So, one of the common problems with Macans is that the B & C pillar trim is crap. They split vertically and scratch easily. If the car is still under warranty, Porsche will replace it. There are reports of the trim pieces splitting on Macans that are only a couple of months old.
The white 2018 Turbo came with bad B & C pillar trim (which are just plastic pieces). Here are a couple of shots:
- m_IMG_6427.jpg (132.64 KiB) Viewed 791 times
- m_IMG_6426.jpg (132.96 KiB) Viewed 791 times
I read through the threads online on replacing these trim pieces. Looks like $300 or so and several hours of work to swap out all 6 trim pieces. Then, I saw some black plastic pieces on eBay. $17.45 plus tax with free shipping ($19.04 all in). Here’s a link to the eBay listing:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/155356308570
I figured it was worth a shot - if they look bad, then I would spring for the factory pieces and spend an afternoon swapping them out.
Shipping was really fast - I got them a couple of days after ordering.
- m_IMG_6421.jpg (68.12 KiB) Viewed 791 times
They are hard plastic, not film or wrap. They come with a clear protective film on the finished side and a white paper backing over the sticky side.
- m_IMG_6428.jpg (39.44 KiB) Viewed 791 times
I went slowly and it took less than 15 minutes to install. Size and shape is exact fit. The adhesive is strong, but you can pull it off if you don’t get it lined up perfectly. In artificial light, the plastic appears just a shade lighter than black.
- m_IMG_6433.jpg (39.57 KiB) Viewed 791 times
But, in daylight, it matches very well.
- m_IMG_6440.jpg (39.47 KiB) Viewed 791 times
- m_IMG_6436.jpg (38.67 KiB) Viewed 791 times
For comparison, here’s my previous 2015 with the factory pieces.
- m_IMG_6176.jpg (72.06 KiB) Viewed 791 times
The most noticeable difference from factory is the little triangle at the bottom of the C pillar - the covers don’t have the seam. But, for me, it’s 95% as good as replacing the trim with the OEM pieces. I suspect they won't hold up as well as the original pieces (which themselves don't hold up all that well, apparently), but even if you had to swap them out once per year, it would still make sense.
I’m going to call this project complete. Post up any thoughts on this fix, or info on changing out the OEM pieces.
