Project Facelift

[MR 325]

Much better.

[Jean]

Great job! ...since you cut the rear section of another car why didn't the rear valance fit w/out more cutting and welding ..I'll have to look at your previous posts and pictures again to understand it. I can probably live with a rear diving bumper if I could get a rear valance on there somehow

[Jand3rson]

i want anearly with plastics. :( trade me josh?

As much as I love your car man, not a chance in hell. :up: Besides, what do you want my car for? It's just an eta.

So anyway, remember how pretty much this whole time, we've been mulling over ways to take care of the issue with 2 visible wheel well edges once the rear apron is grafted onto the car? Making an end cap, finding a way to hide them, etc? Well, after talking with Trent and kicking myself for not thinking of this before...

...we just cut the inner wheel well edge off. :D







Problem solved. You can see in the first pic in the shadow, we did have to cut into the body slightly, but it's just into the jack storage area in the trunk. The area where we cut off is 2 pieces of sheet metal that spread apart in the area where the existing apron is, so there was really no way to get around it. It's been patched, and it will be covered by the trunk liner, so it's of no conern. Also, that driver's side wheel well in the first pic needs a little bit of adjustment, but other than that, it's finally time to weld this motherfucker.

[f u z z]

i want anearly with plastics. :( trade me josh?

[StereoInstaller1]

Luke, we were measuring off the body, not the ground. We used the top lip (above the drains and below the license plate) as a common plane and measured down to the lip in the valence.

In other words,



From there to there. So the car being level has no affect on it's fitment.

oh duh.

Good job guys...keep on rockin!

Luke

[Sean]

bah! zip ties work great.. if you bolt it on and hit something, you're still going to break it off, only now you're going to really tear it up and possibly bend your valance. I had zip ties holding mine on for 2 years, I bottomed the lip out many times and nailed lots of cones and it never came off.

also, a splitter isn't going to do shit to protect your lip. it will actually make it more likely that you hit it when you go into driveways/ramps because it will stick out further than without one.

also, greg's lip really wasn't that bad. I know dan destroyed his after 2 days, but I had mine for 2 years without trouble, until I got a little carried away pulling into a field and ended up running it over.. and while it cracked, it never completely broke.

Regarding Greg's lip - I broke mine about 5 days ago. Took a left turn off of a main road, and went head first into a dip I didn't think was as big as it was. Slammed down RIGHT on top of the lip. Snapped the front left corner off, and cracked it in numerous places.

It handled everything else great though, and looked badass in the snow! :D

I'm gonna get ahold of some fiberglass, and fix it before I drive back to school. lol

It's pretty damn brittle in the cold, and thats why is cracked so bad. Zip ties held it great, but rips out the holes on the lip in numerous places. lol

[Il Duce]

lookin' better already!

[Jean]

I can't find fog light covers for the valance on realoem, anybody got a link or pn ?

[nefarious7907]

That doesnt look like half of the PITA that originally thought it was going to be, but still not a exactly easy. FYI I am going to do the rear of my car sooner or later.

[AndrewBird]

Luke, we were measuring off the body, not the ground. We used the top lip (above the drains and below the license plate) as a common plane and measured down to the lip in the valence.

In other words,



From there to there. So the car being level has no affect on it's fitment.

[Jand3rson]

I just realized, I'm going to have like 5 different VIN numbers on this car... :D

Josh, may I recommend something?

Put your car on jackstands, then re-measure. It is unlikely that your car is unlevel...but if it is as easy as using jackstands under the frame, why not?

I'll give that a try when we pull it off to make the adjustments needed. Thanks, Luke.

Frank - I'm doing the job with my brother in law, Andrew. And yes, we are being very careful around the paint! But what's covered by the bumpers won't matter, anyway. :D

Jean - I'm glad I could give you inspiration to start this project on your own car. Remember, everytime an E30 loses it's diving boards, and angel gets its wings!

[Mike325]

You are a GOD:bow:

[Garageaholic]

Josh, looking great! Are you doing this by yoself? I'm very impressed. Can't wait to see this shit when it's done! Don't scratch your paint!!

[StereoInstaller1]

Josh, may I recommend something?

Put your car on jackstands, then re-measure. It is unlikely that your car is unlevel...but if it is as easy as using jackstands under the frame, why not?

If you can't tell, this would be experience talking...bad experience.

Luke

[Jean]

Nice, your work is inspiration to ugprade my car to plastics .

Got the valance and bumper shocks today, I should have grabbed the bumper carrier but didn't have any room in my car...