E30 Zone

Is there a thread anywhere showing the various types of bumpers and valances fitted to UK cars, both pre and post facelift?

I've seen similar on US forums, but they got some very different specs.

If I understand correctly, there were:

Pre-facelift:
Chrome bumpers
Mtech 1

Post facelift
Chrome bumper
Plastic narrow bumper
Mtech II

Am I missing any?

Thanks

So I guess I'll start and hopefully someone can tell me if I get it wrong!

So Prefacelift Chrome bumper cars have the early valance with no brake ducts





Whereas later narrow bumper cars have the ducts:



And on the rear, early cars look like:



Whilst the later ones look like:



The front valance and bumper is a straight swap I believe, however the rear end is different because the rear arches are a different height?

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... nt_Valance

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... a_facelift

Were all chrome bumper cars pre facelift and all post facelift cars colour coded and a little deeper?

Mines a bit different, maybe its the oil cooler.

mostly,'cept for convertibles-they still ran chrome-bumpers after the pre/post changeover in'87.

Mine is the same as the white cab above...need a new one actually

There is quite a lot of information about this in the Wiki.

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... ywork#Trim

Ben

Is the cabriolet not the same, just with fogs instead of blanks and a different plastic splitter?

Yeah I've read almost all of the Wiki pages, but they are fairly devoid of decent pictures showing the differences

All prefacelift cars had the same metal bumpers, some were colour coded. The convertibles did carry on with metal bumpers after all other models were facelifted (1988) and fitted with plastic bumpers.

Regarding valances, on prefaceliff model, there were the very early (pre 86 I think) which had the two piece valance fitted, then there was the later single piece valance.

Early 2 piece valance.


Later one piece valance, there's a couple of different chin spoilers that were fitted to these valances, mine here is the one fitted to 6cyl cars with an oil cooler, there was a version without cutouts. Then there was the version known as the Jimmy Hill chin spoiler, again, with or without oil cooler cutouts.


Post facelift valance, this has the removable panel in case an oil cooler is fitted, there's also an aircon version which has an extra cutout above the oil cooler one. Again, there was a couple of chin spoilers that fitted to these. Pictured is the standard one, and then there's the iS lip spoiler.


Here's a guide on a wiki for converting to facelift http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... a_facelift

Thanks, I've read the guide before, but again, it's the detail, it suggests there are only two valances, where there appear to be several options.

I take it the later plastic bumpers are deeper, which means you have to fit the correct bumper for whichever valance you fit?

The early two piece valance, where is the split?

For the facelift valance, the oil cooler hole was standard, but there was an aircon only valance?

Thanks

Are you trying to change the type of bumpers on your car?

The plastic bumpers are totally different, bigger in each dirrection, and have a further reinforced carrier behind them, they also mount differently.

The split on the early valances is behind the bumper, so it's an upper and lower section.

I don't believe there was a facelift lift valance with only the upper aircon cutout.

I'm trying to decide the pros and cons for a donor for a project and the late model valance with both holes is winning, but finding a post facelift car with aircon will be all but impossible.

If a repro panel is available then it's not a problem however. I was just going daft trying to find out all the actual options as there didnt seem to be a thread like this for the UK and obviously the US bumper options were different.

Cheers