[Montegowagon]

I just got my Montego Blue 328XI wagon (07/07 build date) and immediately noticed that the cargo cover was broken on the left side. More specifically the poor quality metal had broken off on the cargo cover's left side that wedges into a latch on the rear of the wagon.

Used a screwdriver to break off the remaining pieces of the old metal. A dremel would have been exceptionally useful in this situation. There is another section of metal underneath it that remains after you break off the thinner piece above. This is fortunate, because it is just wide enough to mount a replacement piece of metal with pop rivets. Hard to describe - best to look at the images for reference.

Then I measured and cut down a metal conduit outlet cover to be the same width and a little longer than the portion I replaced. I chose a conduit metal cover because it is easy to cut with a sawblade, because the metal is pretty soft, which also makes it easier to bend to mimic the old part.

Important note - extend the cover and use a clamp or something to hold it, as it's possible to hit the cover edges with your drill bit when making the pilot holes for the pop rivets. Very secure secured with 3 pop rivets, and a decent layer of JB weld just to give the area a little more stability. A pair of cutter pliers is all you need to cut the ends, but a file is also nice to get rid of any last remaining pointy bits.

Works great! Just gave it a try after letting the JB weld overnight, and it's very secure. It's actually on there a bit tighter than the factory side, likely because the profile of the piece I made is slightly different than the piece I replaced. I think the repair will hold up but time will only tell. Sorry it's not a super clean job with the JB weld slopped around, but I wasn't overly concerned about aesthetics of considering it's not visible.

Parts cost was about $10 (I already had the pop rivet gun from harbor freight)

1 x metal conduit cover
3 x 1/8" pop rivets and pop rivet gun
JB weld

[CDirks]

Wow, good fix!

This oughta be useful for anyone trying to grab a cargo cover for under $500, seeing as that's what they're typically going for in new condition.

[oVeRdOsE.]

better than my solution , great work.

I just put 2 black screw in front of the cover latch so it wont slip away. Work very well, but not as clean

[Montegowagon]

Thanks! I've been using it regularly and the repaired side shows no signs of failing. Once I painted the repaired bit, I actually had to point out where I'd fixed it when I showed it off to my brother the other day

[johnnyorange]

Montegowagon this is an absolutely brilliant solution and one I intend to employ on my e91 cargo cover which is broken on both sides -

2 questions for you -

first, your identification of an applicable metal conduit cover is nothing short of amazing. to wit, which cover did you utilize? i ask as I am not sure if metal conduit covers are all the same vis a vis the edge angle

second, while the initial install by BMW utilized pop rivets, do you think is it would be possible to utilize/tap screws instead of pop rivets?

all the best
JO

Originally Posted by Montegowagon

I just got my Montego Blue 328XI wagon (07/07 build date) and immediately noticed that the cargo cover was broken on the left side. More specifically the poor quality metal had broken off on the cargo cover's left side that wedges into a latch on the rear of the wagon.

Used a screwdriver to break off the remaining pieces of the old metal. A dremel would have been exceptionally useful in this situation. There is another section of metal underneath it that remains after you break off the thinner piece above. This is fortunate, because it is just wide enough to mount a replacement piece of metal with pop rivets. Hard to describe - best to look at the images for reference.

Then I measured and cut down a metal conduit outlet cover to be the same width and a little longer than the portion I replaced. I chose a conduit metal cover because it is easy to cut with a sawblade, because the metal is pretty soft, which also makes it easier to bend to mimic the old part.

Important note - extend the cover and use a clamp or something to hold it, as it's possible to hit the cover edges with your drill bit when making the pilot holes for the pop rivets. Very secure secured with 3 pop rivets, and a decent layer of JB weld just to give the area a little more stability. A pair of cutter pliers is all you need to cut the ends, but a file is also nice to get rid of any last remaining pointy bits.

