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Roof moulding/rain gutter trim refurbishment

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    Roof moulding/rain gutter trim refurbishment

    Hi guys!

    TL;DR - what's that trim strip made out of, and how do you best re-finish it?

    Recently my drivers side rain gutter trim went... missing. I think it blew off on the freeway. Water under the bridge.

    I went to a 'you-pull-it' junkyard and got a replacement and its right-side mate for $10. Of course, the 'new' trim looks kinda rough, and I'd like to have it shiny-new before I put it back on my car.

    Thus is my problem: I'm not sure what it's made out of, or how it was finished to begin with. It looks chrome in appearance, but those pieces NEVER rust, so I suspect it might actually be highly polished and clear coated aluminum. I would prefer to re-do whatever process they used.

    Any ideas?
    I wash BMWs all day at a dealership. Do you have any idea how much i8's suck to do anything but look at?

    #3


    Thank you!

    There's a fair amount of scratches beyond just oxidation, so I'm leaning toward sanding them out and refinishing the parts. Happily, Detroit is chock-full of all kinds of little industrial shops, including anodizers.
    I wash BMWs all day at a dealership. Do you have any idea how much i8's suck to do anything but look at?

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      #4
      Sorry to hijack your thread, but how the hell did you get the rain gutter piece back on? I am trying to install a new one myself and cannot get it over the lip it sits into.

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        #5
        I'm not there yet! However, it looks to me like the easiest way is to start with the strip twisted windshield-end out and up, and then rotate it into place.

        Failing that, rubber hammer.
        I wash BMWs all day at a dealership. Do you have any idea how much i8's suck to do anything but look at?

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          #6
          Sorry to hijack a hijacked thread, but what are these pieces actually called, and are they available online anywhere? Both sides are missing on a 4 door that I'm probably going to end up getting this weekend (specifically piece B here - http://www.r3vlimited.com/tech/windo...windowtrim.htm ) I've been all over ECS and Pelican Parts the past few days and haven't had much luck. Are the coupe and sedan pieces the same for junkyard/parts car purposes?

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            #7
            The long L shaped one? Yeah that's the same between coupe and sedan since they have the same roofline. Mine blew off on the freeway recently.

            IG @turbovarg
            '91 318is, M20 turbo
            [CoTM: 4-18]
            '94 525iT slicktop, M50B30 + S362SX-E, 600WHP DD or bust
            - updated 1-26

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              #8
              Good stuff. Thanks.

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                #9
                they are easy to install...
                impossible to get the chrome look back once oxidized. i have tried everything... even 1000 grit wet sand... best thing to do is paint them black like the 91's...

                to install them start in the back. dont forget to put the spacer in place.
                i used a metal pry bar wrapped with cloth and tape and pryed it on... i used a rubber mallot to seat it...
                dont forget to make sure the 4 clips on the inside down by the front are opened a little. they lock it in place so it wont fly off...

                i found mine at guten and bimmer guts...

                good luck.
                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                '90 325i sedan daily driven
                '85 325e coupe also a daily

                Comment


                  #10
                  Update to a dead thread:

                  In order to get them silver again, they need to be re-anodized. I was able to get a pair from a junkyard for about $15, and refinished at a local shop for about $125.

                  They look almost new!
                  I wash BMWs all day at a dealership. Do you have any idea how much i8's suck to do anything but look at?

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                    #11

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                      #12
                      This.
                      Originally posted by kronus
                      would be in depending on tip slant and tube size

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                        #13
                        I should have noted, the ones I pulled were not merely oxidized, but pretty scratched up and in need of polishing and refinishing. Considering they're something like $200+ each new, and mine look basically new, I'm happy with my results.
                        I wash BMWs all day at a dealership. Do you have any idea how much i8's suck to do anything but look at?

                        Comment


                          #14
                          Send a pic redfox

                          Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                          '90 325i sedan daily driven
                          '85 325e coupe also a daily

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