When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hey there,
Molding cracking on convertible mini. Is this molding cosmetic or does it really stop water damage? Can an everyday guy replace this or should I take it in for service?
If its the same as the older r52 convertible its cosmetic. There are a couple of great threads for the R52 with a $30 fix for those that dont want to replace the original trim for several hundred bucks.
I did the cheap fix this weekend, it took me about an hour, including the time to paint the stick on Cowles trim. https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...p-options.html https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ng-away-2.html
Hey thanks for the quick reply!
Yeah I've been looking around on this forum and I think it's the same R52. I have a 2006 convertible. If the molding was functional I would take care of it before the rain season. If it's cosmetic then I can a wait a little. It's just starting chip.
So, it sounds like the repair is pretty straight forward. Open it up from the trunk and unscrew the old molding? Also, the molding is two pieces (right and left) and will rung about $300 or so for both parts, correct? Am I missing anything else? Thanks again for your help!
Hey thanks for the quick reply!
Yeah I've been looking around on this forum and I think it's the same R52. I have a 2006 convertible. If the molding was functional I would take care of it before the rain season. If it's cosmetic then I can a wait a little. It's just starting chip.
So, it sounds like the repair is pretty straight forward. Open it up from the trunk and unscrew the old molding? Also, the molding is two pieces (right and left) and will rung about $300 or so for both parts, correct? Am I missing anything else? Thanks again for your help!
Thanks,
Alan
Thats pretty much it. 2006 is "R52" same as mine I think. I didnt do the OEM repair. I just removed the old trim (2 pieces, half a dozen screws each), cleaned up all the exposed dirt and applied black silicone to seal and protect that stitched seam (applying masking tape for a clean look), then cut away the perished rubber from the trim, reattached the pared down trim pieces and stuck the painted 1/2" trim on top in place of the rubber.
I should have been more patient waiting for the black paint to dry and applied a few more coats but it looks much better than it did before, not OEM, but good enough for a 2005!
Then of course having made it look nice, the rear window mechanism snapped a day later, but thats life
Yep, thanks for posing those threads up on the fixes. There is the factory fix and then the aftermarket DIY fix, I treated mine with condition for rubber and its help buy some time but after a bunch of years in the sun then tend to crack out again.
When you do fix them its a great time to clean junk out of the side rails and preventing rusting(screws), the Hardware on mine was shot so i replaced it
