Trim Vinyl Wrapping - Carbon Fiber

Xm-n54

Private
May 8, 2017
49
16
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2008 BMW 335xi
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Hey guys. I am doing this write up after the install.

I was getting tired of the wooden trim look on my 335. I saw some other forums where people decided to vinyl wrap their trim. This was my first time vinyl wrapping and thought I could make it turn out nice if I took my time. I decided to go with carbon fiber with the non gloss look. I got three 1'x5' rolls of it from eBay. Here is the link.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/171201757972?_mwBanner=1

I used all three rolls with some wrap to spare.


First off I removed all the trim and steering wheel cover. I simply used two flat head screw drivers. A trim removal kit would have been nice but not necessary. All the parts just popped off except for the steering wheel. For that, there are three t-20 screws that hold it in place. Access them from the back of the steering wheel. Besides that, the rest of the trim consisted of just popping it off. Wiggle the flathead screw drivers until you can get a grasp of the trim with your fingers then use just your hands when pulling them out. I believe there are tons of videos of trim removal all over YouTube. Be careful and take your time to make sure you don't break any clips or damage the trim or surrounding interior. The hardest part in removal was when taking out the center dashboard trim. The wiring harness for the center vents is a PITA to get out. Took some time but I managed. Don't just yank it out as there are cables attached to it. Same goes for front center console and rear center console. All three of those pieces have wires attached.
Once I removed the trim, I gave them all a thorough cleaning. I used a micro fiber rag and rubbing alcohol. Took off grease and dirt nicely.

After that I was ready to wrap. I used a hair dryer and it got nice and hot. I'm sure a heat gun would have been better but I was surprised how hot the hair dryer was getting. I started with the back seat trim. I suggest starting with them to get the hang of it. Cut the wrap bigger than the piece. Make sure you have enough to wrap the whole piece and slightly the back of it. Heat the corners up and rub it around with your fingers. Try to avoid air bubbles as much as possible. If you notice them, peel it back and push the bubble out. Much easier to fix it now then later. The vinyl's adhesive was very good so don't worry about wearing it out. Work around the corners by pulling the vinyl. It stretches a lot when heated but don't over do it because it will clearly mess up the pattern. Just remember to take your time. Also keep in mind the pattern of your vinyl if it has a pattern lol. Try to make sure it has consistent orientation. There are a lot of pieces to do so don't rush and don't get complacent with mistakes. Remember that this will be part of your car for a long time!
After I wrapped all the trim, I called it a day and started again the next day. The following morning, I inspected the trim to make sure it was still good. In some areas, the vinyl was slightly peeling on the backs of the trim. I used this time to super glue any areas that had that issue. Easy fix just make sure you get no glue on any parts of the exposed vinyl. I doubt this was necessary but I wanted to make sure. Also I noticed some air bubbles on a couple of the trim. I got a sowing needle and popped the bubbles making super small holes. I then squeeged the air out and made the blemishes barely noticeable unless you intensely stare at them.
Finally was install. Super easy just snapping everything back into place and screwing the steering wheel cover back on. After that, gave the interior a clean and called it a day! Here are some pics!
 
Last edited by a moderator:

BrettJP

Private
May 30, 2017
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08 335xi e92
That's pretty inexpensive, too! The rubberized trim coating in my car is really turning to sh**, but the cost to change or replace everything is just too high for me to justify right now. I think this is just what I need to do!
 
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Jsherry20

Sergeant
Dec 21, 2016
313
47
0
This is badass, I love how much better the interior looks!!! You didn't skip any piece either, even did the back seat center console!
 
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ASquared

Corporal
Nov 6, 2016
119
34
0
Las Vegas
I tried doing this with some 5D CF Vinyl just to see how it would look. Came out decent but the heat out here caused the corners to peel back. Tried it twice, peeled both times. I'll probably try it with better quality stuff or use an adhesive. Not a fan of the wood trim either, kinda irritates me actually.
 
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Bimmer_08

New Member
May 31, 2017
8
1
0
Ride
08 335Xi
Good to see you didnt distort the lines of the carbon fiber when you stretched it, great job!! Only other thing would be to paint the chrome trim on the steering wheel flat or satin black maybe.
 

Jsherry20

Sergeant
Dec 21, 2016
313
47
0
Just did mine over the weekend, was a really fun project, I tinkered with it for a few hours and didn't mess up much. It came out really nice, I posted pictures on the facebook page. 3M products are the best!
 

doublespaces

Administrator
Oct 18, 2016
9,303
4,331
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AZ
Ride
2009 E93 335i
Just did mine over the weekend, was a really fun project, I tinkered with it for a few hours and didn't mess up much. It came out really nice, I posted pictures on the facebook page. 3M products are the best!
Pics! I'd like to open an interior/exterior section.
 

ldyzluvdis06

Private
Dec 2, 2016
47
22
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Illinois
id love to do this, but i feel like id fuck something up and it would look like shit, and or, it would take to ever to accomplish. lol
 

V-Viper

New Member
Aug 31, 2017
4
0
0
Ride
2007 335i
Looks great! Just drop about $650 on an ebay CF trim set, they give about $200 core charge refund tho (for $~450 all in). This looks great tho for cheap $!
 

Xm-n54

Private
May 8, 2017
49
16
0
Ride
2008 BMW 335xi
Looks great! Just drop about $650 on an ebay CF trim set, they give about $200 core charge refund tho (for $~450 all in). This looks great tho for cheap $!
Thank you!! Still looks great to this day!