Exterior Trim - can they be rechromed?

[PG325]

I have an 89 chromie cab and wanted to improve the chrome window trims, is it possible to rechrome these yourself using the kits on ebay or is it pro only?

[Jim320i]

The part that sits around the window screen? You can do this yourself, but keep a few hours spare to do it and try to do it somewhere warm. You can get the part directly from bmw. I did mine last year in the cold which didnt help as the trim doesnt bend as easy when its cold.

[PG325]

I was thinking about the side window chrome trim.

[Jim320i]

Ahh, i'm unsure to be honest, have you tried to contact bmw to see if you can get a replacement part?

Or maybe get a quote from cotswold on here...


Part numbers for it all are here...

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=51&fg=20


Brand new replacements would be far better than refurbs. If you can get them and the price isnt stupidly high, some parts are though

[HenryM3]

you could buy a whole car for the price they want.

[Jim320i]

Cotswold you mean?

[HenryM3]

I know that link and prices are American but your still looking around £100 for some of the side bits.

[Jim320i]

I'd get a quote first from them as they may be pricey in america but not here... Although, hey most likely will be very expensive, but still worth a quote first.

[ultralinear]

You can get the part directly from bmw. I did mine last year...

I'd like to re-do the chrome trim around the front and rear screen...

Jim, how much did everything come to? I've tried looking at RealOEM and I cannot find the rear trim

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=51&fg=05

It may be that I'm being a spaz.

How difficult a job was it? excluding the temperature? i.e. would a spaz be able to do a professional looking job?

Previously, I had considered getting chrome vinyl and painstakingly cutting and placing it. It'd probably have looked terrible too!

[Simon13]

the trim around the screens isn't dear from bmw so i've been told less than £20 for the front one i think

[PG325]

I replaced the front window plastic this year, if you use the correct tool and washing up liquid it won't take 10 minutes.

[Jim320i]

Finding a tool that actually works is hard work... I did it with a flat headed screw driver and lots of swearing.


It was pretty cold when I did it, last feb or so, but it went in, if you take your time on the bends just to make sure it doesnt crack.


I got mine from Local bmw... Price of £60 or so, that was the front one and the 2 rear sections, didnt buy new centre clips though so not sure how much they cost.


I would say even a spaz could do it, but make sure you know someone with lots of patiences just incase you cant handle it. If you was local to me I would give you a hand, but miles apart ultralinear

[Kos]

i dont think the trims actually chrome

the set i bought for the e24 are polished alloy

[Jim320i]

If thats the case, perhaps they could be polished back up?


Do you think that includes gutter rails from a chromie kos? Mine are scratched up and was gonna buy new regardless of cost, but if they can be polished I will save a fortune.

[B7]

i dont think the trims actually chrome

the set i bought for the e24 are polished alloy

They are neither. They are anodised aluminium. Therefore it you try to polish them, you have to polish through the anodising to get to raw ally. And then you won't get an original finish.

I'd either source good second hand which are rare now, buy new or go the dechrome route.

I bought all new for mine and it didn't work out cheap either!

[PG325]

i dont think the trims actually chrome

the set i bought for the e24 are polished alloy

They are neither. They are anodised aluminium. Therefore it you try to polish them, you have to polish through the anodising to get to raw ally. And then you won't get an original finish.

I'd either source good second hand which are rare now, buy new or go the dechrome route.

I bought all new for mine and it didn't work out cheap either!

Got to keep it chrome Trev, it's needed for this.
img]

[B7]

i dont think the trims actually chrome

the set i bought for the e24 are polished alloy

They are neither. They are anodised aluminium. Therefore it you try to polish them, you have to polish through the anodising to get to raw ally. And then you won't get an original finish.

I'd either source good second hand which are rare now, buy new or go the dechrome route.

I bought all new for mine and it didn't work out cheap either!

Got to keep it chrome Trev, it's needed for this.
img]

I'd start saving mate. Looks to deserve new to me.

[e30topless]

I have some chrome in very good order other than fine scratches in what seems to be in the anodising ?

could this be stripped re-newed ?

[B7]

could this be stripped re-newed ?

I'm not sure Steve. It's actually sort of clear coated over the top?? It's a strange finish if youask me. Some of the trims discolour a lot quicker. My old 90 G e34 had terrible trims and that was only 6 years old when I bought it. I see loads of e30's with the same problem yet others are good.

[HairyScreech]

a buffing wheel on a bench grinder will make short work of the anodising, and will polish it to a mirror finish with the right cutting compounds, wont be a factory finish but if you do the lot then it may be cheaper and just as easy as replacing with new.

if you put a real good high polish on it and use a good sealing wax then i expect it to last well too. did some bbs 2 years back and the new owner hasnt looked after them at all, there still ok, just a little tarnished.

[BrewCity11]

Pretty good answers here. The front and rear screen trim is plastic/rubber with some sort of chrome on top. Regardless of the rest of the trim, i always replace these with the black later model trim. The new chrome from the dealer will still go bad and fade. $20 sounds about right.

As far as the rest; door, window, rear top cover, etc. They are polished aluminum with clear coat on top. No amount of hand polishing will bring them back. You need to strip them down all the way, give it a quick polish and then re-coat, preferably clear powdercoat.

[Kedge]

Jim, I've got a set a side chrome knocking about somewhere

[Dezzy]

I bought new chrome for the front and rear screen on my chromie. Its about £85 for both iirc

[BrewCity11]

^ What did you use to install? The tool I have works great on the black but I imagine it may scuff and scratch if used on the chrome one.

[ultralinear]

I would say even a spaz could do it, but make sure you know someone with lots of patiences just incase you cant handle it. If you was local to me I would give you a hand, but miles apart ultralinear

That would've been very kind of you Jim!

So, to confirm.. I can get both front and back from a BMW dealer?

[Jim320i]

Jim, I've got a set a side chrome knocking about somewhere

Oh yeah? Minty fresh? I'm after new or good as for the chromie. So even if it had the slightest scratch, it would put me off.
Want it to be 'Brand new' when i've finished it.

Got owt else knocking about that I may be interested in. Havent seen you for some time, should be good when the meets start again. till got your touring? I got one too now.

I would say even a spaz could do it, but make sure you know someone with lots of patiences just incase you cant handle it. If you was local to me I would give you a hand, but miles apart ultralinear

That would've been very kind of you Jim!

So, to confirm.. I can get both front and back from a BMW dealer?

You can mate. Front comes in one strip, its not actually metal on the outside, but I think it is some sort of thin metal on the inside surrounded by a plastic outer so be careful when installing it as it can crack on the edges. The back somes in 2 sections. I paid £60 for mine but without new clips as I used the old ones....

One clip for the front and two on the rear for each corner. Let us know how you get on. Might be worth getting a quote from Cotswold on here though to get some discount.

[Dezzy]

^ What did you use to install? The tool I have works great on the black but I imagine it may scuff and scratch if used on the chrome one.

I roped beardmatt into doing it while he was fitting the black headlining in my car. All windows need to be out/down to fit it's anyway.

[ultralinear]

Let us know how you get on. Might be worth getting a quote from Cotswold on here though to get some discount.

I'll be ready by about mid-January to be getting on this... 'Cotswold', was ist das?

[Jim320i]

Find your part numbers on www.realoem.com


E30 is in Archieve


The make a thread here asking for the prices of them making sure you list the item numbers you find from realoem...


http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... forum&f=39

[Kos]

trev, you could be right, well you are. i remember now that the clip for the screen trop on the e24 was dull compared to the rest so i had it polished and it wasnt easy !

looks better now too !