Gentlemen, is there a secret to attaching the chrome strip down the side of the car with wide flares fitted. My car has just arrived and I need to re do it because it has crimped on the bends and looks rather chatty.

I think its chrome plated palstic strip, any ideas.

David

Some threads before discuss this horrible job. Time consuming, frustrating.

Last time I did it I used a heat gun to soften the trim so that it bent easier round the corners, but you have to be careful not to soften it too much. Plenty of wailing & gnashing of teeth

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1967 Cooper S - new front bearings to do.
1965 Cooper S shell - Slow progress. No time or money!
1966 Deluxe- next rustoration!
Mk 2 & XJ6 Jags. Less said the better.

I used a hair dryer. A heat gun may burn it. Be careful

oh yeah, certainly is easy to damage with a heat gun, I'm a culprit of that.

I laid them out in the sun (in melbourne? pah!) held down by weights for a week to get rid of the tendancy to curl up on themselves. It all helps.

....or let the curl work in your favour, force it to bend the other way for the arch, but use the tight curling tendancy to negotiate the tight corner at the back of the front arch and front of the rear arch. Flip the roll over so that it faces the right way. If you are not careful, the buckling will pop up in a second on the new trim as well.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

There already...
it only left yesterday

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Sooperdooperminicooperexpertengineering
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Is it the straight stuff or the fluted good stuff?

I wouldnt even bother with the straight anymore as I could never get it to stay there and it bent funny...

The fluted stuff is much better and it stayed on for me without glue

I just finished fitting mine i used a hair dryer and lots of patience.

Steve

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Classic Not Plastic

Same here - hair dryer and lots of patience. Really hot water can work also - have a big bucket near you - dunk it in and warm it up then work really fast!

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

Look at the way it's wound into a coil as well and then the cirves on the mini arches , you want to bend the strip backwards over the big curve around the wheel arches so the small curves in front of the rear arch and behind the front arch take the strip still bent in the direction of the coil .

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we ran it through a bucket of hot water and used glue and clamps with wide heads and material to stop it pressure one point

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Enjoy Chris

Years ago I discovered that there were two brands of the Cooper S type plastic strip. One was quite easy to fit and the other would never like to unroll even after soaking in hot water.

The part of the strip that goes from the body to the arches is starting to come away on my S. I'm so tempted to buy some new trimming and do the job, but everyone tells me nightmare stories

Nah it's not a nightmare, just put aside a couple of hors to do both sides. It looks like an easy job, so people rush it.

Just know that you will be there for a while to get a superb job.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

How about using one of those steam mop cleaner thingos. The one they use to clean bathrooms etc, not the actual mop one.

That sounds like a great idea

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1968 Morris Mini Cooper S