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Thread: 20 minute window trim fix

  1. #1
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    20 minute window trim fix

    The window trim on my car is cracked so bad that it is embarassing. Being the cheap bastard that I am, I could not see paying $80 for two new pieces...after all, it does not make the car go any faster. So using a little time and electrical tape, I did the following...

    Before:
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  2. #2
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    It is definately not perfect, but it does pass the 5 foot test. If I were really ambitious, I would have scraped away more of the old dried up vinyl, but it is good enough for me.

    For the tape, I recommend using 3M. They make the best tapes in the world, and in this case have outdone themselves. It is thin, sticky, and looks great. A single edge razor blade is very useful for trimming the areas that don't quite fall in place.

    A little care, and 20 minutes is all it takes.

    Have fun!
    Bernman

    After:
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  3. #3
    XOC's Avatar
    XOC is offline Existentially Confounded
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    Hehe that is pretty ghetto, but the results look great.
    Lee

  4. #4
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    Looks pretty good....maybe you could try removing the trim pieces from the car, sanding them and spraypainting them for a better fix.
    1996 Hellrot on Modena M3
    1991 Imola on black 318is

  5. #5
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    Looking good...

    I think you can't remove the trims and put them back because they get bent.

    What about painting the trims?


    Quote Originally Posted by ClintonM3 View Post
    the Audi A4 is a tweaked, cosmetically enhanced, cross platform, put-together overnight VW.
    Quote Originally Posted by joeuser528e View Post
    Staggard setups are for cars that you park at show meets. They go well with 5 screens and 3 12"s.

  6. #6
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    heh funny you boys should mention that because i painted the trim pieces last weekend. It was an annoying job but i couldn't stand looking at the cracked rusted piece of shit any longer. removing them sounded like a good idea but it seemed like they were going to get bent so i did it the hard way and taped off the surrounding area with masking tape and used 40 grit sand paper to sand it down to the metal. I then used a knife (a kitchen knife because i lost my exacto knife....) to cut off the remaining vinyl on the edges and put on about 3 coats of sandable primer, sanded it with 400 grit sand paper, then applied about 3-4 coats of black auto spray paint and about 3 to 4 coats of clear coat. it looks awesome. If i wasn't in a rush to do it, i would have tried perfecting it but i needed my car by monday to drive to work. it took me 3 evenings total to finish the job.. about 3 hours of work each evening and on the 2nd night i was buzzed so when i was cutting with the knife, it accidently scratched a place or two along the body... ah well..... so much for staying away from the car when i'm under the influence
    Selling my car's electronics on EBAY! Get them cheap!

    1. 18 button OBC http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/E36-O...QQcmdZViewItem
    2. Kenwood CD player Head unit that flips open and close
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Kenwo...QQcmdZViewItem
    3. Pioneer Premier Equalizer (Brain and headunit)
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Pione...QQcmdZViewItem
    I am also selling my amps, subwoofer, and cd changer. Search under additional items sold by reck1ess27

  7. #7
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    I've been experimenting on mine for a while with a glossy black paint marker. I scrape the cracked stuff off, sand, then "paint" the metal with the marker. I doing it little by little to see how it holds up but so far so good. Easier than spray painting it by far.
    Rob

  8. #8
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    Reck1ess, it sounds good... do you have any pics?


    Quote Originally Posted by ClintonM3 View Post
    the Audi A4 is a tweaked, cosmetically enhanced, cross platform, put-together overnight VW.
    Quote Originally Posted by joeuser528e View Post
    Staggard setups are for cars that you park at show meets. They go well with 5 screens and 3 12"s.

  9. #9
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    WOW, I thought I was the only one that had to fight with that f*#$ing trim. First I did what you guys did (taped around/sanded/painted), but it started to rust after a few months. Then I decided to take them off to sand them better, but they are impossible to put back on, even new ones I think you need a special tool or they just bend. The BMW dealer body shop wanted $150 per side labor Since I wanted chrome trim anyways, I took the ghetto way out and bought a 25' strip of chrome trim Looks great exept way up close at the back window where it bends.

    Al
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Al/325is; 08-08-2003 at 12:36 AM.

