Shadowline Trim on Non-Sport

[Mega Man]

So, if you're like me, and were a) too stupid to not order the sport package, b) didn't have enough money at the time to get the sport package, c) thought about previous cars you owned with black trim and how it fades and turns brown over time, d) some other reason that seems to make sense why to not get the sport package, then you know that black trim on this car looks awesome!

That said, I've already put the fancy stickers on my roundels black and white instead of blue and white. I'm going to get the black 135i emblems, tint my windows darker, and get the black kidney grills. The only thing that's really going to stand out is the chrome trim around the windows. I've found cheap matte or gloss black vinyl that can be applied to the chrome. It comes in sheets, square or rectangle.

The chrome trim as you know, goes around the window. This is different than say wrapping a side mirror, roof, trunk, hood in one go with one sheet. Any suggestions on how to get this done?

[Add1ct]

are you in socal- if so contact brandon at EAS he does the vinyl trim and does a great job

[OneThreeFive]

FWIW, I am in the same boat as you. I have an Alpine White car with matte black rims, grills, and matte black 135i emblem. I picked up a roll of matte black vinyl from http://www.bmwshadowline.com/. You can save a few dollars if you purchase through their ebay store. I just haven't decided if I should do the work myself or contact some local shops for estimates. I am on the east coast so EAS is not an option.

I am curious to see if there are any other recommendations.

[Mega Man]

Originally Posted by Add1ct

are you in socal- if so contact brandon at EAS he does the vinyl trim and does a great job

Thanks for the info.

[Mega Man]

Originally Posted by OneThreeFive

http://www.bmwshadowline.com/.

Their website makes it look easy and nice. Probably a good way to go if you don't have a reputable installer, or not a DIYer. Nice find!

[Mega Man]

So I went ahead and ordered from:

Originally Posted by OneThreeFive

http://www.bmwshadowline.com/.

It shouldn't be too hard. From the description Edward gave, it's a simple matter of maneuvering the vinyl around, no cutting until you're done with a side. Then just cutting excess off. I'll have to buy a sharper knife though, and then get to work on it when it arrives (maybe this weekend!).

[OneThreeFive]

I had some extra time this weekend and decided to give the install a shot on my own. I figured I would document some of the process and any gotchas here in case anyone is thinking about vinyl wrapping their trim. For starters, this was my first major vinyl experience next to the Vitex Ambergones (which I applied right beforehand). This is the matte black vinyl from www.bmwshadowline.com.

In order to wrap the trim I used the following collection of tools


For the sake of precision and maneuverability I selected the smallest exacto knife I could find at Home Depot. The scissors were used to cut the adhesive backing during the initial application. The credit cards were used to tuck the vinyl behind the trim edge after the initial larger trimming was complete. The tweezers helped with pulling the vinyl threads from hard to reach places during the precision trimming.

I started the vinyl application from the mirror and worked towards the back. I split the vinyl wrap into the three pieces which I felt matched the natural cuts of the window trim. The diagram shows the three sections and the direction I applied each piece.


Now in terms of the application technique. I had my girlfriend helping with the vinyl application. I was tasked with handling the unrolling of the vinyl and removing the adhesive as we went along. Early on we used a credit card to try to smooth out the vinyl during application and remove any air bubbles. This was a very tedious process and the edge of the card would scuff the vinyl on occasion. We decided to remove the vinyl and start over. We found that if she pulled the vinyl on the sides while I kept it tight on the roll side it made for a relatively quick and smooth application. Below is the picture I took to try capture this method:


Just some additional notes:
- In total the process took ~4 hours. There was definitely a learning curve with the second side. It took about 30 minutes less than the first.
- On the first side we used a single piece from the mirror to the back corner of the rear window. When we cut the piece at the crack of the door it did not leave us with an adequate amount of vinyl for the two ends. This is why I recommended the three pieces in the diagram above.
- It did help to have the window open when wrapping the driver and passenger door trim.
- When applying the vinyl in the corner by the mirror it is helpful to have a longer object to assist you in the application. We used a wooden kabob stick.
- It helps to have a steady hand and patience. I trusted my girlfriend over myself with the precision cuts and all it cost me was a dinner or two.

All in all I am happy with how it turned out. It is by no means a flawless job. We have talked about maybe redoing a portion of it in the future but it will definitely suffice for the time being. I could not stand the aluminum trim.

