Sportback RS3 8V SportBack FL - Change color on Roof rails

[Arkteryx]

Hi All,
I have my Roof rails on my 2019 RS3 SB in color matt aluminum look and i need to change them to black as I changed rims and the color now is matching with nothing and they look silly..
I would like to ask a couple of thing if anyone has ever been there / done that.
- What is the real material of the rails? (It says matt aluminum look but not sure its also aluminum as material or another type like steel, etc.
Why i ask is because If i want to paint them the only way I heard that sticks OK with the matt is with electrostatic paint and the temperatures used with this process are are very high so maybe aluminum wont resist (?).
- The other issue on painting them is , -apart I need to disassemble the whole roof top to take them out- , to check if there are any rubber or plastic components that need to go out from the rails. Cause also those will be a problem if need to paint, they will melt.
- Honestly I am orientated mostly to do a good film wrap in black instead cause apparently i have limitations with painting them, what do you think? (Unfortunately I will still need to take the rails out of the car cause if not the wrap will go bad in no time, needs also to stick underneath the rail nicely too.

Comments appreciated

 

[NHN]

Forget the above, buy the black ones & swap, had clients do both & it didn't end well with car washes etc.

Only sure fire happy way is to change to the OEM blacks.

 

[AlS3BE]

I think it depends on if you use the rails to hold things like bikes and roof box.
If you do I would avoid the wrap as you will be increasing the thickness of the bars for the roof rack to go on and creating another layer of stuff that’s not meant to there for the rack mounts. Nothing worse than all your stuff along the dual carriageway.
if it’s all for show I don’t see why a good wrapping company can’t do it in situ or even a can of plastidip stuff to spray on.
otherwise what NHN said, just get a set of oe black edition ones.

 

[NHN]

Yeah also if you wrap & use the rails it will tear as the pressure will cause indents & it will stretch & tear.

Considering the car I dont understand why people go cheap, I've even been asked to fit stick on rails which I basically told them to get a reality check, cause that shxt is a jail sentence waiting to happen when it javelins into the car behind.

 

[8YARWY]

Yeah also if you wrap & use the cars it will tear as the pressure will cause indents & it will stretch & tear.

Considering the car I dont understand why people go cheap, I've even been asked to fit stick on rails which I basically told them to get a reality check, cause that shxt is a jail sentence waiting to happen when it javelins into the car behind.

My old 8V I sold in September 2021 appeared a few weeks after at a Bradford dealer with……stick on roof bars


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NHN]

It's absolutely insanity to do that, but Bradford doesn't have the best rep for cars let's be honest & I'm no snob either, but who would be so utterly stupid to stick them on, defies the brain.

 

[Arkteryx]

THANK YOU ALL for your precious feedback!
I decided to go with PlastiDip. Plan to do the job this Saturday, and I will let you know how it went.
I consider too much hassle to tear down half of the car for two f... rails. It’s not a question of money, I have already found OEM black rails, I just hate to disassemble the car! For now i will try this and see, if it wont be a good outcome i might have to put the black OEMs.
I do not plan to use the rails for bicycles and luggage, only for aesthetics.
I will post soon.
Best

 

[Arkteryx]

Due to the peculiar surface those rails have, the wrap was impossible, tried it and it wont stick. So i did Plasti Dip job and i am happy. Of course need to pay attention on the treatment but its a quick, safe, economic and a neat solution for having rails only for aesthetics.

 

[AlS3BE]

Due to the peculiar surface those rails have, the wrap was impossible, tried it and it wont stick. So i did Plasti Dip job and i am happy. Of course need to pay attention on the treatment but its a quick, safe, economic and a neat solution for having rails only for aesthetics.

Looks good and close enough to oem finish.