Plug for rear wiper hole
 

After much searching found a plug at Lowes that fits the rear wiper hole perfectly:

What have you guys used to cover it up?

Well done, one of the first things I did was get rid of that rear wiper.

I used a HILLMAN 7/8 Metal Hole Plug, Lowe's part #139406.

Here is a pic of 2003s' Z, he used the same part.

Looks so much cleaner without the rear blade. How did you guys remove it?

It is a popular modiication for owners who live in areas where the rear wiper is more of an annoyance than a necessity. Check out this thread for some DIY tips and links. The ideal time to do this is when a wing is being installed.

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....threadid=73249

Bump on how did you guys remove it. hmm... just thinking. is there a way to cover the hole with a mold or something so it looks like it never had a rear wiper? .. just my question

Sorry for hijacking, Kshep what are your tire dimensions?

The metal hole plug, once painted the color of the car, will never call attention to itself....and costs a whopping 84 cents.

The car IMO looks better without it and the Z's rear window isn't angled like that of an SUV so I'm not so sure how useful it would be even if I lived somewhere where it rained.

I love the look of the QuickZ above, the metal plug painted is a great idea. I also used a Hilman, but this was a black plastic cover instead of metal. Had to experiment for one that would fit inside the rubber grommet that was already there.

In regards to how to remove the wiper, I would also recommend doing it when you are in the middle of something else back there. I did it while installing a little dynamat in the hatch to minimize rattling I was getting from Nazar's sub box. The only difficult part in removal is to remember to take the top bolt off first and then remove the wiper blade by rotating it counter-clockwise. Don't take off the lower bolts first because it will still be attached to the blade when it drops and could scratch the paint.

Dan

I am planning on the painted metal in the future too. For now the plastic plug looks good. At least people no longer ask me "What used to go there?" Now they seem to ask me, "What does that thing do?" Maybe I should start making up a line for that ;-)

i need, more info on how to remove the wndshield-wipper

Re: Plug for rear wiper hole
 

What plug is that? Part #? if possible please?

I picked that up as well.. but how do you keep water from entering and whats holding it in place? Thanks

I'll post the part number when I find the bag it came in out in the garage. I actually bought 3 sizes (2 that were too small). I believe from another post some people have mounted the cover on a screw/washer/nut assembly and secured it from the bottom. The plug I bought (above) is not just a flat cover, it has prongs sticking down from it, so when you press it into the stock rubber grommet that remains after removing the wiper, it sticks in there really well without glue or a nut.

To remove the wiper:

you need to remove the plastic housing on the aft part of the hatch. I use a plastic putty knife to get under the cover so I can get my hands near the plastic fasteners. Always put your hands as close to the fasteners as you can before pulling so you they don't break. After you pop about 6 fasteners, there are about 4 metal fasteners that are harder to pop out near the window. When you get the last one undone, the whole panel will fall downward so be ready to catch it. You will then see what is shown in the how-to posting..a small motor held in place with 4 screws and one wiring harness to power it. Disconnect the wiring harness and find a secure place for it. Pop the plastic cover off the wiper bottom to expose a nut. Remove the nut and then with a little force rotate the wiper counter-clockwise. It will slowly swivel off after about 5 complete rotations. With the wiper off, take off the bolts holding the motor underneath. Make sure it doesn't fall. Then pull out the motor. This will leave a rubber spout sticking outward from the hole left. You can push it down, cut it off, or remove it to achieve whatever cover up method you choose.

p.s. a tip on removing fasteners..many times the panel will pop off but leave a few fasteners stuck in the sheet metal. An easy way to get these fasteners back out is to take a 1" or 2" flexible plastic putty knife or drywall smoother like you find at Home Depot. Cut a notch in the tip deep enough to fit around the stock of the fastener (probably 1/2"). Pry this device under the fastener and apply leverage. It will pop out the fastener without damaging it and without scraping the metal.

plug info:

Hilman # 881284 Nylon Hole plug

The shop used a sealer and some flex adhesive...check out the link posted above.

I was thinking about taking the wiper off but here in Houston we get a lot of rain and with out the wiper I wold never be able to see out the back. IMO it is needed here in Houston. It dose look a lot better with out it.

i cant remember the last time I used mine....even in the rain..so i had it filled in by my a body shop as they repaired the rear hatch.

Nylon Plug without the stock grommet
 

I also purchased a white nylon 7/8" plug and fitted it into the hole in the trunklid. It fits virtually flush WITHOUT use of the original rubber bushing. I primed it, 2 coats, 2 coats of Black gloss paint and 2 coats of Clear. It is in the hole of the car now. Tonight I plan to put a small bead of clear silicone RTV under the lip of the plug to seal out moisture from the top side. I also plan to seal the plug underneath with a silicone sealer all arount the circumference of the plug as additional sealing and to help hold it in place beyond what the little "Spring Clips" will do. I'll post pics tonight of the outside look as well as from underneath. This is the cleanest install, IMHO, of all that I have seen yet on this thread, as far as visual appearance goes.

I'll post pics tonight. Good Luck to all who try this .... it is certainly worth the trouble.

Bilz, is it easy to match the black paint of your Touring? I've had trouble with my silver..even work I had done at a body shop didn't quite match.

anyway, I'd like to see how the nylon plug looks painted.

Be careful not to break the fasteners. I thought they were disposable items. Much to my dismay, my local Nissan dealer was kind enough to charge me $3 A PIECE for them. That is the last time I will buy ANYTHING from that dealer.