Installing M3 Bumper

[93 325i]

[attachmentid=13185]Has anyone installed this bumper before?.. Hard to do?..

[El Presidente]

Its a fiberglass rep.

Most break easy and have to be modified (holes drilled at X location) to get it to fit and to fit the underpanels

[RedlinedRU]

Don't do it man, I got one sitting at my house that i have had numerous troubles trying to install it. I got lied to by Bekkers and now i have lost hundreds of $'s painting it and then it doesn't fit at all. they won't take it back either. bastards

[93 325i]

thanx for the warning. It looks sick tho..But an OEM M3 should bolt right up then right?

[El Presidente]

No, the e46 has a totally different body. There is not an e46 M3 bumper that will fit that is worth a dime.

[RedlinedRU]

yeah thats what i have to resort to also. i had to put my stock bumper back on, but man those e46 style one look soo hot on my car but it just won't mount. whatever you decide to do make sure that the new bumper has the 4 holes for the bolts located under the trim pieces. the one in your pic was like the one i ordered. STAY AWAY from the fiberglass. no bolt holes at all!!!!!

[93 325i]

Originally posted by El Presidente@Sep 29 2004, 12:23 PM
No, the e46 has a totally different body. There is not an e46 M3 bumper that will fit that is worth a dime.

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I meant the E36 M3 bumper would bolt right up..<---did a search and found it will

But redline- you couldnt just just measure up where you needed to drill holes and go to town? In the pic it looks like there is no trim on the front..Is there trim on the E46 for the E36 bumper??

[bigred318]

wait so the e46 look a like b umper for the e36 wont fit? or what? or are you trying to take a front bumper off of a e46 and put it straight on? or are they the exact same things.... anways the m3 front bumper looks tight with a nice lip on that!
David

[El Presidente]

Yes, e36 m3 fits fine.

The e46 m3 wont fit, unless one buys a replica. The problem is, they are all fiberglass, which is notorious for breaking. Also, they don't come with any mounting holes. The e36 holes are behind the impact strips. Since the e46 fiberglass mold doesn't make these removable, the only way to access the factory holes is to drille the fiberglass...which then leaves an exposed bolt. Not pretty. How they mount the reps is a mystery to me, but it can't possibly be as secure as the the factory.

[bigred318]

Originally posted by El Presidente@Sep 29 2004, 12:55 PM
Yes, e36 m3 fits fine.

The e46 m3 wont fit, unless one buys a replica. The problem is, they are all fiberglass, which is notorious for breaking. Also, they don't come with any mounting holes. The e36 holes are behind the impact strips. Since the e46 fiberglass mold doesn't make these removable, the only way to access the factory holes is to drille the fiberglass...which then leaves an exposed bolt. Not pretty. How they mount the reps is a mystery to me, but it can't possibly be as secure as the the factory.

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yeah it seems i oculd just go find an e36 with a e46 bumper on it and unscrew it and walaa i got me a new bumper haha

David

[93 325i]

well the exposed bolts could be bondo'd over. Plus i think u have to use 3M tape.. arent most after market bumpers fiberglass??

Hey Redlined, i'll give u 50 bucs for that bumper

[El Presidente]

Well...bondo works, until you have to remove the bumper. Then you have to have the bumper repainted becuase you messed up the bondo.

Good aftermarket bumpers are urethane or abs plastic.

[93 325i]

Yea, I think im going to stick with the E36 M3 style then. Wanted something different but not ghetto but also sturdy..thanx for the input

[bigred318]

yeah if you buy that fiberglass and one rock hits it say goodbye to your front buper! and hello to having to buy a whole new one !! (which you syhould spend more on that time and actaully get abs plastic!

David

[mmzcee]

i've seen the crappy fiberglass body kits on hondas, which are all cracked, chunks missing and paint coming off...you don't want do that to a BMW do you?