I got the 2001 Chrysler Minivan brochure and noticed some models have chrome door trim (exterior). I'm not referring to the lettering, only to the single trim bar that's s'posed to protect the door in parking lots. Later years also have the chrome trim pictured, but I have not seen any 4th generation models in person that had the chrome trim. I would like to order the chrome trim, but the dealer needs to have a VIN number in order to order it. I live in a very small town and there are none of these vans around that I can see for the last month or so. None that have the chrome trim, that is.
If you have a 4th generation Chrysler minivan WITH the chrome door trim, could you please help me out. I don't need the whole VIN, just the last 8 digits. The parts guy said he could figure out what to order for me with that. Even if your van isn't the Bright Silver Metallic mine is -- that part we already know. We just don't know what the chrome part of the number is (Chrysler doesn't make the parts job easy at all).
Thank you in advance,
Grump
mcmotors
05-01-2006, 06:52 PM
03 Grand Caravan, Chrome Exterior Mouldings
Last 9 : 13R146298
mcmotors
05-01-2006, 07:37 PM
Pretty expensive mouldings, just one for the sliding door is $ 130.00, and I just found out they are nationwide back-ordered,
Grump
05-01-2006, 08:03 PM
Thank you very much, mcmotors. What color is your van? The molding is body color and chrome in the middle, right? Can you tell how they did that -- chromed the whole thing and then painted the edges? Got any pictures of it? Is it 3 pieces like the 2001 (2 for the doors and a real small one behind the sliding door) or 2 pieces like on the 2006 (just the doors)?
Here's a picture of the side of my van for reference (click to enlarge):
Sorry for all the http://grumpsplace.com/images/smilies/bouncingquestion.gif. I just wanna get it right. And, of course, the parts dept. is closed right now.
Thanks again,
Grump
mcmotors
05-01-2006, 09:12 PM
The third short one behind the sliding door has no chrome. The other 2 moldings are completely different than the non-chrome ones, I actually took pictures but you will have to give me your email address as I do not know how to post here. The chrome moldings are made of 2 parts. Part one is the full size painted color of the car (Patriot Blue Pearl Coat) with an indentation for room of the Stick-on, plastic immitation chrome tape that goes in the middle. Ah, they don't don't build them like they used to...
mcmotors
05-01-2006, 09:21 PM
Let's see if this works]
Grump
05-01-2006, 11:27 PM
Looks like you did fine with the pictures, mcmotors, thanks. If you have others, you can send them to me at Grump at GrumpsPlace dot com. I think those actually look better than mine. I hadn't considered the chrome would be a separate piece that was glued on. I am familiar with chrome tape called FlexiChrome from TapeWorks.com (http://www.tapeworks.com/index.html). I used it on a custom computer I built some time back (again, click for bigger pic):
I was thinking it might just be more economical for me to chrome my own trim. I don't know. Still in the tossin'-ideas-around stage.
Grump
blender747
05-01-2006, 11:55 PM
never even noticed these side mouldings before. They sure look pretty good...when you order these side mouldings from the dealer are they glued on?
thanks-ron
mcmotors
05-02-2006, 11:35 AM
They come ready to install, with peel-off tape. If they were removed you would have to clean off the old tape and reinstall double sided tape, I don't know if the "flexiChrome" comes already on the molding or if the molding is already painted when you buy it from the dealer. It might be a while before I find out, as I ordered one yesterday and was told of the "back-order"
mcmotors
05-02-2006, 12:50 PM
Here are detailled picture of the moldings, again $ 130.00 list, need 4 and up to 60 days on order...
Grump
05-02-2006, 02:18 PM
Lemme get this straight. The pictures you show are of a 2 piece ea. trim -- the base trim that is body color and has a channel in it and the chrome insert. The chrome insert has a peel-off paper over adhesive? How is the main trim attached to the car?
FlexiChrome is a tape with a peel-off paper backing. It is flexible and stretchable to a small extent. In the computer picture above, I have the tape installed on the curved lift handle on the side of the case, as well as some of the buttons and on the buttons of the mouse (trackball) and on the space, shift and enter keys of the keyboard. It's not quite as good as real chrome, but I haven't seen anything that comes closer.
I know that plastic can be chromed -- I used to build model cars as a kid -- but I don't know of any company that chromes plastic for consumers. Chroming plastic and chroming metal are completely different operations.
I got a call from the dealer this morning. He said all the pieces I would need for both sides of my van in the color using the VIN mcmotors supplied would cost over 600 bucks. That's a bit pricey for me, but I've blown more than that taking friends to Men's Club of Reno (http://www.mensclubofreno.com/). I'll have to think about it more.
Grump
mcmotors
05-02-2006, 04:05 PM
You got it right. I would think that first they paint (or you paint) the main molding, peel off the top and bottom tape, install on car. Then peel off FlexiChrome strip tape and stick on to molding and, Voila , your Caravan shows sparkles in the sun.
I'm not going to coment on blowing 600 bucks there are so many ways to do that...