  10. #10
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    That's a good idea, Al. Do you have some close-ups? I want to see how it looks... I wanted the chrome trim (E46ish) some time ago but I didn't figured it out how to get it there.


    Quote Originally Posted by ClintonM3 View Post
    the Audi A4 is a tweaked, cosmetically enhanced, cross platform, put-together overnight VW.
    Quote Originally Posted by joeuser528e View Post
    Staggard setups are for cars that you park at show meets. They go well with 5 screens and 3 12"s.

  11. #11
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    ------------------->
    hey

    i have the same problem!

    i tried painting it but after like 2-3 month it went off

    can u ppl post closer pics PLEASE?
    <- wifey

    Quote Originally Posted by howie View Post
    Why arent U answering the questions Mr.Quattro??

  12. #12
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    i would mangage to find a way to mess it up. What kind of 3M tape did you use, not electrical right.

  13. #13
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    first time I found benifit of a 4 doors no trim

  14. #14
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    mine isnt cracking, and i dont understand how it can rust; its rubber?!?

    however, mine looks cloudy on some parts, so i was thinkinga bout just masking around it, and lightly scuffing it and then spraypainting it... wouldnt that work?
    1992 BMW 318is
    Hellrot Red
    Manual Transmission
    120,000kms

    Looking for:
    -Hellrot M3 bumpers [front/rear]
    -Euro tails


  15. #15
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    my digi cam was stolen... 500 bucks!!!!!*#$*#^ but yeah i'll try to get some pictures. So far the paint's been holding up very well. Like i said, i sanded, primered, painted, and clearcoated which i'm sure will make it last a little more longer than if i were to just paint it. Whole job cost about 25 ish? for the spray cans... i guess i saved couple hundreds to make up for the digi cam. chrome sounded like a good idea! why don't i get emails when ppl reply to my posts? is it jsut my computer or is BF.C experiencing probs?
    Selling my car's electronics on EBAY! Get them cheap!

    1. 18 button OBC http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/E36-O...QQcmdZViewItem
    2. Kenwood CD player Head unit that flips open and close
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Kenwo...QQcmdZViewItem
    3. Pioneer Premier Equalizer (Brain and headunit)
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Pione...QQcmdZViewItem
    I am also selling my amps, subwoofer, and cd changer. Search under additional items sold by reck1ess27

  16. #16
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    I recently bought some rubbery spray, like the truck bed underliner stuff to see if i can get good results fom the stuff. i have been using all kinds of trim protectant and the things just seemed to get worser every month. even trim stuff wiht uv protection. my door lower trim is like new and so are the ones on the side windshield, but everyhting else seems to rot up quickly, my cowl as well.

    M3 cams *UUC stage II lwfw w////M5 clutch *JC cam & lwfw chip *ECIS intake *Bosal cat back *UUC udp's *M3 3.15lsd *M3 shifter *H&R & Bilstein sport *E46 M3 rsm *Z3 rein4c plates *Depo DDE's *Zender lp *M3 spoiler *M3 moldings * M3 mirrors *billetwerks *jbl/mtx sub system
    '04 G35 sedan 5AT all stock

  17. #17
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    I realize it has only been a week, but so far the tape (3M electrical tape) is holding up perfectly. Had a taken the time to smooth the old beat up coating, I would say that you could not tell the difference between the tape and a new part.

    For $4 and a little time, this fix is hard to beat. Paints, and any other coating is going to be more work, and I would guess far more difficult to make look good. Another benefit to the tape is that if you make a mistake, you can pull it off and try again. Unless the tape has been in place more than a few months, it should come off fairly easily. I don't think the same can be said for paint.

    Give it a try. The worst that will happen is you will be out $4, and be pissed at Bernman

  18. #18
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    well i did the drivers side with the rubbery paint and it held up and looks almost stock. i plan to do t he passengers side tonight. the sun adn dryness here is harsh in the summer months that a lot of trims get ruined unless someone parks in the garage.

