It finally happened, I noticed my driver side peeled off and was up about 4"!

I couldn't bear to just peel it all off, and temporarily used clear packaging tape to put it back down.

I think these things are well over $150 each side, I see the pass side will eventually suffer the same fate but is ok right now (can see the film rippling in a couple of spots).

I know my buddy would say it's a nice car, just fix all those things, but I think it's too much...I still haven't even sprung for the door caps yet, and those would be around $65-$70.....

Man my very first car had fenders that were duct taped by me to fix the holes, made me think of that....

edit: bought one on eBay new for $85. Decided to spring for the OE shims, front and rear, and will keep handy for the next brake job....

found my part numbers, in case anyone else has a moonlight pearl 072 car...list is $202, other colors would have a different code at the end (i.e. not A2)

Left side 75552-50020-A2

Right side 75551-50020-A2

 

I fixed this and I wouldn't recommend it, it's very anti climactic and is purely cosmetic. I hate to even say this, even though my color is correct, it's slightly off, nobody would ever notice except me.

I think one could even take the existing molding off earlier, and run a tiny clear tape or something, before the entire vinyl comes off....mine is starting on the pass side too and very tiny, may take years to come undone, but it will...I don't think this fix is worth the money, and mine was $85, not $140 or $202.....my .02 I guess it really depends on how much money one wants to spend, and no need for new clips, they seem to stay in place

also my rail was filled with dirt and pine needles (do they have that in FLA?), so imho stuff gets behind the rubber seal, no question you could just remove the molding altogether, or peel off the vinyl...

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...g-peeling.html

 

I have always garaged my 04 and there are no indications of problems with the drip rails. Sounds like the problem may be accelerated if it is exposed to the atmosphere continually. I will definitely have my rails replaced if the come loose as my car appears nearly new mechanically and in appearance.

 

True, garaging is important, but don't have a space for the LS....my mom's 2006 Acura has always been garaged, it's like the car is showroom ready on the outside (only thing that broke is the glove box latch)....my BMW has been garage kept too for 10 yrs. That's why as mentioned, my mom was given a '94 Taurus, and she wants to buy a car cover to protect it, since it's outside. Funny today at the gym, I was noticing the drip rails on all the cars, never paid any attention before.....I probably will pop off the pass side and insert some tape, we're talking less than the size of a thumbnail, I think it will prevent the vinyl from rippling, not positive...

edit decided to remove the pass side, and I used clear packaging tape to fix it up. Basically not visible, because the tape runs on the inside vertical surface, and wraps around the rubber molding. This means the tape would have to fail for the vinyl to curl up and off, which it wants to do along that entire edge. On the front and rear there is a teeny weeny bit of tape on the horizontal surface, as it was beginning to curl as well. I think of it as the Rolls Royce wood dash, where pieces of the veneer break off as it curves. the vinyl does not want to be curved like that, so over years of likely expanding/contracting, it begins to curl and lift off.....time spent for cosmetic only, but maybe it saves me another $85 down the road....

 

I know you had to do what you could to temporarily fix it, but yeah, if mine ever peel, I'll be replacing them. I wonder if this problem is more prevalent on certain model years?

 

I just purchased a 2004 LS430 and i guess in all the excitement I did not notice the roof 'drip' railing is just gone?! on the passenger side. Question: is this rail functional? meaning does it prevent water from entering the car through the windshield? or is it purely cosmetic?

 

If it's gone altogether, and you don't want to spend $140 to $201 for a color matched one, you could always buy a salvaged one and peel off the vinyl...and also on your other side...

I have never noticed them on any car. Suddenly I notice 2/3 of our other cars have them, and one, the '98 Maxima, literally has a metal groove in the body, no drip rail.

It does have a squeegee like rubber on the inside, and then a tiny likely likely ineffective seal on the outside. When lifted off, there was mud, pine needles, etc. all in there. It's hard to imagine how it got there, and one wouldn't think it's good for the car? I looked at my car in a downpour and expected to see rain flowing down on the rear glass and windshield where the drip rails were, and it wasn't the case. My wife's car is a pearl white as well, and her drip rail is black plastic. So if one were to peel off the vinyl and leave the dull stainless steel, only a fellow LS430 owner would even know....

The only thing I can think of is that the drip rails cause the top to be unsmooth and water won't run off and drench anyone getting in and out? Maybe this is a fancier way to do it, or a newer way, than my '98 Maxima. Because that is literally a tiny channel in the unibody, and enough for water to be caught...

http://www.pro-touring.com/threads/8...912#post859912

edit thought about this some more and observed....if the center of the roof is higher than the edges, water wants to run to the side and this would make it pretty difficult for passengers to get in and out in the rain. One the LS, the channel is there (very small but there) on the inside edge--the outside is meant to be sealed, but it's really not based on the pine needles and mud under the drip rail. If the ornamental rail is missing, then I think water would still not flow over the doors, but it would be ugly as it would be a large channel with clips exposed.

back to my first car, a Volvo 244, it had rain gutters if you will. I had a Thule rack on mine mainly for skiing. One day, delivering pizza, I drove into a hospital parking lot that was chained closed, the chain went up my hood and grabbed the rack, and this actually dented my roof. This rack could carry weight and was very strong--future racks could not carry as much as they were less secured. Those gutters are gone, and these drip rails imho perform the function as otherwise the sides would be smooth...my .02

https://sep.yimg.com/ay/orsracksdire...rd-rack-16.png