10 replies to this topic

[blacktulip]

Is there such thing as easy fit fluted chrome side trim? I forgot what a pain it is to fit.

[absx2]

NO 

Buy it on a big roll  https://phoenixtrim....i-shop-67-c.asp

and fit it straight away. I use a strip of 20 mm wide 1.6 mm steel as a former to get the tight curves with a bit of GENTLE heat from a hair dryer.

[mab01uk]

Minispares seems to be the best and they recommend you first put on the rear arch. When it gets to the radius above the radius arms just take 2 small flat bladed screwdrivers and gently lever the back edge of the trim away from the lip about an inch apart, push the trim home and voila your trim is in place! The only caveat is your sill edges cannot be seam welded or have big blobs of weld as this will impede the trim fit.

Some also recommend using hot water, use a hair drier, leave in the sun, etc but remember there is a tipping point where it melts too much to the point it loses its memory and is scrap.......

 

You may find it useful to pop rivet from underneath the ends of the sill seams to stop the trims falling off. If you drill from underneath through the back of the trim to mark the sill, then remove the trim and drill through the sill seam it can be refitted and a small pop rivet fitted without it showing.

 

 

 

 

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Edited by mab01uk, 15 February 2020 - 08:18 PM.

[blacktulip]

but remember there is a tipping point where it melts too much to the point it loses its memory and is scrap.......

.

Learnt the hard way today ha ha

[Tupers]

I’ve never had any trouble with the trim from Mini Spares.

I always put in it a bucket and let it sit in a couple kettles worth of boiling water to soften it for 5 minutes. After that it’s playable enough to fit without much bother.

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

Gary at Minispares says it needs to be supplied rolled up the correct way; unwind it and lay it out on a warm day and leave for a few hours; don't apply any extra heat as you can damage it.  I'll try it on mine when they have some non fluted trim in stock so we'll see.

[mab01uk]

Gary at Minispares says it needs to be supplied rolled up the correct way; unwind it and lay it out on a warm day and leave for a few hours; don't apply any extra heat as you can damage it.  I'll try it on mine when they have some non fluted trim in stock so we'll see.

 

If it keeps rolling back up the wrong way, you can lay it out straight inside a suitable length of plastic drain pipe (or similar tube) and leave that out on a warm day.

Edited by mab01uk, 16 February 2020 - 08:49 AM.

[beardylondon]

Minispares were out of stock last year so on the recommendation of a forum member I purchased from Phoenix.

I had used hot water in the past and it’s not the easiest thing, so I used a hairdryer this time and it was much easier and I got a great fit.

[InnoCooperExport]

I spoke to Minispares a few months ago about their correct profile fluted trim. They were supposed to receive new stock ages ago but apparently the chrome foil they used on the inside of the trim has been banned so they are working on a replacement.

 

They were supposed to get samples of the replacement a while back but at the time I spoke to them they didn´t get them yet. They told me when it would be coming in it would not be same high gloss finish either but a bit more satin-y as that is all they are able to source since the gloss chrome was banned. 

 

I got some from eBay and it went well going front to back until I got to the rear arch and it simply refused to bend in that way and my partner in crime decided to blast with the blow drier and melted it... It annoys me every time I look at the car, but as it's only protecting the paint while I work on it I will change it to a nicer one when I get closer to getting it back on the road. 

[pogie]

Is there such thing as easy fit fluted chrome side trim? I forgot what a pain it is to fit.

I don't know about easy fit, but I found straightening the trim out first made it a bit easier to fit.  I straightened it out by fitting the trim onto the seam on top of a long central heating radiator in the house which I then let warm up, when it had cooled the trim was completely straight and the slot had opened up a bit as well.  The radiator was not long enough to do the trim in one go so I had to turn it around and warm up and cool the other end.

 

On the Mini I started by fitting the trim to the sill seams first then working my way forward and back from there, having the trim straight makes the sharp turn from the sills onto the wheel arches much easier.  Once the trim was fitted and held in place with tape I then poured hot water onto it to "fix" it into the new shape.

[Homersimpson]

I was once told by a guy who worked at a leyland dealers that its meant to be fitted with the curvature into the tight curves and bent back against the main arches, I always found whatever I did it was a pain!