[CoopJet]

My m235i is going to be here soon the trim on the center console is gloss black. Which I know is terrible to keep clean and not scratched. Has anyone used a vinyl wrap to cover the gloss black/protect it.

[RigaTony1982]

Westside Guy may be able to help. I believe he did something similar.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by RigaTony1982

Westside Guy may be able to help. I believe he did something similar.

My PPF installer is an Xpel shop and he downloaded templates from their website to cover and protect the gloss black trim in my Z4 from scratches.

Whether or not he covers the gloss black trim with PPF the OP will still need to use a microfiber cloth to clean the surface when needed.

By the way my shop did not recommend covering the center display touch screen and simply clean it when needed.

A local Xpel shop should have the templates for the trim on the OP's M235i.

By the way, I don't think that the gloss black trim is terrible as mentioned in the title of this thread and I love the way it looks in my car!

[JDS680]

I had the same thing done as Westside Guy, except with a Ceramic Pro dealer. Only had the piano black parts covered. Love the results and the look. No more worries

[CoopJet]

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

My PPF installer is an Xpel shop and he downloaded templates from their website to cover and protect the gloss black trim in my Z4 from scratches.

Whether or not he covers the gloss black trim with PPF the OP will still need to use a microfiber cloth to clean the surface when needed.

By the way my shop did not recommend covering the center display touch screen and simply clean it when needed.

A local Xpel shop should have the templates for the trim on the OP's M235i.

By the way, I don't think that the gloss black trim is terrible as mentioned in the title of this thread and I love the way it looks in my car!

Thank you for the information and I should have made it more clear but when I mentioned terrible I mean the scratches and finger prints and yes it does look good when clean.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by CoopJet

Thank you for the information and I should have made it more clear but when I mentioned terrible I mean the scratches and finger prints.

Whether or not you install PPF you will always see some dust and smudges on a gloss black surface like this. That is the price you pay when you have this type of trim which I definitely feel enhances the appearance of a car’s interior.

Unless you drop a very sharp object on it, the PPF will protect your trim from normal type scratches which is why I had it installeded.

[CoopJet]

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

Whether or not you install PPF you will always see some dust and smudges on a gloss black surface like this. That is the price you pay when you have this type of trim which I definitely feel enhances the appearance of a car’s interior.

Unless you drop a very sharp object on it, the PPF will protect your trim from normal type scratches which is why I had it installeded.

Ok thank you for the information the main thing that I’m worried about is scratches so that is probably what I will go with

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by CoopJet

Ok thank you for the information the main thing that I’m worried about is scratches so that is probably what I will go with

I installed the PPF on the gloss black trim as soon as I started seeing a few micro scratches on the center console. I am extremely careful and treat my interior with TLC and I really freaked out when I saw the scratches, don’t delay doing this!

[DocOfTheDead]

Have you thought about doing stealth PPF on it? I absolutely loathe piano black and think it looks incredibly tacky. It’s turned into the go-to trim for many brands like Kia, Honda, VW, etc. Light reflects and ripples off of it irregularly and looks less elegant than a satin finish. If you live in a sunny area it’s kind of a pain in the eyes having lots of reflection. Mercedes is putting that finish on damned near everything and when you look at a used one it’s painful how scratched and pitted and swirled they all look.

[CoopJet]

Originally Posted by DocOfTheDead

Have you thought about doing stealth PPF on it? I absolutely loathe piano black and think it looks incredibly tacky. Light reflects and ripples off of it irregularly and looks less elegant than a satin finish. If you live in a sunny area it’s kind of a pain in the eyes having lots of reflection. Mercedes is putting that finish on damned near everything and when you look at a used one it’s painful how scratched and pitted and swirled they all look.

I have not thought about doing a stealth PPF the trim is very reflective in certain light so I will consider that.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by DocOfTheDead

Have you thought about doing stealth PPF on it? I absolutely loathe piano black and think it looks incredibly tacky. It’s turned into the go-to trim for many brands like Kia, Honda, VW, etc. Light reflects and ripples off of it irregularly and looks less elegant than a satin finish. If you live in a sunny area it’s kind of a pain in the eyes having lots of reflection. Mercedes is putting that finish on damned near everything and when you look at a used one it’s painful how scratched and pitted and swirled they all look.

I personally think that putting a stealth PPF on the trim would cheapen the look of the interior.

Also, I live in South Florida and have never had any reflection issues with my gloss black trim. 😎

[KevinC]

"Terrible Paino Gloss Black Trim"

I'm sure the "paino" was a typo, but "pain" is definitely a better description than "piano"!

[Westside Guy]

How is it a pain to maintain the black high gloss trim? It is much easier than washing your car when it gets dirty. 😉

[KevinC]

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

How is it a pain to maintain the black high gloss trim? It is much easier than washing your car when it gets dirty. 😉

It's cheap black plastic that scratches when you breathe on it. Shows all dust & fingerprints instantly. Absolute garbage IMHO. If you like it, good for you.

[Rafichicago]

I have the black trim in my M5. I love the looks of it although it’s a pain to keep looking clean. It is not the most practical thing that’s for sure. It might be dumb but I tend just not too touch it. It looks good after 5 years but I never dust the thing and I never clean it with dry microfiber. Again. Not everyone’s favorite and a bitch to maintain, but when clean it looks good. I will take it over burl walnut grandpa edition any time of the day

[allinon72]

Whether or not this is an issue depends on how clean of a driver you are. If you drag objects over it, sure it's going to scratch. If you keep it dirty and push the buttons, it's going to face damage. Otherwise, it's fine. My wife has the piano black trim in her X5, isn't nearly as clean as I am in the car, and it hasn't been an issue. I wipe it down every 2 weeks or so and that's it.

Journalists like to complain about it because their only frame of reference is beat-to-shit press cars that aren't kept clean and aren't treated nice.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by KevinC

It's cheap black plastic that scratches when you breathe on it. Shows all dust & fingerprints instantly. Absolute garbage IMHO. If you like it, good for you.

Yes, it is good for me and frankly now that I have the PPF protecting it from scratches it isn't a big deal to maintain.

[G30M]

my car came with piano black and this stuff scratches by just looking at it

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by g21

my car came with piano black and this stuff scratches by just looking at it

The answer is simple, cover it with PPF. 😉