    M3 cams *UUC stage II lwfw w////M5 clutch *JC cam & lwfw chip *ECIS intake *Bosal cat back *UUC udp's *M3 3.15lsd *M3 shifter *H&R & Bilstein sport *E46 M3 rsm *Z3 rein4c plates *Depo DDE's *Zender lp *M3 spoiler *M3 moldings * M3 mirrors *billetwerks *jbl/mtx sub system
    '04 G35 sedan 5AT all stock

  19. #19
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    Well I have a lot of electrical tape lying around so I just might decide I'm bored enough to fix that garbage today... I'll keep you posted
    Mauritiusblau/Dove Grey 325is | 5-speed on 3.91 differential | H&R Sport Springs on Bilstein Shocks | 18" Moven RS5 Wheels | AA Intake and OBD-I Tuning Software | Short Shift Kit with WSR | M3 Exhaust | Clears all around | Pioneer, RockfordFosgate, Sony, and Clarion Audio |

    Shine, don't bling.

  20. #20
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    you're better of with strong vinyl tape since electrical tapes loses it's adhesion properties quickly in the sun. use stuff that they use for car decals, elctircal tape will crack in high heat. i just done my passenger side tonight with the underlining spray, and will let the sun bake it in . i only cleaned the area, and didn't sand or prep sicne i know it doesn't spray on smooth anyways, i was mainly going for covering up the nasty gray. my drivers side held up in high winds and rain from lat night. if i wash it and the stuff comes off i will post results later

    M3 cams *UUC stage II lwfw w////M5 clutch *JC cam & lwfw chip *ECIS intake *Bosal cat back *UUC udp's *M3 3.15lsd *M3 shifter *H&R & Bilstein sport *E46 M3 rsm *Z3 rein4c plates *Depo DDE's *Zender lp *M3 spoiler *M3 moldings * M3 mirrors *billetwerks *jbl/mtx sub system
    '04 G35 sedan 5AT all stock

  21. #21
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    One month and still nice and smooth. I will be sure to update this post when it finally fails...

  22. #22
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    I used electrical tape for mine a long time ago. I've had the tape on now for probably over six months. It has held up quite well. Also, realize that electrical tape stretches, therefore, when taping around the bends, you can actually manage to put it on without any wrinkles. No one has ever noticed.

    -bmwfool
    '04 M3

  23. #23
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    window trim

    i have a 93 325is and the trim is all faded and cracking at the edges by now. I was able to find some trim off of a 98 e36 that a bought for really cheap. So i was wondering if it is very hard to take off the old window trim? Also, is it very difficult to install the new trim? Is there anything that I should pay close attention to when doing this job? thanks

    -steve

  24. #24
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    Had the same problem.

    I stripped off all the dried up rubber that was left, taped it off, then sprayed it with primer and heat resistant paint.

  25. #25
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    This was my project for this weekend.

    I took them off the car yesterday. They were a little hard to get off and they got a little bent, but they finally came off. Once off the car i bent them back as straight as possible. So far, so good.

    Today i sanded them with wet/soapy 3M ScotchBrite and let them dry for a few hours, then painted them with Krylon Fusion Glossy Black by "fogging" them lightly with about 15 THIN coats and drying for 15 minutes in between each coat. The "fogging" technique actually makes them semi-flat black instead of glossy and they still have a textured look to them. I let them dry for several hours and then decided to put them back on...

    HOLY CRAP! What a pain in the A$$!!! The rubber that seals the top of the back windows gets in the way as you try to push them back into place and they refuse to go back on unless you slide something really thin in between that rubber and the trim as you try to push it back on. I used a thin metal scraper (metal scraper=bmw tool? ). My thumbs hurt so bad from pushing the trim back on. They're finally back on and look great though. I definitely recommend a lot of beer for this task.

    Mine didn't look as bad as Bernman's to begin with so they may hold up for a while. Bernman? How is the 3M fix holding up?
    Chuck Brazeau
    www.BrazeauRacing.com

    1995 BMW M3 | 2003 BMW 330i ZHP | 2002 Range Rover 4.6
    2008 Ducati 1098 | 2002 Ducati 748s | 2001 Ducati 900SSie | 2008 Honda CBR600RR | 2002 Yamaha Roadstar Warrior

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