Diving boards painted trim black...

[ForcedFirebird]

If all our cars looked the same, what would we have to bash about? haha

Although the US metal bumpers look bad on some cars, I get compliments all the time about mine. Long bumpers NEED a rear valence and 86-87 front is my $.02, otherwise they look even longer than they are haha.

[jw 325ic]

this argument could go on forever, it's a matter of personal opinion i suppose. i believe the stock look looks good if it's all brand new, but on certain colors i think the body color looks better. to each his own.

[nickflic3]

^^I doubt BMW would have changed to plastics if the DB's looked so good; look at e32's. They still had chrome on the bumpers almost like euro bumpers but that's only because they actually looked good.

PS: Friends don't let friends drive stock cars.

:nice:

Definitely put in work making this a true statement haha

[StereoInstaller1]

i mean dude, afterthought on bmws part but for a modder/owner you gotta admit, this is better than just all black. and a relic of it's time?

First, you misunderstood the "relic" thing. Most every manufacturer had to do some hackery to fit "5MPH" bumpers to their existing designs and the hideous DBs were the E30s result. IMO, E28's got it worse, but so did Mustangs and Camaros. That is what I was referring to, not the E30 being a relic.

Second, no, I don't have to admit that. In fact, I find it just terrible and think your shrouds would look better in a nice Satin black, just the way they were new.

Back when these cars were new I worked at a shop that did the "body color shrouds" on E30s before they ever got on the lot, fresh off the trucks. Everyone hated it, we all thought they looked like warts. The sales dorks at Rassmussen BMW loved them, they got another $800 in profit, but they thought they were ugly too.

BUUUT, as I said before, it is YOUR car, do as YOU like!

Luke

PS: Friends don't let friends drive stock cars.

[nickflic3]

I like black but then again I'm kind of going for a smoked look... Need to tuck mine as well. Got new surrounds but they are from an '88 so will need some modding.

If they came body color I wouldn't mind but I think black looks just fine.

[klavender1]

JW, I do like the tucked polished bumpers. But, I don't have the time or inclanation to do it myself. Or the money to pay someone else. I have a house that I need to put more time and money into than this car. I like the idea of painting the DB's body color and leaving the surrounds black. And tucking them. Just every time I look at the car, I think "damn those things stick out a lot". Haha. My surrounds are corroded as well (I know it's plastic, but you know what I'm talking about). Need to sand them down and hit it with some SEM. My car is burgurndrot. So a dark car I think would look good that way. Plus I've already painted my trim with SEM. Gonna leave the grill chrome though. That's the great things about modding cars. No two have to be the same. :)

[ForcedFirebird]

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showpost.php?p=2568683&postcount=12

I like the way they are turning out, can't wait to see them installed with fresh spray!

[jw 325ic]

Well, I 100% disagree with you. I think the metal bumpers look like a relic of a time when taste was rare. Body color shrouds look horrible too, as then are an obvious afterthought, they really don't fit the body lines at all.

On the other hand, plastics are way too common, but at least they look correct on the car.

My big thing is do as YOU like, screw anyone else's opinions.

i mean dude, afterthought on bmws part but for a modder/owner you gotta admit, this is better than just all black. and a relic of it's time? these car's are where the e21's were not too long ago. they're becoming classics, keep em original and get better value from them and more respect for a clean car... i mean come on, TASTEFULLY using what you have... is a can of black spray paint better than what BMW decided was better looking 88+? you can buy a can of color matched paint for $15... I think body color surrounds are much nicer than black paint all over the bumpers. a black blob vs color matched surrounds/"chrome"??? i mean you have a black car, so it's different for you. but for anyone else who has a colored car or even white/gray/silver, the big black bumpers stick out, especially if it's nothing but blackness. if the surrounds are color matched, they blend in with the body, and the chrome bumpers accent the window trim and grills. it's all aesthetics. the bumpers on my vert are white surrounds (factory) and white db's (diy) and i get a lot of compliments for the cleanliness of it. but when i see people with all black, all i see are comments saying "get plastics", "paint it body color", "get euros". just trying to help the guy out, i mean it's all up to him, but eventually he'll roll over and see the light as to what LOOKS GOOD on these cars, and that's body color surrounds/chrome, body color surrounds/ body color bumpers if the DB's are kept. i've been in this game for a decade, i know the routine. just trying to make my point to keep an e30 from looking like a chevy/toyota.

