Front End Repair

[duckyrocket]

So, after a little mishap, I managed to wedge myself under the back of an suv. Funny thing is that my bumper was untouched, not a spot of damage.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said for everything above it. I managed to bust the grilles, the kidneys, one high beam light, the piece right above the bumper, the hood, and the rad support was pushed back. Otherwise, nothing else was damaged.
I spoke with the bodyshop manager and he said that the body piece right above the bumper is a big piece that goes below the bumper as well, and that it needed to be welded on. I thought it could be bolted on. My plan was to put in a new rad support and then upgrade to the newer bumper (I have a 1990 325i convertible with diving boards). Is that do-able through bolting on, or do I have to weld it? I'm looking for advice on how to go about fixing this, as I'll probably pay for it out of pocket to prevent my insurance from going up. Thanks!

[Dave]

get in touch with a member here that goes by clavinzero. He had the same kind of wreck, IIRC. Went under an SUV, had to replace the rad. support, etc.

[clavinZERO]

PM in progress.

[erik325i]

I spoke with the bodyshop manager and he said that the body piece right above the bumper is a big piece that goes below the bumper as well, and that it needed to be welded on. I thought it could be bolted on.

My plan was to put in a new rad support and then upgrade to the newer bumper (I have a 1990 325i convertible with diving boards).

Yes, that piece above the bumper is attached to the lower valence. They are usually just replaced as one unit though, so you don't have to bother welding anything. Since you plan on upgrading to plastic bumpers now, you are going to want a newer style front valence anyways, so you shouldn't have to worry about welding anything on your valence. Just buy a late model front valence and bolt it on.

-Erik