Alright, so I’d been seeing these little fin things on the back of cars, usually on the roof near the rear window. Kinda like a shark fin, I guess. Thought it looked pretty neat on some models, gave it a slightly sportier vibe, you know? Decided my own ride could maybe use a little something like that. Wasn’t looking for anything crazy, just a subtle change.
First step was getting one. Didn’t want to spend a fortune. Found a simple black one online, looked about the right size and shape. Nothing fancy, just a basic plastic fin with some sticky tape already on the bottom. Seemed straightforward enough.
Getting Started
When the little package arrived, I took it out to the car. Okay, first things first, gotta clean the spot where it’s gonna go. Really clean it. You don’t want dust or grime messing up the stickiness. Grabbed some rubbing alcohol and a clean cloth.
- Wiped down the area on the roof, right at the back, center.
- Let it dry completely. Gotta be patient here.
- Wiped it again just to be sure.
Weather was decent, not too hot, not too cold, and definitely not raining. They always say that’s important for getting adhesive stuff to stick properly.
Putting it On
Now for the tricky part – getting it straight. This fin thingy wasn’t huge, but putting something on dead center and perfectly aligned by eye? Not as easy as it sounds. I kinda eyeballed it first, holding it above the spot. Then I grabbed a soft tape measure.
Measured from the edges of the roof or the rear window trim to figure out the exact middle. Made a tiny mark with a washable marker, just a little dot I could wipe off later. Lined up the fin with the mark, trying to keep it pointing straight forward.
Okay, placement figured out. Time to stick it down. Peeled off the backing from the double-sided tape on the bottom of the fin. This is the point of no return, really. You gotta commit.
Carefully lowered it onto the spot, lining it up with my mark and making sure it looked straight from behind. Once it touched the paint, I pressed down. Pressed down firmly, all over the base of the fin, especially the edges. Held it there for a good minute or so, trying to make sure that tape got a really good grip.
After pressing it down, I wiped off my little marker dot. Stood back and took a look. Yeah, looked pretty straight. Not bad for an eyeball and a quick measure job.
The Result
So, there it is. A little black fin sitting on the back of the roof. It’s a small change, definitely not a massive modification. But it does break up the roofline a bit, adds a little visual point of interest back there.
Was it hard? Nah, not really. Just took a bit of cleaning and careful placement. The whole thing maybe took 20 minutes, tops. Mostly just prep and making sure it was straight before sticking it on for good. Pretty simple job, and I kinda like how it turned out. We’ll see how well that tape holds up over time, but for now, looks decent.
