would look with black trim and really like the look. I'll be painting the trim that wraps around the whole car, but I don't really like the look of the giant rain gutter flaps on each side of the car. I'm wondering if anyone has ever removed them and if it affects the drain effectiveness. If it's a drastic change, I'll probably just paint those too and leave them on.
 
Cutting off the rain gutters along the whole side? It's a structural element, FWIW, it's where the roof panel is welded to the side panels. If you cut it out you'd have to seam weld that whole area.
 
GeneralBurrito said:
I mean the chrome trim that wraps around that.
Click to expand...

My friend removed the chrome trim part on his 1985 244. It looks alright. It doesn't look so pretty towards the top rear corner of the back windows. It kinda flares out a little unnaturally without the trim covering it and it has some holes in it if I could recall correctly..
 
don al?n said:
My friend removed the chrome trim part on his 1985 244. It looks alright. It doesn't look so pretty towards the top rear corner of the back windows. It kinda flares out a little unnaturally without the trim covering it and it has some holes in it if I could recall correctly..
Click to expand...

Yeah I see the flared out parts you're talking about. I'll remove one side and see If I like it or not. I'll probably get something like edge trim to cover the exposed metal.
https://www.amazon.com/MATCC-Guards...TF8&qid=1515190735&sr=8-10&keywords=edge+trim
 
I really thought you were thinking of cutting the gutter off entirely. Which has been done and is really awkward looking.
The mid-80s cars had the really thick trim. Turbos all black and everything else chrome and black. Removal is not hard but chances that the trim has rubbed on the paint significantly over the years is high.
Early cars often had no trim or thin chrome trim. 80s got the big stuff. In the 90s they went back to thin trim black or chrome.

Here's my 242 without trim as I got it:
bridge.jpg

whidby.jpg


And after I added the thin black trim from a 93:
11horton.jpg

10bbs.jpg
 
neptune said:
I really thought you were thinking of cutting the gutter off entirely. Which has been done and is really awkward looking.
The mid-80s cars had the really thick trim. Turbos all black and everything else chrome and black. Removal is not hard but chances that the trim has rubbed on the paint significantly over the years is high.
Early cars often had no trim or thin chrome trim. 80s got the big stuff. In the 90s they went back to thin trim black or chrome.

Here's my 242 without trim as I got it:
bridge.jpg

whidby.jpg


And after I added the thin black trim from a 93:
11horton.jpg

10bbs.jpg
Click to expand...

Damn clean car dude. Yeah I kinda like the slightly thicker side trim on my 87, but it's just those big flaps on the gutter that turns me off. I'm going to remove the trim tomorrow and wipe down all the excess ash from the Thomas Fire that for sure got caught up in there. Then I'll see if i can get some trim from a newer 240 or get some edge trim from Amazon and stick it on there for now.
 
Redwood Chair said:
The 240 Turbo / mid years wide stuff is pearl anodized aluminum alloy, not stainless or 'chrome' per se.

But yes it is pretty ugly so I replaced it with some black painted narrow stuff from a 93 245 when I painted my 82 245 GLT.
Click to expand...

Yeah I like the thicker belt trim since it gives a better contrast look. The thinner trim makes it look more like a pinstripe, doesn't fit the 240 for me. Maybe I'll test the tape's longevity instead of painting the belt trim for now, it looks pretty good as is.
Electrical tape trim: https://imgur.com/gallery/9dJM6
 
To answer your original question as it reads
Has anyone removed the rain gutters above the windows?
Click to expand...

Yes Eli completely shaved the drip rails when he made the mustard colored 143, and it was unlivable in the rain because every time the doors were opened you got soaking wet.
 
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