Chrome Side Trim From Turkey???

[johnbob]

Just wondering...

Has anyone on here rolled the dice and purchased all the new chrome side moulding off of the Bay? I'm sure you've all seen the sellers from Turkey that sell side moulding and rubber seals for super cheap and I was wondering if anyone has had any success with this stuff. Obviously, I know that nothing beats genuine Mercedes parts but...$$$ I'm assuming that all the stuff they are selling is too good to be true but I figured I would see if anyone on here has had some experience with some of these products.

All the side trim on my 81 300D is so faded and tired looking and in a perfect world I would be able to buy some from these Turkish dealers and they would work out great but I also know it is most likely a pipe dream and I do believe that, for the most part, you get what you pay for.

Or should I just try to restore/revitalize my old, original trim? The chrome elements look fine but the black rubber is very faded and it seems like anything I use to make the rubber look better will only last about a month, which is just a temporary solution.

[johnbob]

Also, not sure if I posted this the right section??

[Alec300SD]

You may want to try Gummi Pflege Stift, haven't tried it myself but it appears to have rave reviews.
My Gummi Pflege Stift is still working!

[Clemson88]

The only parts I didn't remove from the car was the rear windshield trim and some the window trim on the doors.

I got ahead of myself and failed to strip and buff that when I replaced the rear windshield seal. I could have removed the trim around the side glass too had I done it when I rebuilt and rejuvenated the motor regulators.

Sanding the anodization off trim mounted on the car is a PIT-rump. It's not for the faint of heart.

[johnbob]

Originally Posted by Alec300SD

You may want to try Gummi Pflege Stift

I'll look into it. Thanks for heads up!

Originally Posted by Clemson88

Sanding the anodization off trim mounted on the car is a PIT-rump. It's not for the faint of heart.

I'm sure it is a PITA for sure. Do you think that's how I should go about it? Sand the black rubber parts of the trim and then perhaps use the above mentioned, Gummi Pflege on it?

[Clemson88]

Sorry bro. If the trim is anodized aluminum it can be stripped and buffed to look like chrome. I had no idea your car had black trim. I have not seen black trim stripped and buffed. Seems like a light sanding just enough to get paint to bond and coat of good quality paint might be a better way to go.

If you're considering replacing the trim seems like either way wouldn't be too difficult. On the pieces I stripped while attached to the car I used masking tape to protect the paint and rubber seals. On top of the masking tape I used a layer of cheap duck tape.

I didn't mess anything up that way.

Maybe you should post picture of the exact things you need to refinish or replace and let us know what you're facing.

[johnbob]

Originally Posted by Clemson88

Sorry bro. If the trim is anodized aluminum it can be stripped and buffed to look like chrome. I had no idea your car had black trim. I have not seen black trim stripped and buffed. Seems like a light sanding just enough to get paint to bond and coat of good quality paint might be a better way to go.

If you're considering replacing the trim seems like either way wouldn't be too difficult. On the pieces I stripped while attached to the car I used masking tape to protect the paint and rubber seals. On top of the masking tape I used a layer of cheap duck tape.

I didn't mess anything up that way.

Maybe you should post picture of the exact things you need to refinish or replace and let us know what you're facing.

I'm just talking about these standard trim pieces. They are not solid black, they have the black and chrome (or aluminum?) These photos are from the web but the chrome on mine already looks pretty good but the black plastic part of these pieces are very faded and I wanted to bring them back to life if possible. Or was considering buying new ones if I can find affordable ones.

[DeliveryValve]

You might want to consider buying the aftermarket BBR automotive moldings sold on Pelican Parts. I myself have not used them, but it's probably the same eBay Turkish stuff.

Here are the parts numbers.
1236900380, 1236900480, - Fenders
1236900580, 1236900680, 1236900780, 1236900880, - Doors
1236900980, 1236901080 - Quarter Panels

[johnbob]

Originally Posted by DeliveryValve

You might want to consider buying the aftermarket BBR automotive moldings sold on Pelican Parts. I myself have not used them, but it's probably the same eBay Turkish stuff.

Here are the parts numbers.
1236900380, 1236900480, - Fenders
1236900580, 1236900680, 1236900780, 1236900880, - Doors
1236900980, 1236901080 - Quarter Panels

Thanks for the info.

Yeah, I wonder how the Turkish stuff compares to the BBR stuff and how both of those compare to the genuine Mercedes stuff. One of the Turkish sellers was selling all nine pieces with free shipping for, I think around $159 which is not bad.

[barry12345]

I stand to be corrected. Somewhere in the back of my mind. I think I remember reading somewhere.

That the aftermarket trim pieces where just a little shorter than the originals. Again I cannot attest to that personally. Logically all the aftermarket pieces almost have to be originating from the same producer.

I had all the trim pieces off a 114 coupe of mine. Plus was more than happy when I found that Turkish source. I had mine off for a repaint and they got destroyed accidentally. I also have not heard a report from anyone that has used them. At the same time I did not try too hard to find someone. I also wonder if the aftermarket suppliers product is being produced by the same company that produced them originally for Mercedes. Or they have the original tooling perhaps.

In my situation it was almost a no brainer. I will have to buy a set for the coupe.

[Sugar Bear]

Removing the moldings, cleaning and polishing will definitely improve their appearance. Gummi Pflege is good stuff made primarily for rubber care such as door seals. Try cleaning and polishing the aluminum part of the moulding and the rubber very lightly with fine steel wool.

Be very careful to not bend the moldings during removal, they do not straighten well. I was able to remove them by twisting long sections horizontally vs. starting at one end and pulling it off.

Also clean and polish the paint behind the moldings, it makes a difference.

Source some new red plastic round moulding clips in advance. Old clips don't always work on the reinstall and the molding won't stay tight to the body.

Good luck!!!

[pj67coll]

If you get the new red berries online be careful if they are from China. I made that mistake and found the holes in them to be too tight for me to bang the chrome strip into the way I always have before. Put a very slight dent in the door I had to hammer on the strip so much. If you do source ones from China I'd suggest drilling out the holes to enlarge them just slightly enought that the mounting points on the chrome mouldings can actually go in easily enough that you don't have to hammer on them.

- Peter.

[Clemson88]

If you decided to strip and buff that on the car let me know and I'll post some links to the things you'll need and give you some pointers on how to proceed. I'll do the same if you decide to remove it and strip/buff.

This tool helped me more than I can say. Just slide a thin piece of plastic between the tool and the body so as not to scratch the paint.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Clip-Trim-Removal-Plier-Door-Panel-Remover-Body-Retainer-Clip-Auto-Pry-Tool/332450375489?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

[Clemson88]

I have an idea that might work fairly easily to protect that rubber if you lean toward stripping and buffing it on the car.

My brother wanted to paint the fluted trim on his w126 without removing it and separating it from the chrome. I ran a strip of masking tape down the centerline of the chrome then ran a utility knife along the edge of the chrome with just enough pressure to cut through the tape. I pulled the stips of tape off the plastic and left the chrome covered.

You could do the opposite. Run a strip of wide masking tape down the center of the chrome and cut along the edge of the chrome. Remove only the tape covering the chrome. That will cover the rubber and expose the chrome.

[dkr]

I bought some about 7 years ago and it looked pretty good. I never installed it on the car (long story) so it just sits in a container waiting for me to do something with it.

Dkr.