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View Full Version : Side View Mirror (horror story)


schussey
03-30-2005, 01:15 AM
This past week was my spring break, so last Thursday, I woke up early and drove to Charlotte. A 400 and some mile drive from Birmingham.

Despite getting paced/pulled over by a cop at 115 somewhere in Atlanta, I thought the trip could get nothing but better.

Somewhere close to the BMW Factory (Spartenburg), an 18 wheeler spit up a piece of road debris, which smashed into my driver side, side view mirror. Totally destroying it. It was terrible.

So my questions come in: How much will this be to replace? Is it hard to do? Will I have to match paint?

Thanks in advance...

-chris

aceyx
03-30-2005, 02:21 AM
consider yourself lucky it hit *just* the mirror. could have impacted the a-pillar (which alone can total a car) or given you a reason to replace your window glass.

i would search ebay and local salvage yards. somebody posted a link somewhere to a bmw-specific yard, so i'd try and find one already painted.

replacement is fairly easy; open a trim panel, swap a connector, do some screws, et voila.


that sucks man, but i know the feeling. i've hit two gators (truck tire treads) on the road, knocking out fog lights, plastics, and taking the alignment off.

it's scarier on a bike !

bluebastion
03-30-2005, 04:44 AM
I've had a metal pipe (from a bent up and run over lawn chair) fly up and just miss the front end of my roof, instead hitting the very top of my windshield... which of course, after, needed replacing. You are lucky man... could have been much worse. Pelicanparts.com should have what you are looking for, for cheap... also... the only thing you'll need painted is the plastic backing... if you buy it new. And that shouldn't cost too much to do at any body shop.

maurolin
03-30-2005, 04:48 AM
I have the stock mirrors in Cosmos Black. If you want them I CAN MAIL THEM TO YOU AND YOU CAN PAY ME WHEN YOU RECEIVE THEM. Say.. $60? both...

cali-ti
03-30-2005, 05:36 AM
try having two deer shoot out into the road in front of you. first one crossed ... second one decided to turn around. i caught the a$$-end of the second with my driver's side mirror ... sheared it off and put some other dents in the side (which i believe led to the failure of the driver's side window regulator, came off track). had hair lodged into the side trim for weeks. been driving sans driver's side mirror for ... over a year and a half now :no:

was going to try to work getting sport mirrors into the insurance work that goes into fixing it up. anyone know of a good source to get sport mirrors other than bav auto? maybe some used 4-door m3 mirrors?

aceyx
03-30-2005, 06:14 AM
cal; that sucks.

if you talk to your body shop, you can probably have them apply the cost of stock mirrors toward sports. i don't know though, is this insurance fraud?

cali-ti
03-30-2005, 06:27 AM
well, i would just like to apply my deductible (for that mirror or whatever) on getting the sport mirrors instead of the stock mirror. you are certainly correct, i need to work with the shop and my insurance company. no sense putting a stock mirror back on when i want to switch to sports. i may have the shop look at the evil rust that i noticed on my rear hatch too. i swear that **** is coming through from the inside, meaning the inside/hollow part of the hatch (God i hate rust!!!).

schussey
03-30-2005, 04:42 PM
yea I am glad it did not hit my windsheild......and I just noticed that it popped out my passenger side fog delete.....oh well.

pelicanparts here i come...

-chris

maurolin
03-30-2005, 05:13 PM
guys... a deductible is what.... $500??? ebay has right now an ORIGINAL set of AC Schnitzers for 4 door E36, OR visit EZbodyparts.com and but theirs at $160 for the pair I belive!. save some $ if you want the sports.

schussey
03-30-2005, 11:56 PM
i'm not even going to claim this to insurance, not even worth it

-chris

cali-ti
03-31-2005, 01:17 AM
maurolin, i agree ... but mine is more than just a single mirror. dents will either need to be pulled or God knows what. possible paint matching, blah blah blah. it'll rack up quickly, i have no doubt. i hardly ever make a claim, what am i paying all this damn insurance for anyway? i'll check out the schnitzers ... thanks for the tip! :)