Car moulding repair

Reply #15 – January 25, 2013, 01:55:43 AM

its a captive nut
stud is molded / melded into the plastic trim piece.
use 2part epoxy and fix it using creativity. dont put it back on too too too tight, this isnt an intake bolt / nut.

it should stay put for a long time.

my son used the 2part expoxy for plastic, some people just take the old parts and remelt them together with a torch , i tried using a milk jug for a source of new plastic because of its flexibility characteristics. worked well enough.

Car moulding repair

Reply #16 – January 25, 2013, 12:42:23 PM

Quote from: BlueBird1987;407895

I'm saying the little plastic part broke completely off from the trim and I'm not sure how to get it to reattach to the wall of the car

If you still have the plastic 'stud' that might have fallen down in the well and you haven't sanded it or anything, use short strand fiberglass as your "glue" to re-attach it to the molding piece. If you use too much, you can always sand the excess down so it will fit into the hole. I found mine at AutoZone or Advance or one of them stores. It was in a jar about the size of a bearing grease jar with a tube of hardener taped on the lid. Simple to prep. Just mix parts like you would epoxy.
I've done this on my car for the front cornering lamp belt molding piece and on someone's Mazda crossover. I forget what kind it is but it may have a Ford twin - maybe 2001-2004 Tribute. Anyway, their chrome strip along the front edge of the hood broke off due to smaller but similar studs that were part of the trim. This is the hood that gets slammed every time it goes into the shop and the piece is still on there after about 3 years or maybe more. I've seen other Mazda crossovers on the road missing that same piece so it's a common problem. Holding up on the Tribute is more impressive than the Cougar because it sits right at the edge that slams onto the grille below it.
If you don't have that stud piece, you can glob some fiberglass on the molding where the factory stud broke off and then recess a screw (or whatever your own stud creation turns out to be) into the fiberglass before it dries.