E30 Zone

So I order a scuttle replacement from BMW, so they send one with the stamp in the totally wrong location, after words with the parts department I get sent a new scuttle with the Chassis number in the correct place, but the quality is shocking!! If I were to view a car with a chassis number like this I would tread carefully as it would scream fake to me.

Has anyone else experienced this, is there a way around this, can anyone else do the chassis number stamping and do a decent job???

Cut out the section with the chassis number from your original scuttle and have that grafted into the new scuttle.

No other way round it to get it looking factory.

I've experienced this, and warned about it on here in a few threads. Unless you make it quite clear, in writing, to the supplying dealer that you require the stamping to be of factory quality, there's no grounds for complaint as long as the stamping meets legal requirements.
The only alternative is to do as Barry says before fitting the new panel, and to make an extremely good job of it, otherwise this will also scream fake.

I had a lot of hassle ordering a scuttle. The mong on the counter seemed very confused about the whole affair and lots of faffing around with photographic ID, logbooks and proof of address later it was finally ordered down...and it turned up sans chassis number!

I didn't care, I didn't want a number either way as I didn't need it and have seen the "quality" that comes from BMW

Its as if the guy in the stamping dept says o F**K sake not another E30 Scuttle

A friend had the part number stamped on his!

The original numbers are usually applied by a robot on the assembly line while a replacement is probably done by some Joe with a set of hand punches.

Apparently the tools used to do this are no longer around. They now use a different tool to stop the panels going NLA

M3 owners have been moaning about this long before us plebs with normal e30s!

Simon13 wrote:M3 owners have been moaning about this long before us plebs with normal e30s!

My comment was from a m3 evo owner.

Any pics?

No pics at the moment, Dan you must know someone who is able to do this at a competent level?

Don't know about scuttle stamps but I bought a new tailgate from the dealer and it needed a lot of work to make good. It was missing the holes to attach the interior trim and the holes to fit to the hinges are so out of line that the tailgate can't be fitted correctly and will also need re-drilling. I also ordered 2 rear spoilers and sent them both back as the mould quality was shocking.