Spyder owners: Anyone bothered by the holes...

[Tom]

That is quite the difference after the bead blast, Tom, but as you said, aluminum is easy to sand, if needed at all. A few light coats of paint should fill in any of the light scratches so either way they should be fine for all. It will be interesting to see how the shipping goes since as I told Tom there is a post office local to me that feels and bends envelopes to try and figure out if something other than paper is inside, thus the reason I do not go there anymore! And for at least the 100th time, thank you, Tom!

The guy at my post office he said the same thing -- i.e., that first class letters are for 'documents' only. However, I studied the online info posted by the post office and it does not support what he told me. It says the only thing that matters is the size and whether it goes through their machines. They actually sell 'nonmachineable' stamps, which cover regular postage plus a surcharge for letters that don't do through their machines. The post office FAQ's talk about sending coins and keys too, so I think we're good to go. Fingers crossed.

[Bob Z]

Mine arrived today Tom, thanks, and no problems at all! I could see the impressions of the covers on the envelope but it seems that did not mean a thing since it appears it was machine-canceled.

[Tom]

Mine arrived today Tom, thanks, and no problems at all! I could see the impressions of the covers on the envelope but it seems that did not mean a thing since it appears it was machine-canceled.

Glad you got it! Can't wait to see pictures! Truth be told, I sent yours as kind of a test, to see if I could get it under 1 oz. and use a single first class stamp. I was worried 2 stamps would draw attention to it, but after reading up and confirming there is no rule against flat metal objects in first class letters, I've since opted to add a stiff cardboard backing and just use 2 stamps. Makes a huge difference when sending outside the US -- no customs forms, no need to go to the post office, and saves anywhere from $30 to $50 in shipping!!

[Bob Z]

The painted edges seemed dry enough so I just came back from the car - they fit perfectly, as expected! I will post pics of them on the car after I get them done. As a reminder, I got a pair of the raw aluminum ones so I am painting the edges black, applying satin black vinyl to them, and using velcro tabs, just as I did on the plastic ones that preceded these.

[m3drivers]

Hey Bob - so what matte vinyl specifically are you using that matches the surrounding plastic? Getting exact color & sheen can be tricky on stuff like this. Thanks!

m3drivers

[Bob Z]

Hey Bob - so what matte vinyl specifically are you using that matches the surrounding plastic? Getting exact color & sheen can be tricky on stuff like this. Thanks!

m3drivers

I never found a perfect match, but something I got a long time ago when I had my 2019 Targa GTS works well - I think I got it at Hobby Lobby or Michaels. You can Google Satin Black vinyl and see what comes up. Just try and get something that is close, or better yet paint it with a rattle can, which is what I would have done if I did not have the leftover vinyl.

[GIN]

I received mine today. Thank you. Envelope and packaging method looked good and held up fine. My car is currently in hibernation and it will be a little while before the top will be able to come down. If anyone finds good materials/methods to match color on these in the meantime, please share. I will be on the look out for options as well.

[Bob Z]

I received mine today. Thank you. Envelope and packaging method looked good and held up fine. My car is currently in hibernation and it will be a little while before the top will be able to come down. If anyone finds good materials/methods to match color on these in the meantime, please share. I will be on the look out for options as well.

I think any Satin Black rattle can paint should be fine. I used the leftover vinyl tonight and it was a pain in the butt since i painted the edges first (with a tiny brush) and then the vinyl but I had to trim it while on the plugs, which took off most of the paint! I touched them up tonight but if I had to do it over I would spray paint them since it will be close enough to the surrounding area where it will not be noticeable from a few feet away...anything is better than the unplugged holes!

[Tom]

I received mine today. Thank you. Envelope and packaging method looked good and held up fine. My car is currently in hibernation and it will be a little while before the top will be able to come down. If anyone finds good materials/methods to match color on these in the meantime, please share. I will be on the look out for options as well.

I think any Satin Black rattle can paint should be fine. I used the leftover vinyl tonight and it was a pain in the butt since i painted the edges first (with a tiny brush) and then the vinyl but I had to trim it while on the plugs, which took off most of the paint! I touched them up tonight but if I had to do it over I would spray paint them since it will be close enough to the surrounding area where it will not be noticeable from a few feet away...anything is better than the unplugged holes!

Yours were the fist I sent Bob, before I thought to blast them. I bet with the right grain of blast media and thin black paint, you could get pretty close to the surrounding texture. I could try to blast in more of a texture if you want to experiment... With the blasted ones, I bet a quick spray of satin black paint is all you'd need. Eastwood even sells a catalyzed satin black, in a can, if you wanted all the chemical and UV resistance of real automotive paint.



Sound like folks are happy with the fit/shape, so I'll go ahead and get the black ones ordered -- should get them in a week or two, and will post here when ready.

[Bob Z]

I wondered why mine did not look like the blasted ones - they were not!. But yes, the blasted ones would be a very close match if painted.