Works great! Just gave it a try after letting the JB weld overnight, and it's very secure. It's actually on there a bit tighter than the factory side, likely because the profile of the piece I made is slightly different than the piece I replaced. I think the repair will hold up but time will only tell. Sorry it's not a super clean job with the JB weld slopped around, but I wasn't overly concerned about aesthetics of considering it's not visible.

Parts cost was about $10 (I already had the pop rivet gun from harbor freight)

1 x metal conduit cover
3 x 1/8" pop rivets and pop rivet gun
JB weld

[caldep]

Montegowagon, if interested, you may have just found a side hustle!

[Montegowagon]

Originally Posted by caldep

Montegowagon, if interested, you may have just found a side hustle!

lol!

[Montegowagon]

Originally Posted by johnnyorange

Montegowagon this is an absolutely brilliant solution and one I intend to employ on my e91 cargo cover which is broken on both sides -

2 questions for you -

first, your identification of an applicable metal conduit cover is nothing short of amazing. to wit, which cover did you utilize? i ask as I am not sure if metal conduit covers are all the same vis a vis the edge angle

second, while the initial install by BMW utilized pop rivets, do you think is it would be possible to utilize/tap screws instead of pop rivets?

all the best
JO

ah schucks, just being a cheap bastard

The edge is straight and just regular galvanized steel stock. I think I got one of those flat conduit covers, with the hooks for screws.

I would recommend the pop rivets mainly because they are flatter than a screw, so won't get stuck on the bracket potentially. I would be worried that the screw head would get lodged in the bracket. Also screws are pretty rigid, whereas the pop rivets allow a fair amount of flex and bend (which is prob why they used them elsewhere on the piece).

Also the metal is pretty brittle, so I could see a screw just snapping off and taking a little chunk of metal with it.

Mine is still going strong 3 months later with daily regular use, thrown around the inside of a car with gig bags and equipment cases and it still works great.

[StradaRedlands]

THANK YOU for posting this inspiration Montegowagon!!!
I was able to do it this afternoon and came away pretty successfully (it's holding for now!). The passenger side piece isn't quite as well bent, and more of a rounded bend was the best I could get. But it's done!

Here are some pictures and comments I can add to the conversation. A pretty easy job minus the bending part. I really just don't have the tools to do it well. Driver side came out okay, but passenger side didn't and gave me problems. I finally bent it enough to hold, but I'm concerned it will slip over time. Time will tell...
And the comment to pull out the cover while you're drilling the rivet pilot holes is real! I was in a hurry and ignored that advice on one side. It damaged the cover just a smidge where the bit pushed through.
Definitely a good DIY job that saves about $500 based on what these covers are going for on eBay!!!

Conduit box cover piece:



Here are the cuts to get rid of the broken pieces (shown on passenger side).



Cleaned up with the side cut Dremel tool



Replacement pieces (pretty close to 1"/25mm on the short side for perspective):



Mock up:



This is the better bend's profiles (still had to tweak it with pliers a little):




Loose fit before commitment time:



Installed!



And holding!



overdose Can you post a picture of how you used those screws to hold the piece? I'm thinking having a little extra reinforcement would be a good thing, and would like to see what you did there!

[oVeRdOsE.]

I simply put 2 drywall screw there. Doesnt move , solid for the past 5 years.



once the cover is close all hidden

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by oVeRdOsE.

I simply put 2 drywall screw there. Doesnt move , solid for the past 5 years.

once the cover is close all hidden

Thanks for taking the time to get those photos! I figured that's that you meant, but wanted to confirm before drilling random holes in the car!
I'll drop a few screws like that just to reinforce it as I don't fully trust my work.
Thanks!

[oVeRdOsE.]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

Thanks for taking the time to get those photos! I figured that's that you meant, but wanted to confirm before drilling random holes in the car!
I'll drop a few screws like that just to reinforce it as I don't fully trust my work.
Thanks!

Ive drilled the sub amp in the trunk too, and I removed it, and when I wanted to put it back, I could see the holes. The carpet is thick enough to hide holes, so I wouldn't worry about making too many holes.