I messed up, need help sourcing some new parts

[Shenzie]

Hey, I'm an idiot who took off his chrome window trim thinking it would be easier to paint. I'm now that idiot driving around with bent window trim.

I've been looking for hours to find these trim pieces and I just can't find a place online to buy them. Are they really that hard to find?

[shogun]

what exactly do you need? https://www.realoem.com/bmw/select.do
part numbers are important

[Shenzie]

Sorry, should have been more specific. I need both the exterior front and rear chrome window trim that rests along the bottom of the window. The c pillars are fine and so is the long strip along the top.

Thanks for the website, I’ll check out when I’m back on my computer.

[fo3]

Sorry, should have been more specific. I need both the exterior front and rear chrome window trim that rests along the bottom of the window. The c pillars are fine and so is the long strip along the top.

Thanks for the website, I’ll check out when I’m back on my computer.

Do you mean something like this: https://www.schmiedmann.com/en/produ...t=B51211944232

Double check all part numbers as I noticed two different strips (door molding, and then there's one for door covering lower) not sure which one applies as I'm getting confused looking at pics because not sure if it's the full outer seal that you would remove for painting or that link is just a more an under seal that still has a chrome strip, the above link is just an example of what can come up using a random part number. E: BTW most results were from schmiedmann in Euro or ecstuning if you want to search specific sites.
Try
Front:
04 Covering left CHROM 1 51211944231 $57.65
04 Covering right CHROM 1 51211944232 $57.65
Rear:
06 Covering left CHROM 1 51221944233 $62.40
06 Covering right CHROM 1 51221944234 $62.40

Triple check with realoem and vendors pics though

Bang your vin into realoem like suggested by shogun. Go to 'bodywork', then 'door weatherstrip front' for left and right part numbers
(and door weather strip rear for those ones)

[moroza]

I'd just straighten them carefully and reinstall. Otherwise, parts like this I usually get from ECS Tuning, sometimes Pelican or Maximilian, or random sellers on eBay.

My general procedure:
1a. Go to RealOEM, input the last 7 of my VIN, click Browse Parts, bookmark the page that results. Or...
1b. Go to RealOEM, and in the Classic catalog (mostly), find the relevant one of a dozen different BMWs from whose parts mine is cobbled together.
2. From that page, browse until I find the part. Most things are in logical places. Vehicle Trim is a big category. RealOEM is ~98% complete and accurate.
3. Copy the part number, and depending on what it is, paste it into: FCP Euro, eBay US, ECS Tuning, a general search engine, eBay UK, eBay DE, EEuroparts, AutohausAZ, RM European, Maximilian, Pelican Parts, whatever other vendors a search engine finds - in about that order - and an image search if it's unclear what the part is. Also click on the part number in RealOEM to see superceded numbers and OE interchange. Also go to spareto.com and other sites to find aftermarket part numbers.
4. If a part number search proves inadequate, search instead by aftermarket number, or year, model, and part name. This is where interchange info comes in handy.
5a. Buy whatever seems best. Or...
5b. Find it's NLA or very expensive, get annoyed at having wasted my time, repair existing or ignore it or spend even more time figuring out "unofficial" interchange from more-available parts, possibly with modifications.
6. Add whatever I've found to increasingly vast text files and spreadsheets of interchange and other info for future reference.
7. Regurgitate said info on BFc as needed.

[uscharalph]

Often times you can get some descent pieces at the junk yard or from someone who is parting out an E34. I've gotten much better at removing them with out damaging them.

[Shenzie]

My main issue is figuring out which part is actually the chrome trim, there’s like 20 parts with similar names, and generic images of various parts. Thanks for the links, I will check them out when I get home.

Does anyone have experience bending the trim pieces back? It’s worth a shot before spending ~300 on new stuff

[jfs356]

Take pics of where the pieces are located on the car, that is the best way to identify. Seems like you are talking about the window scraper trim at top of door?

[south42]

I am parting a 34 so might have a good part.

Andy