Slightly Bent Outside Door Chrome Trim

Rek

Rek

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The long outer chrome trim is slightly bent upwards at the front. It is part 6 on the attached. Any ideas on how to straighten this without damaging it?


Screenshot 2025-09-17 at 11.07.05.png
 
i would ask a local body shop to straighten it. those guys generally know how to straighten trim. the fun is just getting to the 5 nuts to remove it ... but in reality the door trim is the easiest to remove / replace.
 
It'll be difficult to straighten it. It's a cast material, with the majority of the material in it's upper section and 3 or 4 ribs facing down.

When it bend up at the front, likely due to improper removal technique, it stretched the lower edges of the ribs. Thus to get it straight these needs to be compressed.

No access for a crimping tool.

You might get them somewhat acceptable by putting in a few slight curves in the 2 middle ribs, like a "wave". This will shorten them, but you need to select the points for the waves carefully to not influence the rib position where the clamps grip.
You however can't do it to the outer ribs as they are in plain sight, so they will keep resisting.

Last resort - Blow torch to heat the under side /ribs, then cool down (and rechrome)?

Maybe best to buy good used ones...
Or outsource...
 
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eriknetherlands said:
It'll be difficult to straighten it. It's a cast material, with the majority of the material in it's upper section and 3 or 4 ribs facing down.

When it bend up at the front, likely due to improper removal technique, it stretched the lower edges of the ribs. Thus to get it straight these needs to be compressed.

No access for a crimping tool.

You might get them somewhat acceptable by putting in a few slight curves in the 2 middle ribs, like a "wave". This will shorten them, but you need to select the points for the waves carefully to not influence the rib position where the clamps grip.
You however can't do it to the outer ribs as they are in plain sight, so they will keep resisting.

Last resort - Blow torch to heat the under side /ribs, then cool down (and rechrome)?

Maybe best to buy good used ones...
Or outsource...
Click to expand...
That is probably the cause. I might try your method of bending it back very slightly.
 
i had assumed you are talking about the 'belt' trim. the 'nasty' clips holds the top piece (same length as the belt trim). if the 'cap' piece is bent, you are probably talking about replacement.
 
I just looked up plethora. Thought I knew the definition. Internet tells me it may also mean "an excess of bodily fluid, particularly blood"! Should probably go with "large or excessive amount of something". Yes, that sounds better! ;)
 
So I took the part off thinking I would judiciously bend it back, only to find it was perfectly straight. It is the door which is slightly humped. A new door skin was fitted during the body restoration. The gaps are poor and it might have been fitted badly, hence the issue with the popping up of the front of the chrome section.
 
I have spent a plethora of money on my E9. Every time a new package arrives, my wife offers to shed a plethora of my "bodily fluid, particularly blood".

Word of the day - PLETHORA

Tomorrow the word of the day is CONTAGIOUS. For those that know the joke that accompanies that, then by all means giggle about it but please keep it to yourself. It is not for polite groups of classic car owners. For those that don't, PM me. ;)
 
One of my 8th grade vocabulary words, scary what I recall.

Yes, heat and bend. Nothing to lose. I think the clips that hold it on are harder to find than the part itself.
 
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