Trident black gutters

Hi from Colin in sunny Blackpool,
I'm in pondering mode, Otto (VW T4 Trident) is in need of a bit of TLC on t'outside after surviving another winter, rust starting to appear around windscreen and 'fridge vents etc.
I will need to remove the black guttering to tackle the windscreen, does anyone know if it needs to be replaced or is it O.K. to leave it off, it seems to be very efficient at collecting leaves and pine needles and I imagine the original van gutter will be a bit sad looking when it's exposed