Additional before and after pics:

[Addict...Nah Im A Junkie!]

Nice work!!!! That looks rather good.

[Add1ct]

yes, very well done

[Mega Man]

Great job! Can't wait for mine!

[reddayz]

Hi m8
Nice job
How did you make that corner in the back of the car (trim 1). you did it in two parts or a single piece? Can you explain me how you did it please?
Thanks a lot for your time
Nuno

[OneThreeFive]

Originally Posted by reddayz

Hi m8
Nice job
How did you make that corner in the back of the car (trim 1). you did it in two parts or a single piece? Can you explain me how you did it please?
Thanks a lot for your time
Nuno

As shown in the picture above with the red numbers I used three pieces. The first piece (which includes the corner you mention) started at the side mirror and went all the way to the lower corner of the rear window. This corner is definitely the hardest part of the job. The vinyl has to be stretched in order to complete the full corner in one piece. It will take some patience and a fair amount of force but you should be able to get the full corner in one piece without any folds, creases or bunching up.

[reddayz]

Originally Posted by OneThreeFive

As shown in the picture above with the red numbers I used three pieces. The first piece (which includes the corner you mention) started at the side mirror and went all the way to the lower corner of the rear window. This corner is definitely the hardest part of the job. The vinyl has to be stretched in order to complete the full corner in one piece. It will take some patience and a fair amount of force but you should be able to get the full corner in one piece without any folds, creases or bunching up.

Thanks a lot m8 for quick answer.
I have bought the vinil in the same online shop you did and i just cutted a little bit of the roll to test that corner and didnt went well lol
I didnt streched the vinil a lot though, maybe i have to apply more force.
Ok, thanks again 135

[OneThreeFive]

Originally Posted by reddayz

Thanks a lot m8 for quick answer.
I have bought the vinil in the same online shop you did and i just cutted a little bit of the roll to test that corner and didnt went well lol
I didnt streched the vinil a lot though, maybe i have to apply more force.
Ok, thanks again 135

It's also helpful to have two people.

[Mega Man]

Two people is definitely key. I did the opposite of OneThreeFive, working from that back corner toward the front. I just wanted to get that hard kink out of the way first. All the straight stuff, and even the slightly curved part over the top is actually really easy. Make sure you have a really sharp knife so you don't accidentally pull on it when you cut.

[Sidh135i]

thanks for the info! I plan to do this next week!

[Luvmybmw]

Originally Posted by OneThreeFive

As shown in the picture above with the red numbers I used three pieces. The first piece (which includes the corner you mention) started at the side mirror and went all the way to the lower corner of the rear window. This corner is definitely the hardest part of the job. The vinyl has to be stretched in order to complete the full corner in one piece. It will take some patience and a fair amount of force but you should be able to get the full corner in one piece without any folds, creases or bunching up.

Is your vinyl the matte black or gloss black?

[OneThreeFive]

Originally Posted by Luvmybmw

Is your vinyl the matte black or gloss black?

Mine is the matte black vinyl.

[e82mon]

hey buddy just created a paypal account and ordered from the shadowline website.... just wondering how long it took to ship... excited and wondering when i'll have it by any response is appreciated thanks guys!!

[e82mon]

bump bump

[Mega Man]

hey, e82mon.

Honestly, they're not the fastest shippers. You can always shoot them an email and ask whaddahaps. I did, and they kindly explained they were on back order but would be shipped asap.

I ordered twice, the first time, I didn't do a good job, so ordered a 2nd time and it came out realy well. The first time it was shipped took about a month (with an email explaining the back order). Second time, it came within a week or so.

They're legit, just sometimes maybe slow. email them if you're worried.

[e82mon]

Originally Posted by Mega Man

hey, e82mon.

Honestly, they're not the fastest shippers. You can always shoot them an email and ask whaddahaps. I did, and they kindly explained they were on back order but would be shipped asap.

I ordered twice, the first time, I didn't do a good job, so ordered a 2nd time and it came out realy well. The first time it was shipped took about a month (with an email explaining the back order). Second time, it came within a week or so.

They're legit, just sometimes maybe slow. email them if you're worried.

cool thanks alot for the reply man i appreciate it. i ordered sometime last week, made an appointment at a friends shop gonna have 20% tints done, as well taillights, and black kidney grills installed..


however i guess ill wait to make another appointment for them to install the trim, or i can just do it myself now that you told me that

thanks!