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Reinstalling trim pieces


shoeless

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I don't know if you are only referring to the beltline trim that encircles the car. If so, new OEM beltline trim, with mounting hardware, was $800-ish a year ago. DIY? Well, you've got to drill a bunch of small holes very carefully, assuming you don't want to mar the existing paint. And you've got to touch up any exposed bare metal -- created by the drilling -- with primer and paint. So...how good are you at drilling holes in metal and touching them up?

More than a few owners have used inexpensive stick-on plastic chrome trim to replace the anodized aluminum original trim. There are a bunch of threads discussing this topic. Maybe that's a temporary or permanent fix to the missing trim issue!

Regards,

Steve

Edited by Conserv

1976 2002 Polaris, 2742541 (original owner)

1973 2002tii Inka, 2762757 (not-the-original owner)

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Plenty of people have used the Autozone/Advance Auto parts stick on trim for years instead of drilling holes. Use the search function for the threads.

Edited by adawil2002

Andrew Wilson
Vern- 1973 2002tii, https://www.bmw2002faq.com/blogs/blog/304-andrew-wilsons-vern-restoration/ 
Veronika- 1968 1600 Cabriolet, Athena- 1973 3.0 CSi,  Rodney- 1988 M5, The M3- 1997 M3,

The Unicorn- 2007 X3, Julia- 2007 Z4 Coupe, Ophelia- 2014 X3, Herman- 1914 KisselKar 4-40

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But then some people spend hours filling the holes in because they like the look. I'd say trying to convert back would be a major job fraught with opportunities to screw up the paint. I would resist the temptation to use the stick - on trim as that's what it will look like.

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To buy new parts and do it yourself. Beltlline an lower trim. $1200

Used and polished $ 800

 

Do you have a source for polishing used trim in the San Diego area?  I have heard that there are shops in TJ that will polish aluminum trim, do you know of any?

 

Thanks,

 

 

Mark92131

1970 BMW 1600 (Nevada)

 

 

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It's not in San Diego, but a bit north in Santa Ana....Speedway Metal Finishing. I haven't sent my trim there yet, but I think that's what I'm going to do. They were recommended to me by a member here that has a few very nicely sorted BMW's.

1972 BMW 2002 Colorado #2577807<p>

2015 BMW M5 Competition 6-speed

2003 Audi TT Coupe 225

 

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If you polish anodized aluminum -- which is what most '02 trim, e.g., beltline trim and grilles, is -- you may very well remove the anodizing, intentionally or accidentally. That's fine, and precisely what some people want. But un-anodized, un-finished aluminum oxidizes, so you will need to thereafter wax or re-polish the trim regularly -- if you wish to have shiny trim!

There are shops that can re-anodize aluminum trim, some of which -- like King of Trim in San Diego -- do excellent work. But, beware, the cost of re-anodizing is high. I haven't had belt line trim re-anodized but I'm fairly confident the cost would exceed the $800 price of new OEM beltline trim from BMW.

Nothing is easy!

Regards,

Steve

1976 2002 Polaris, 2742541 (original owner)

1973 2002tii Inka, 2762757 (not-the-original owner)

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Unfortunately some of the new BMW sourced upper trim is terribly made and does not fit. On my car the trunk lid trim, hockey stick shaped pieces on the side did not fit. They were not formed straight so that if part of the trim was attached the remainder was 3 feet above the deck lid and would not flex enough to meet the deck lid. A bunch of money flushed down the toilet.

The trim was purchased about 5 years ago so hopefully they fixed the problem. I used my old trim that was in decent shape for the deck lid.

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Plus you have source all the hardware to attach it. I can think of better places to spend the money and time.

The $800 I quoted for the full beltline trim, one year ago, included all the attachment hardware. This was the then-current BMW OEM, but the trim has not been fitted yet, so I don't know how good or bad it is!

Regards,

Steve

1976 2002 Polaris, 2742541 (original owner)

1973 2002tii Inka, 2762757 (not-the-original owner)

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