I just want to get some opinions on painting the windshield trim and body side moldings. My SE is silver, and I already decided that I'm going to paint the trim and moldings black, like stock. But I want your opinion on whether I should go with a flat black or a semi-gloss? I was leaning toward the semi-gloss, since that's what the pieces look like after a swipe with armor-all, etc. What do you think?

 

semi gloss. that's about what they are new

 

Thanks, I was leaning toward the semi-gloss.

 

I just painted my trim last week. Went with flat and it just looked "blah". Reshot it with semi-gloss and it made a world of difference.

 

Agreed, semi gloss, or even full gloss will be the way to go.

 

Semi gloss I think. Check out ray greens' post about painting the trim. He
used some COTS piant he found in the auto parts store that worked great.
Seen it in person and its pretty close.

 

Thanks guys. Just want to clarify something. For all of you that agreed on the semi-gloss, were you referring to the windshield/drip molding trim only, or the trim plus the side moldings? I want to paint the side moldings semi-gloss too, but not sure if that would stand out too much.

 

I painted my window trim, gutters, and the window frames. I used a semi-gloss tractor and implement paint from Tractor Supply. Worked great. My car doesn't have side moldings. I have painted moldings on other cars and had good luck with Dupilcolor truck bed coating in a rattle can. If you hold the can about a foot away, it has a nice semi-gloss finish and a slight texture. It touches up easy as well.

 

Use Rustoleum semi-gloss black on the windshield trim, and the rain drip/gutter things over the doors. Use Mothers back to black polish on the rubber door mouldings. It will bring them right back to life.

 

if you bought the mouldings all new, aside from being too poor to install them, they almost match. both the window and sides are semi gloss.

the difference being that the semi gloss painted metal looks a little different from semi gloss rubber

 

Definately Semi-Gloss

 

Ok, painted the windshield trim semi gloss, and then I put the trim pieces back on. Now that it is dried, I want to give it second coat. Even with the semi-gloss, it came out a little on the dull side. I'm now trying a different brand of semi-gloss. Can I use a foam brush with the semi-gloss instead of a spray can, so I don't have to take the trim pieces back off?

 

Duplicolor "Trim Black." No equal.

 

I appreciate the input, but that really doesn't answer my question above.

 

The only way to go, works on the side moldings also.

 

You can spray the trim on the car; you just need to mask and frisket very carefully.

Brush-applied paint on a car = not advisable.

 

fwiw you dont need to mask much to spray the trim while on the car. the roof and hood are the only real work, throw a blanket or sheet over the hood an one over each door, close doors, mask roof etc.. far as the glass leave it.. spray it, an clean it off with a razor after. you wont scratch your windshield with a razor an it takes seconds to clean off. for any areas left open i just hold a piece of cardboard as a shield like the lil gap where the blanket keeps the door from closing completely.