Bumper/valance assembly

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rhanley 635csi89
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Bumper/valance assembly

Post by rhanley 635csi89 »

We getting close to finishing the reassembly of my 89 635CsiA after the respray. I'm not completely
satisfied with the outcome of the front/rear bumpers. Final sanding with 1500 grit and then polished, just doesn't do it.

I would appreciate feedback on the following:
The bumper and valances are assembled, they are NOT installed on the car and No rubbers have been installed on the bumpers. BTW the shop lost the rubbers for the front bumper, I've ordered new ones from BMW.
The shop quoted 4 hours of labor to separate and reassemble the bumpers/valances. This seems high to me as there are about 7 fasteners which hold the valances to the bumpers and there off the car.

Is 4 hrs labor reasonable?
Quoted $525 each to chrome front and rear bumpers $1050 total. Reasonable?
As an option, find a metal polishing company to polish and have a clear ceramic finish to the bumpers. Does anyone know of a company in the Raleigh NC area?
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I look forward to your feedback.
Roger
89 635CSiA (11/88 build)
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bpoliakoff
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Re: Bumper/valance assembly

Post by bpoliakoff »

I was quoted $350 just to chrome the center section of my Euro front bumper. It was dealer available at the same price so I went new.. So check there first The chromer I use does beautiful work but as long as the cost was the same I went new A new US front bumper is just under $600 Check realoem So the chrome cost is probably inline and probably depends on the time factor to do it Just depends on which way you go Check realoem. 4 hours to put the front bumper together seems a bit much. But depending on how much fitting they have to do if everything doesn't line up right maybe 4 hours leaves them some wiggle room
81 Euro 635 M90 with motronic. Currently under a complete nut and bolt restoration. Pictures at
flickr.com/photos/bertsphotos.
rhanley 635csi89
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Re: Bumper/valance assembly

Post by rhanley 635csi89 »

Hi Bert,
Thank you for your response.
Since I had the bumpers didn't consider new, must be a Senior moment creping in. A price check for new reveals $399 and $404 for front & rear bumpers plus $291 for freight. Worth considering.

4 hours labor is total amount for front & back bumper/valance separations, not just the front.

Has anyone every purchase from this Ebayer in Latvia? Some prices are very competitive.
https://www.ebay.com/str/oeparts245 I
I've notice several adds indicating parts coming from Latvia.

Roger
89 635CSiA (11/88 build)
AlpineWeiss II (218)/Natur(0200)
87 L6 635CSI Sold
87 MB 560SL Sold
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Re: Bumper/valance assembly

Post by plip1953 »

I went down the polishing route with the bumpers on my '88 Highline. But first it was necessary to grind off the hard anodised coating, although that went pretty well and didn't leave behind any ripples or other signs of what had been done - which I had initially been concerned about. But of course what this did was to expose raw aluminium and it was then a question of whether to add back some kind of finish. In the end I left it "raw" and just made sure I cleaned and re-waxed it on a regular basis. At first glance the new finish was pretty similar to OE, and the car and I subsequently did a number of concours events with it in that form and I'm pretty sure the judges didn't spot the difference. But as a long term solution I was never completely comfortable, so ended up buying new - and was quite pleasantly surprised that they didn't cost a fortune.

I'd happily pay 4 hours reassembly/installation as long as the outcome was 100%. There's nothing difficult about it, but nonetheless there's plenty of scope to get things not quite lined up in all respects.
Phil
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Re: Bumper/valance assembly

Post by 86_6series »

I did a World swap and painted them black.
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Re: Bumper/valance assembly

Post by Jlc »

The black with world bumbers looks great. If I ever find a set that's one mod I wouod do in a heartbeat.
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Re: Bumper/valance assembly

Post by 635sharknose »

This is a photo of Phil's polished bumper, looks very well if you ask me.

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Re: Bumper/valance assembly

Post by plip1953 »

635sharknose wrote: Tue Jan 19, 2021 4:25 pm This is a photo of Phil's polished bumper, looks very well if you ask me.
They do look rather good! I'm so glad you could put them to good use :-)
Phil
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Re: Bumper/valance assembly

Post by 635sharknose »

plip1953 wrote: Wed Jan 20, 2021 8:32 am They do look rather good! I'm so glad you could put them to good use :-)
Thanks again Phil, they are great!
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rhanley 635csi89
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Re: Bumper/valance assembly

Post by rhanley 635csi89 »

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. Looking at Phil's reconditioning success and giving the issue a great amount of thought, I plan on going with polished bumpers with a clear ceramic coating.  The company that's refurbishing my wheels has agreed to do the work, I'm just waiting for the price.  I'll post photos when work is complete.

Please take a look at my post regarding wheel finishes and pin stripes. It will be posted shortly.
Roger 
89 635CSiA (11/88 build)
AlpineWeiss II (218)/Natur(0200)
87 L6 635CSI Sold
87 MB 560SL Sold
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