[jw 325ic]

i think it looks good...painting it all black just looks like "i couldnt think of anything else to do or afford to do it right so i just bought a can of black paint and spray bombed my bumpers" to me. sorry...just my opinion. ORIGINAL POSTER, pop your hood and look on the drivers side strut tower, your paint code is right there. go to towerpaint.com or paintscratch.com and order some color matched paint. good luck! and make sure you rough up the aluminum pieces and prime it with self etching primer. it'll last a LOT longer than regular primer on aluminum.

[ForcedFirebird]

HAHA, yeah my car smokes most m20's with my 2.93 vs their 3.73, even kept up with an e30 m30 swap car (couldn't pull me from a roll, he got the jump though).

People think that because they are going from the eta's 9:1 down to the 2.7i's 8.43:1 is a huge loss, but they forget that the stock i is still a lame 8.8:1 - three measly tenths less compression yet gain .2l in displacement. Seems like a no brainier to me. I know for a fact the 2.7i is a strong engine, and mine is the only one locally that has a higher tq than hp rating. The only N/A m20 locally I know of making more has a 272 Schrick and a custom chip we made for him - since the large name brand chip was causing him a 400rpm idle. He hasn't been back on the dyno, but he says he feels no difference between our file and the $$$ one, but the car idles perfect with just enough lope.

Liked your page, can you point me to some pics of your work?

[StereoInstaller1]

I like the way you think, Luke :)

Just like I get flack for my 885 top end swap lol

Well, thanks. You mean people actually give a fuck about a B27 bottom with a B25 top?

WTF, because you lose a couple points of static compression? Apparently that would be people who have no fucking clue about things like cylinder filling, cam timing, overlap, or any of the finer points of actual "volume of air in the damn cylinder" thinking, since not one of the boneheads in here has any actual DATA (SSWAGs do NOT count) about actual cylinder filling...ZERO.

Static compression has NOTHING to do with cylinder filling, NOTHING.

However, I know of 2 iETAs that will romp a healthy 2.5 any day, 3rd gear burnouts and all.

Aside from that, yeah, body colored shrouds were done at my old shop back when these cars were new. Imagine how hideous those fucking ugly ass shrouds are in BahamaBeige or Bronzit, on brand new cars. We did so an Islandgrun 'vert once that didn't totally look like ass, but it rolled out on DPs that were body colored too, that shit made me wanna hurl.

Luke

[ForcedFirebird]

Well, I 100% disagree with you. I think the metal bumpers look like a relic of a time when taste was rare. Body color shrouds look horrible too, as then are an obvious afterthought, they really don't fit the body lines at all.

On the other hand, plastics are way too common, but at least they look correct on the car.

My big thing is do as YOU like, screw anyone else's opinions.

I like the way you think, Luke :)

Just like I get flack for my 885 top end swap lol

[CHIF8008]

^^^ truth

[StereoInstaller1]

id hold off and get some body color paint and paint the black plastic surrounds and the bumper body color, leaving the rubber strip black. looks really good. otherwise repaint the surrounds black and polish the metal bumpers. the all black bumpers just look cheap...

Well, I 100% disagree with you. I think the metal bumpers look like a relic of a time when taste was rare. Body color shrouds look horrible too, as then are an obvious afterthought, they really don't fit the body lines at all.

On the other hand, plastics are way too common, but at least they look correct on the car.

My big thing is do as YOU like, screw anyone else's opinions.

[jw 325ic]

id hold off and get some body color paint and paint the black plastic surrounds and the bumper body color, leaving the rubber strip black. looks really good. otherwise repaint the surrounds black and polish the metal bumpers. the all black bumpers just look cheap...