[ice]

Hello Guys,

I want to black out my chrome window trim and wanted to see which route would better, going with Vinly or having it painted.

Can you guys give me feedback from experince, how much does it generally cost, pics, etc.

Thank you!

[Gavin@MMW]

Vinyl it, paint is to much prep work.

[SpmnE9zero]

I gotta dissagree Craven!
I wrapped mine, within ten minutes ripped it back off. Just couldnt get pass knowing I had a BMW with vinyl wrap on my trim, had it painted never looked back!

[ice]

Originally Posted by Craven 328

Vinyl it, paint is to much prep work.

how much would it cost to install? do you have any places in oc? I’ve seen the material go for $25. And I don’t have the patience or skills to install myself

[ice]

Originally Posted by SpmnE9zero

I gotta dissagree Craven!
I wrapped mine, within ten minutes ripped it back off. Just couldnt get pass knowing I had a BMW with vinyl wrap on my trim, had it painted never looked back!

did it look cheesy when it was on?

[Gavin@MMW]

It all depends on where you go, id PM jurrian@eas, they are down in your area

[hipnotic]

paint it

[ice]

is the window trim hard to take off? how much should i except to pay? I have a buddy that does powder coating but he would want me to remove the trim myself...a bit of a newb on these items

[Bweezy311]

Originally Posted by ice

is the window trim hard to take off? how much should i except to pay? I have a buddy that does powder coating but he would want me to remove the trim myself...a bit of a newb on these items

I've heard it's pretty tough and the trim can snap/break pretty easily if you're not careful. I'm having mine vinyled at a shop that specializes in this stuff for $100. I asked around and that's the average price for that. It's also reversible which I like as well.

[E92murdered]

vinyl from Brandon at EAS

[UltimateLurker]

Do It right. PAINT IT.

[UltimateLurker]

I got 3 PM's asking where I got this done. It was a DIY. I posted a How-To on another thread...

We had discussed painting earlier, so I thought I would update with my attempt. I used SEM Gloss black "TRIM PAINT" #39063 Aerosol. Specifically designed for chrome and metal auto window trim. It cost about $18 shipped. I choose this because of no need for a primer and I believe it is self etching. The process was very straight forward and not technical in anyway. It did take me about 5 hours total to complete the job without rushing, this included 10 minutes plasti-dipping my rear badge (btw, such an easy effective mod). Half the actual time was preparation of the surface and area.

I would highly recommend painting it as a DIY over vinyl. I attempted vinyl on the trim before and found it near impossible to do proper on some curves and tiny gaps. I've only had this paint on 3 weeks, but it so far has held up excellent with no chips, cracks or fading.

Steps of the process

1. Masked and drape off the whole car with painters tape and plastic. Getting masking tape all the way under the edges of the trim. Take your time to make sure there are no gaps in between plastic sheets and between trim and tape. Make sure there are no tape edge over any part of the trim. Take care around the side mirrors. I used a plastic grocery bag over each mirror.

2. Sand the entire trim with 400 grit and look for any remaining glossy areas to rough up. Wipe down with rubbing alcohol. Its important to mask the car off before sanding as it will scuff the clear coat.

3. Apply 2 very light coats of SEM with a 5 minute flash time. Apply as many medium coats as necessary till you have a completely black surface. This paint is very diluted so it took me many coats. It does not have the thickness of regular krylon paint. Follow can instructions. Check your work with bright light or actual sunlight to verify there is no silver finish or speckled paint. I had painted mine only to find out that one side didn't have enough layers. Be sure to hit the tiny trim under the mirror.

4. Wait a few hours to dry before carefully removing masking tape. Check for any areas of overspray. A clay bar should work good if you find any. I believe the actual instructions ask for a full 24 hour cure time before exposing your car to the elements.

[detailinguy99]

Good stuff. I can't wait to get mine done. I absolutely hate the trim on my car.

[Conelite]

Its not impossible to wrap the trim in vinyl but it does take a skilled hand. for a 3 series Coupe we charge $50 installed Matte or Gloss.

[ice]

Originally Posted by Conelite

Its not impossible to wrap the trim in vinyl but it does take a skilled hand. for a 3 series Coupe we charge $50 installed Matte or Gloss.

where do you guys do this at? can you provide me with the shop location and info

[Conelite]

Originally Posted by ice

where do you guys do this at? can you provide me with the shop location and info

We are in the City of Alhambra in So Cal out of a Shop called ProMax.

[Denis]

paint it...

[Conelite]

Originally Posted by Denis

paint it...

Paint is cleaner than Vinyl, but main reason our customers come to us for vinyl is bc of the ability to return to chrome if ever the car is going to be sold or if its a lease return.

[ice]

Originally Posted by Conelite

Paint is cleaner than Vinyl, but main reason our customers come to us for vinyl is bc of the ability to return to chrome if ever the car is going to be sold or if its a lease return.

thats the reason I am going to go with Vinly. If I sell the car I want the ability to take it back to chrome

[CCC STL]

I say paint...I used SEM trim black in an spraycan. It turned out great!
Go to my build thread for more pics:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=452566

[Conelite]

Originally Posted by CCC STL

I say paint...I used SEM trim black in an spraycan. It turned out great!
Go to my build thread for more pics:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=452566

Different strokes for different folks.

[Craig@SupremePower]

paint imo..