How to tell aftermarket stainless from factory

[oldbugr]

No history on my car, unfortunately. As I get ready to strip the car for a rotisserie and glass out repaint, I want to get my stainless and grilles sent out to refresh. They aren't in bad shape just a feel dings here and there on the body trim. 

 

I know they make this aftermarket body trim.  It would be cheaper, to go in that direction than to have a shop do their magic. I watched a young guy somewhere in Europe do his car on YouTube. He said it was a little bit thinner than the original.

 

Does anyone know how to tell if you have original or aftermarket body trim? Is there just one supplier of the same trim? Thanks 

 

 

[Dudeland]

The original trim is aluminum, as far as I can tell.   

 

Aftermarket is stainless, and from a survey that I did earlier, it sucks and does not fit. 

 

 

[SydneyTii]

Unfortunately neither does the BMW trim now, maybe see what MVP reviews are like, the original belt line trim was anodised aluminium 

[dlacey]

I have the MVP alloy beltline trim set, it fits very well, looks great. It whistles a bit at speed....my original trim didn't do that.

[Stevenc22]

The current BMW OEM trim sucks. Installed it twice and it took tons a bending and adjusting.

[SydneyTii]

Yeah it’s really crap, the hood curve is so bad you can almost fit a pencil behind it!

[Mike Self]

AFAIK, the only stainless trim on an 02 is the backing of the knee molding on modell 71 roundies and all squarelights.  Everything else is anodized aluminum or chrome plate.

[kbmb02]

14 hours ago, SydneyTii said:

Unfortunately neither does the BMW trim now, maybe see what MVP reviews are like, the original belt line trim was anodised aluminium 

 

Data point: The trim - originally - was bright dip anodized (I seem to recall type 1 chromium bright dip). Ordinary anodizing would not give the same mirror-shiny result. -KB

[oldbugr]

On 8/21/2024 at 6:52 PM, Dudeland said:

The original trim is aluminum, as far as I can tell.   

 

Aftermarket is stainless, and from a survey that I did earlier, it sucks and does not fit. 

 

 

Seems like this is true with about anything aftermarket.  Mine fits awful well and only has a few dings. The car was repainted cheaply and it looked so decent compared to the other trim on the car it made me wonder.

[oldbugr]

15 hours ago, dlacey said:

I have the MVP alloy beltline trim set, it fits very well, looks great. It whistles a bit at speed....my original trim didn't do that.

Thats odd. Wonder what the heck would make ti do that? 

[dlacey]

23 minutes ago, oldbugr said:

what the heck would make ti do that? 

 

I think that despite good general fit, theres some areas where theres a gap between the trim & body and there's some airflow resonance ...  its a whistle not a rattle, its not super obtrusive..just different. May behave differently on another car...

[oldbugr]

23 minutes ago, dlacey said:

 

I think that despite good general fit, theres some areas where theres a gap between the trim & body and there's some airflow resonance ...  its a whistle not a rattle, its not super obtrusive..just different. May behave differently on another car...

Thank you.

[SydneyTii]

9 hours ago, oldbugr said:

Thats odd. Wonder what the heck would make ti do that

Those clever Asians have doubled it up as a Roo shoo for Aus or as a deer shoo for the US😉🙄

if it was the factory one it would be screaming at you…. BMW’s is a bloody joke it fits so bad!

[oldbugr]

After I pulled it all off, it was aftermarket. The way I could tell was each one had a manufacturer stamp on it. And it is thin. But having said that it sure hugged the body well. 
Makes me wonder if there is more then one supplier, one being better. 

[BLUNT]

On 8/25/2024 at 6:56 PM, oldbugr said:

After I pulled it all off, it was aftermarket. The way I could tell was each one had a manufacturer stamp on it. And it is thin. But having said that it sure hugged the body well. 
Makes me wonder if there is more then one supplier, one being better. 

There are at least 4 suppliers making it.  2 different factories in VietNam make stainless. MVP is anodized alum and then you have OE.  Theres also a place in the UK but I suspect theyre tied to VietNam