Plastic trim in BMW keeps breaking
#1
07-29-18, 11:04 AM
Plastic trim in BMW keeps breaking
I have a 2003 bmw 325i and the plastic trim pieces on the doors, dash and around the shifter keep breaking. These cars are notorious for that happening. I’ve tried gluing them back together at the breaks, sanding them down, refinishing and painting them, but it just keeps happening. They’re made out of abs plastic. Is there anything I could apply to the back of them that when cured would make them a lot stronger? It’s a total of 8 pieces and a brand new set costs anywhere from $800 - $1100 depending on the color. I’ve included pictures to show what the back of them look like. In the interior picture the silver trim pieces on the dash and around the shifter are what I’m talking about. The other 2 pics are the back side of those pieces.
#2
07-29-18, 11:25 AM
Member
Ive had luck filling the back sides of plastic pieces with epoxy, just tipping it so that the liquid flows to the correct spot.
The center console arm rest on my 84 mustang got busted when they were doing window tent, a new part was like $200.
Just got all the pieces lined up, added the epoxy, good as new!
The center console arm rest on my 84 mustang got busted when they were doing window tent, a new part was like $200.
Just got all the pieces lined up, added the epoxy, good as new!
#3
07-29-18, 02:18 PM
Member
Fiberglass fabric overlayed with resin. Surface has to be rather rough to have good bond, so plastic needs to be roughened.
It's pain to do as the very moment resin gets onto fiberglass, fibers become very tacky and just stick to gloves. So spray some 78 glue, not too much, as then resin won't stick, on both plastic and fiberglass, then resin it. If you have access to vacuum, applying plastic bag over entire project and evacuating air does great job, as then it all takes shape very nicely. After fiberglass hardened, you simply trim away unnecessary fiberglass.
Again, it's pain to do. But does re enforce plastic very well.
Otherwise, any hollow cells in plastic that do not have to stay hollow, fill them with - after roughened - Fabtech 2 part epoxy. It's best epoxy out there. You can have it in black and light grey. Black comes in large tubes, so small jobs like this, you simply remove nozzles plastic tip, finger squirt epoxy both components out onto a piece of plastic and plug tip back in making sure white goes to white and black to black. You can open and reuse it like this quite a few times, just make sure black does not touch white, or it turns into rock.
Likely go for 90 or 60 second. 25 second is done by the time you mixed it.
60 comes in black and no, you do not need gun for it, I use fingers all the time. Well, strong fingers.
+PLUSeries Adhesives - Fabtech Systems
It's pain to do as the very moment resin gets onto fiberglass, fibers become very tacky and just stick to gloves. So spray some 78 glue, not too much, as then resin won't stick, on both plastic and fiberglass, then resin it. If you have access to vacuum, applying plastic bag over entire project and evacuating air does great job, as then it all takes shape very nicely. After fiberglass hardened, you simply trim away unnecessary fiberglass.
Again, it's pain to do. But does re enforce plastic very well.
Otherwise, any hollow cells in plastic that do not have to stay hollow, fill them with - after roughened - Fabtech 2 part epoxy. It's best epoxy out there. You can have it in black and light grey. Black comes in large tubes, so small jobs like this, you simply remove nozzles plastic tip, finger squirt epoxy both components out onto a piece of plastic and plug tip back in making sure white goes to white and black to black. You can open and reuse it like this quite a few times, just make sure black does not touch white, or it turns into rock.
Likely go for 90 or 60 second. 25 second is done by the time you mixed it.
60 comes in black and no, you do not need gun for it, I use fingers all the time. Well, strong fingers.
+PLUSeries Adhesives - Fabtech Systems
