This is a PM from a recent member about what I've done to my E36 over the year since I've bought it and what you guys can all do...with not that much money and using ebay to ur advantage....
Quote:
| Hi, I saw your recent post about your mods along with the pictures of when you purchased the car. I have a 325is, with the grey skirts and bumpers. I was wondering how you went about changing them (paint match, buff off the protective coat, etc...), where you got the crome grill, head lights(info about them, sry if you have it posted out somewhere), and where you got your wheels. Like I said, I love what you have done, it really makes a difference. Thanks |
Hi,
First off I'm a big advocate for Ebay.
I got most of my OEM and aftermarket stuff from there. I'll go thru the list:
1. RIMS: from Ebay they were new OEM BMW Alloy 16 inch Style 42 (aka Rondell Y spokes) with new Mich Pilot MXM Summer performance tires off a 2003 Z3 car when I got them last august on ebay in a lucky bid for $439 for the complete set...off course S&H was $120 but it was still a steal.
2. INTERIOR: Most of stuff either OEM used or new Aftermarket: I upgraded my door panels with new ones from a 97 M3 sedan for $160 off ebay. I got an AC Shitzner Burlwood Auto shifter for $40, TOM TOM GO Navigation for $450, New BMW 3 series Carpets for $30...You just gotta search ebay and have alot of patience and know that they are scams and such, but that is the risk you r taking. I once got jipped off some "chrome guage rings" I paid 36 for that didn't fit onto my E36.
3.EXTERIOR: The chrome grills were from Ebay as well...I shopped around until I found a buyer who had sold these before and had good feedback...so I bought them for $40...(they are called "E46 style Chrome grill" for BMW E36 cars)
4. LIGHTS: I got these ZKWs Euro Ellipsiods with Xenon 6k HIDs from
www.umnitza.com. They were around $685. But worth it! NOTE: Do not buy E36 head light upgrades from EBAY unless you are sure of what you are buying...alot of members have been jipped big time thinking they were getting high quality "glass" lights and only got cheap plastic imitations.
5. PAINT: The sideskirts were tricky. Some E36 cars after 1995 may have or may not have paint underneath the grey. Most E36 cars prior to 1995 should have some paint under the grey-unless the previous owners did something.
used
If your car is pre-95 go to AutoZone buy a bottle of degreaser a toothbrush, rag, sponge and thick ass rubber gloves and wet your skirts with water and starts spraying the degreaser on there and get to rubbing for about 2-3 hrs per skirt. If you start to see that there is no paint under the grey stop immediately...what that means is your car may have had the sideskirs re-done by a previous owner...so they original paint may have been stripped and re-done in pure grey. Another way is sanding down the sides to smooth it out and buying a $62 OEM BMW paintkit in your car's color from
www.paintscratch.com and then just painting over the sides. It will probably be less time consuming and will look more better than the degreasing technique. Also you can degrease off the grey and paint over the piant or metal underneath...However whatever you do...YOU MUST BUY CLEARCOAT PAINT AND PAINT A LAYER OR TWO OF THIS STUFF OVER THE SKIRTS TO FINALIZE THE JOB AND MAKE SURE THE NEW PAINT OR PAINT UNDERNEATH DOESNT FLAKE OFF OR CHIP AWAY. :P
As for my car..I was lucky to be in an accident that wasn't my fault. It was a mild fender bender-a woman in a Land Rover hit me on my drivers side-so her insurance is paying for a new paint job to my car...including the once-greyside skirts which will now be matched for free.
However, on that note, most shops charge like
$200 to
n $300 to do the skirts professionally. DO NOT pay more than
$300!
Good Luck, and
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Delmarco
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