Chrome Fender trim is just taped on
 

I ordered my BRZ Limited without the chrome fender trim, but after seeing how nice it looked on a few cars that have been delivered I decided I might purchase it after the fact.

So I was browsing part sites to see how much it would be and I was surprised to see these install instruction that show it is just held on by double sided tape and was not a whole new fake vent thingy.

http://techinfo.subaru.com/proxy/674...deFinBlade.pdf

I know that the Tape is plenty strong..........I was just surprised to see it was just the actual chrome piece that they are selling us and not a totally different piece.

Just a heads up.

Yup, probably saves money that way too.

I wish they would have done something else with the vent instead of a artificial chrome piece.

Yes but the dealer will still get to charge you .5 hour labor, lol.

$100 MSRP...I guess I'll pass *sigh*.

Well, that is quite a let down. No chrome trim for me.

Figured this was something I could DIY, until I saw I was going to need a trash can...

Just got my price from my dealer hookup. Much cheaper than list but its still expensive for what you're getting, lol.

That seems pretty cheapy for a $100 item... not the tape, but just the way it's done. I mean, they give you door sills for similar cost and that's probably 10 time the material.

:lol:

I rather spend $100 and get the FR-S side vent things with " 86 " on it.

Is it even real metal? I mean, seriously. I don't like chrome, either. I'd prefer a satin finish aluminum, like the newer Audi S4/S5's have on their mirrors. Never cared for chrome on sports cars... The stock fender "vent" is rather bland, though.

I'm waiting for some real vents to come to light.

I was considering adding the chrome piece though, but the price does not seem right for how cheap it kinda looks like so far.

Get a few owners together, buy a chrome spray paint kit from Alsa and save money. http://www.alsacorp.com/products/kil...llerchrome.htm

(Alsa is responsible for the most exotic paint finishes in the world. They have some really impressive finishing options out there.)

Wow, so these will be getting yanked off by desperate types. Great.

Post. Of. The. Week.

I posted this on another thread but they can be bought here. I plan on ordering a set when my car comes. I've know of this site forever but have never owned a new enough subaru to take advantage of it.

https://www.subaruonlineparts.com/pr...oducts_id=1472

$77 Dollars.

That stuff looks awesome! I might use that for the bland silver interior plastics, too. That "Ghost Chrome" is exactly what I'd want. Thanks for posting!

I had stumbled across this info a couple days before I pre-ordered, and decided I didn't want to pay that much for what is really so little...
TBH, I'm hoping that some nice aftermarket decoration items become available to install instead. They'd probably be better material too.

I've used the ALSA "chrome" paint in a professional environment and that's exactly what it requires...you need to have a good booth, a great spray gun, tons of patience, no moisture or humidity, and flawless technique....other than that it's simple.

Well, in that case I had better leave it to the pros. Luckily I know a couple people who own body shops.

did anyone actually install the chrome fender? how was the installation and how was the tape?

I did. Installation is as easy as it gets. Clean the area, remove the tape, and install. Press firmly for 10 seconds and done. It looks good, no complains. I'll upload a pic later. MY salesman ordered it for me after getting the car as a gift. A week and a half installed, has seen some rainy days and holding strong.

Edit: see The picture.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/attac...1&d=1347556040

How's the stock piece attached, also with 3M adhesive? How difficult was it ti remove?

The stock piece is part of the whole assembly. It does not come off. You put the chrome fender trim on top of the stock one.

If you order it when you order your car, it is installed at the port of entry. Looks good on black. Adds just enough of a chrome touch to the side of the car.

can it be removed without damaging the paint? any info/tips/how-tos?

It should be the same as removing badges and such. Add some heat, maybe some Goof Off if it's really fighting you (doubtful for how new and cheapy these are). PM Jive Turkey, he removed his chrome fender trim from this Galaxy Blue BRZ Limited.

Got mine on eBay a few bucks cheaper. Put it on, looks sharp and never want to take it doen. Now I start to pay attention to other cars also have this kind of fender design, they all have some chrome details on it. Why would Subaru cut a few dollars on this? Now I think this should be part of the car.

I got the dealer to throw mine in for free. I think it is a nice accent to any color, especially CBS. It's the ugly plastic grid behind it that needs some tweaking...

Agree, the black part is so fake, need some depth in it to make it looks like real vent. Any after market part yet?

I planning to replace the gt 86's fake vent plates with subaru's fenders (no chrome) which fits the overall car design better in my view. Also curious whether there are any better looking aftermarket solutions...

I agree, the plastic grid just looks cheap. I was able to find two carbon fiber aftermarket replacements on frsport.com.

http://www.frsport.com/Seibon-BR-sty...Z_p_57024.html

http://www.frsport.com/Seibon-FR-Sty...Z_p_57025.html

I have no clue about their quality or installation. It looks like the first one is the same design as the original BRZ piece, but just in carbon fiber. The other is an entirely different design. Has anyone seen these installed?

Edit: Fixed incorrect first link.

There are other cheap options to paint or plastic dip it. I had my pieces hydro dipped carbon fiber for 40bucks.

-Alex

if you bought those, you looking to sell the chrome oem ones?:lol:

It would take cutting the fender with a circular bit, but functional extractors are completely doable. I'd like to see someone with the resources catch an under hood and vent exterior pressure just to confirm there's a differential to drive flow, but the whole procedure to actually install functional vents would take less than an hour if someone would design them.

This is the only thing about the car I can't stand.

They are not functional, why are these fake things on the car? It's very irritating...

Its so freaking obvious these vents are fake, I don't understand why toyota thought this was a good styling move.

Haha, I don't even have my BRZ yet. I've just been doing some research on easy mods. That fake vent was the first thing I wanted to replace, but I'm not sure it's worth the money. Plus I don't know if I'd like the carbon fiber part and it still leaves you with the whole fake vent problem. I'd love to have a working vent that Mitch described above.

I decided to not get the chrome installed. Later on if I decide to get the chrome fender trim, I'll order it from Subaru Online Parts and save some money.

https://www.subaruonlineparts.com/pr...19930b3f1ed1ef

If you look at the shape and the opening from inside of the engine compartment, it looks like these were designed with some purpose that ultimately didn't make it into production. Venting air THROUGH the engine bay -- like a reverse cowl on the hood that provides downforce -- over top of the mirrors/that general area can provide significant area benefit.

This is just my opinion but I think the chrome trim piece looks tacky on WRB BRZ's. Copying an E92 M3's side vent isn't the best move but what's done is done.