PDA

View Full Version : Front spoiler


2ndBimmer
02-28-2003, 09:28 AM
I have the standard front spoiler standard on the Ti, the roundish one with all the slats all across, pretty common on e36's.

Well, tonight in part 2 of our great snowstorms, I was one block from home (after a 100 mile drive) and slid into a snowbank :x . The ice dented my spoiler on the drivers side in and pushed the foglight in and back (though its not broken [the fog lights I just had installed in October and it was a mess for my mechanic cause BavAuto sent a wiring set not appropriate for my car]). So it looks like some Joe Refrigerator from the NFL came up and kicked in that 14 inch section of my car :evil: .

Im going to Mexico tomorrow and told my dad to take it to local mechanic to fix up what he can while Im gone. I can live with some cracks and replace the thing later, but I dont know how repairable it is. (I dont want to drive around with a dent the size of my head in the front of my car for any longer than I have to)

Do any of you know easy or otherwise it is to knock this plastic back into place? Should I be looking for a new spoiler now? If so, does this one (M3 style :) ) look to be any good? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2405352109&category=33638
Also BavAuto has a Zender (part Z1 360) for only $250.
:?

thanks.

ayton
02-28-2003, 02:29 PM
m3 parts are always nice...I did mine and paid the ebay buy it now price retail from a local dealer.I cant say whether yours can be repaired of not without seeing a picture.but chances are its toast from what you describe.

2ndBimmer
02-28-2003, 08:53 PM
http://www.geocities.com/amd1200_266/index.html

:cry:

ayton
03-01-2003, 12:09 AM
I nthink its safe to say you need a new one unless you can heat and form it back to original.

J!m
03-01-2003, 12:32 AM
I was just bumming around on eBay, and I saw three different auctions for new and used front bumper covers off of M3's, if you still need one...

Also, you should be able to repair minor cracks with Marine Epoxy. West System or similar. If they are large cracks, they will re-crack due to the ABS the bumper cover is made of being more flexible than the Marine Epoxy. Small cracks will not be a problem. Sand prime and paint (with flex additive) when you finish.

Maybe someone knows of a more flexible adhesive that is as strong??

2ndBimmer
03-01-2003, 05:44 AM
Well, local mechanic said he doesnt do body work. Best bet right now it seems is the Zender part. Its pretty cheap, pretty good looking, and less likely to run into complications that ordering over eBay (some of those look pretty beat up and dont come with any mounting hardware and such).

Ill have to decide all this when I return next week.

J!m
03-03-2003, 06:37 PM
I've had pretty good luck with eBay and it's users. My bad experience was one 'dead-beat' who did not pay me, and dissappeared from eBay all together. Since I was not paid, I just re-listed and sold to someone else.

Are all your mounting brackets damaged as well? I thought it was just the cover. If all you need are one or two brackets to replace the damaged ones, that should not be too bad.

96cali
03-04-2003, 12:09 AM
That bumper has been for sale forever on ebay- same pic, same seller. 6-9 months at least. Either he has a bunch of them or no one pays his price. I also frequent ebay (some would say live there part time :lol: ). Just check their seller feedback.

2ndBimmer
04-15-2003, 12:07 AM
Well i finally got the spoiler. Its been a while and a pain, but its in the shop being painted right now :D

tipsyaj
04-15-2003, 10:23 PM
So how much for the replacement ? A piece of wood flying down the highway in Detroit dented my spoiler a couple of months ago and I was thinking about shelling out a couple of extra bucks cuz insurance is paying for its repair to get a new spoiler.

After seeing that spoiler on ebay for a while, I thought I'd ask the guy if he had any proof that it was OEM, I mean, anyone can say it, can they prove it ? Is there anything I should be looking for to verify it's manufacturer ? I went in for an oil change a while back and asked the BMW mechanic what he thought about switching the spoiler, he thought that it would be better to stick with the original parts, it's never a good idea to switch the spoiler ... I was a littler surprised he said that, you'd think with an m-technic spoiler it would bring the value of the car up a little cuz it's aesthetically nicer, and it's an OEM part, not a cheap, fiberglass replica ...

2ndBimmer
04-16-2003, 06:42 AM
The bumper is running me $500 inc shipping. I wouldnt recommend dealing with that guy on eBay, hes a bit of a pain. But i got the bumper and its got BMW markings on it so its OEM. Painting is gonna be more (well duh), and i dont know what installation is gonna be, but this whole thing aint cheap!

2ndBimmer
04-16-2003, 09:24 PM
http://www.geocities.com/amd1200_266/painted

Theres the painted beauty, has held by my not-normally-looking-so-confused roommate. To be installed next thursday. The guy told me that my foglight bracket will have to be replaced too. BavAuto online doesnt list just foglight mounting brackets, they sell them in sets with replacement foglights ($60).
Anyone know where just a bracket can be purchased?

tipsyaj
04-25-2003, 02:17 AM
so how much did the painting of the bumper cost ? I'm trying to make some rough estimates for whether this is a possibility. So the guy on Ebay is a pain ? Did you end up getting it from him ? I mean, if it is an OEM bumper, I'd be willing to deal with the guy, whether he's a pain or not, I haven't found anything that cheap that isn't used. I guess the only probem I'm gonna have now is estimating how much foglights will cost. I hear that the installation is very difficult, and I don't know if I could afford the labor to have someone else do it.

J!m
04-25-2003, 05:23 PM
I have seen a TON of fog lights on eBay too. You will need to get the mounting brackets from the dealer as well as the screws to attach them to the bumper cover.

The mounts just screw into the cover from the back side, then the lights basically 'snap' into the mounts (from the front). They will need to be aimed as well, but that is done after the cover is on the car.

The fog light mounts are not needed before paint.

Also, there are quite a few brackets etc. on the car to hold the big bumper cover. Another trip to the dealer would be needed for those too...

2ndBimmer
04-26-2003, 03:05 AM
Its all done now. I replaced the bracket for $35. Painting was $166 and install was $84. Looks very good.

As to that guy, lots o' trouble. Took him 3 weeks to clear a personal check (i aint sending a cashiers check!), we agreed on an extra $60 to throw in a grill for the thing; he told me i hadnt paid the $60, then after i told him i had proof i that i did he agreed that, oh yeah, i was just confused with another customer, he said he'd send it, but now he claims hes out of stock of it. Ive already requested a refund of the difference if he doesnt get it in by end of April.

The Bumper itself is OEM and a perfect fit.