Late model or Early Model E30?

[Staszek]

Well technically it's an 89, but it was just produced at the end of 88. The PO said he didn't drive it much so I doubt he was the one who swapped them. The main point of this was to find out if it's a late model or early model so I can figure out how easy it was to swap plastic bumpers onto it and from what I've seen everyone say it should just be a direct bolt on which is what I was hoping for.

Why dont you take one off and compare what it looks like to the late model ones to make sure.

[rturbo 930]

I would think a Dec/1988 build date would be an '89 model year, which would make me think that someone took the plastic bumpers off and put on diving boards. Why... I have no idea. It's a late model either way, though.

[Das Delfin]

^ it's October of 1988 because of the european date format. But I'm not sure in which month they start production on the next model year. The first late models were produced in Sept of '87 but for example there were many different changes for convertibles happening pretty much whenever bmw felt like it. So OP's car may have been a 1988 but produced at the very tail end of the run.

Either way because a 1988 has all the other stuff a late model has, including lower rear wheel arches, from my understanding a bumper swap should pretty much bolt on both front and rear. You shouldn't even have to cut off the front tow hooks like you would on an early model car.

[stonea]

Always check the tail lights and rear fender arches. Thats always a sure way to tell if its an early or late model.