Fitting chrome plastic side trim

[Jamie]

Hi

Now the weather is getting warmer i am going to attempt to fit the side trim on my car, been putting it off as not been looking forward to it!

Its the Chrome plastic fluted stuff from minispares which comes coiled up....I have been told to put it in hot water coiled up and then fit it from the back of the car using the coiled shape for the first curve of the wheelarch.

I didnt have any on my car when i got it, does it just rivet on at either end of the car? i dont have any holes currently so will need to get the drill out, also should i/do i use any of the trim clips like you have for the seam finishers?

Any tips or advice appreciated!

many thanks

Jamie

[guru_1071]

jamie

hot water is a waste of time - it wont get enough heat in.

a good hair dryer, or better a hot air paint stripper is ideal (but needs care, obviously)

a screw at each end will hold it on a treat

[rolesyboy]

This is going to go against the grain here but I tried this and it worked (to my surprise!)
Hot water, hot air guns etc all made a right balls up of it. The plastic has a fine line between retaining an losing its memory/shape so deforms with the heat and even goes yellow if you aren't careful. (Why do Minispares insist on coiling the stuff up so it goes in the opposite direction to the way you want it to go??- Can't they sell it in lengths in a cardboard tube?)

On a warm day pop the trim on a wheelarch (easy) push the trim on a couple of inches at a time then using 2 small electrical screwdrivers and being careful not to slip then lift the trim around the curves preferably with an assistant to push the trim on top the wheelarch. The screwdriver go in the opening at the back of the trim. I was amazed at how simple this was as having tried the other methods it made a right pigs ear of it. It has been on the car 18 months and has not even tried to spring off. No screws or sikaflex in sight.
Lastly make sure that if you have had sills fitted that the lip is clean ie not 5mm thick in places as this will interfere with the fit.
Good luck. Mark

[mk1rally]

I found the quality of that stuff varries a fair bit. The last set I fitted was in Rover bags and it was great (wished I bought all of it, it was £5 a roll!).

Just ordered mine from M Machine, Doreen say's that's the best quality thay have found about. I know the original stuff went on pretty well, I used to put mine in the black bin on a predicted hot day in the morning (telling family not to fill the bin whilst I was away) and fit it at the end of the day. Lovely, though could be a bit smelly!!

[guru_1071]

Can't they sell it in lengths in a cardboard tube?)

its supplied in pre cut rolled lengths by the supplier, as it always has been - just as it was when you could buy it from a Rover dealer.

if it where supplied in a tube or tied to a stick, the postage costs would be about £37 due to the length - it would be like posting steel hydralastic pipes out!!! - it volumes out at nearly 450cm when run through the size-o-meter


the tip about making sure the surface is even is a good one - little lumps of weld etc can spoil a chrome trim so quick

[Gray]

I have mine ready to fit, but until that time I have it slid over some angle iron to pre straighten it, it may not help it round the 2 tighter curves but it will have slightly less of a mind of it's own whilst fitting.

[Jamie]

excellent thats great advice guys, if the sun is out over the weekend i will have a go at it.

many thanks

jamie

[Matty]

Im about to do this on mine too, I have also had bad experiences whilst fitting it.

I have been told that hanging the strip from high up with a weight on the end for a couple of days helps to straighten in out.

Has anyone tried this?

[Jamie]

nice and sunny down here today, so went and tried the hot water method first...and it worked a treat, was a lot easier than i thought it would be....now just need to drill some holes for the rivets.

thanks for the advice

Jamie

[minitravellerman]

I don't bother with it at all - hate fitting it. Instead (and yes I know it's far from standard) I use rubber beading. Fitted in a matter of seconds and will never fall off!!

[mab01uk]

Im about to do this on mine too, I have also had bad experiences whilst fitting it.

I have been told that hanging the strip from high up with a weight on the end for a couple of days helps to straighten in out.

Has anyone tried this?

Another method is to slide the length of trim strip inside some suitable small bore diameter pipe or conduit and leave outside in the sun for a few days. (May take some time in a typical UK summer!).