C Pillar trim clip repair?

[Talisman850]

I decided to cruise around the 8 yesterday, and with the windows down heard a loud pop and the c pillar interior trim was dangling off the pillar.

The PO wrapped the pillars and headliner in a really cool light gray suede, so I'd like to repair it rather than buy a new one. What have you all done?

I toyed with using the metal interior clips from a gm and seeing if they'd snap on the piece and fit into the steel body panel. Others suggested industrial strength velcro.

TIA!

Something like this

[rogbmw]

on one of my earlier 8s I did this: on the upper inside of the c-pillar trim is a tab piece that many times the end brakes. I took a small drill, and put a hole in the remaining part of the tab on the inside of the c-pillar trim, then ran a thin zip-tie up and around the metal part of the c-pillar, and zip tied the c-pillar trim piece up. I worked great! Of course if you want or need to take down the c-pillar trim you have to cut the zip tie, but no big deal. Good Luck.

[legoman67]

pretty much the only 2 things that fix it without having to go back and pop it back into place after a bump in the road are zip ties mentioned above, or a small screw in the top back corner(my preferred method).

[Talisman850]

pretty much the only 2 things that fix it without having to go back and pop it back into place after a bump in the road are zip ties mentioned above, or a small screw in the top back corner(my preferred method).

Where is the small screw? Is it visible? Id rather do something that's hidden if I can

[DanMarshall]

I decided to cruise around the 8 yesterday, and with the windows down heard a loud pop and the c pillar interior trim was dangling off the pillar.

The PO wrapped the pillars and headliner in a really cool light gray suede, so I'd like to repair it rather than buy a new one. What have you all done?

I toyed with using the metal interior clips from a gm and seeing if they'd snap on the piece and fit into the steel body panel. Others suggested industrial strength velcro.

TIA!

Kind of depends on which part broke. If it's the metal clip that's in the body, no problem, you can get that (Part # 51437194187).
If it's the plastic tab that is on the C-Pillar cover you're in deep doo-doo. I had this same issue with one of the A-Pillar covers on mine and I tried a bunch of different things.
Don't bother with Velcro (I even tried gluing one of those super powerful "Earth Magnets" to the piece (that didn't work either).
I don't remember who but someone here gave me the tip that did actually work (you might want to search for that thread) which involved taking the tip of a hose clamp and gluing (with Goop) it onto what was left of the plastic tab on the pillar cover.

Dan M

[Talisman850]

Sadly enough zip ties made the piece fit better than the other side. I drilled a very small hole in each broken tab, then drilled the same sized hole in the metal just below the slot the clip attaches to.

Using two very thin very long zip ties, I looped them each through then pulled the ties tight through the light hole in the trim.

Took an hour drive with all windows down, no problems.

[claude1225us]

Try glue; get some boat glue and glue it in place. That worked on mine C pillar.

[affa]

I rebuild the tab using resin reinforced with fibre.

If I had to do it again id use that gm clip pictured, bend it 90deg, glue it and fix it with a couple of shallow screws.

[legoman67]

Where is the small screw? Is it visible? Id rather do something that's hidden if I can

top back corner of each cover is where i had mine. Black headed screw on black headliner, unnoticeable unless you were looking for it.

I eventually broke down and bought new covers though.

[Ahmed303]

Valcro the edges perhaps??

[bruinbro]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that an infant weighs more than a c-pillar cover.

[Talisman850]

Weights not an issue here, its air pulling on the c pillar

[toomanyparts]

Probably the worst pillar cover design. Does any other BMW or car use this hairbrain scheme?

[Craig540i]

E32 is similar, but access is easier.

[Talisman850]

It would be a ton better if the pillars were tucked into the headliner, but servicing them would be a pain

[rogbmw]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that an infant weighs more than a c-pillar cover.

So that is what the new babysitter looks like