Black Kidney Grilles

[Rosc0PColtrane]

Here's a question for the geeks out there:

Black kidney grilles, available on order or just an after market folly??

The reason I ask?

The owners manual has a red e30 featuring a black kidney grille on the cover....

[Cotty]

I can't see it in the original options list I have, so must be after market folly.

But I like it.

[Cotty]

The owners manual has a red e30 featuring a black kidney grille on the cover....

Got a pic ?

The brocures I have all have silver grills
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[Rosc0PColtrane]

Here you go mate:

[TopSod]

Is that not just the light? Looks normal to me?

[Gibson]

i think thats just the shadow mate....

i really like my chrome kidney grille.... Maybe im Cliffys illegitimate love child

[tailoutcharlie]

think thats just dodgy 80s printing mate. Just do it yourself, its easy to get a factory look finish if you rub it back properly etc, in fact mine looked so good it kind of puts the rest of the grill to shame so ill be doin that too

[josh-hocking]

ive seen that book aswel with the black grill, it dies look like it but maybe its just the shadow ect ect lol

[Rosc0PColtrane]

IT'S FOOKING BLACK!!!!

Nowt to do with the light, nowt to do with the printing. It's black. If I wan't sure what colour it was, I would have asked what colour it is.

It's the same colour as the rest of the grille, the BLACK on the badge too....

Compare it with the chrome kidneys on cotty's pics. The look again. How the fcuk can you think it's not black, unless your monitors are not calibrated correctly!

So, back to the original question, does any one know why it's black?

P.S it is black

[baur320]

I thought that black grills only came into fashion a few years ago. Not in the 80s

[AlexBaur325]

IT'S FOOKING BLACK!!!!

....i think its shadow too

[Rosc0PColtrane]

it's black

[spook]

I got some shadowline kidney grills off another zoner, and they just slotted straight over the chrome ones

[AlexBaur325]

just had another look at those grills mate....and actually....







































they're definitley not black

[E30BeemerLad]

I've just sprayed the kidney and headlight grilles on the touring, looks good.

Satin black FTW

[Joshy]

It's the shadow, and before you go insulting my monitor, I've got exactly the same owner's handbook sitting next to me .

[Rosc0PColtrane]

Shadow that dark would not be cast on three planes....

It's black.

[spook]

After fitting those shadow line kidney grills, i gave them a coat of auto glym bumper stuff, bought em up nice and black

[Rosc0PColtrane]

[BIGJO]

That's definately black!

[AlexBaur325]

Can we set a poll up for this...?

[Rosc0PColtrane]

No; because it's black!

[BIGJO]

LOL!

Jokers

[AlexBaur325]

LOL

but yeah, its not though

[stevotheevo]

maybe its an import........it could be 'grey'

[hammoj28]

Does look black. Strange.

[Benho]

i think its chrome, but then again even if it was black i havent seen a picture from the 80's whilst it was in production where the kidney grills were black.

[sam325is]

I have had this thought myslef. i must say it does seems like the shadow but then again it also looks like the same colour as the dark grey that people spray their BBS.

I think its dark chrome...cant see it being an option though.

[Chase007]

It looks like shadow to me i was thinking they knew it looked black in that pic but it was an idea for people to look at and see if they wud want to try a set of black one's out

[B7]

If they had been an original option, they would have fitted it to the dechromed cars. Black kidney grilles were never available as an option AFAIK, I certainly NEVER saw any BMW in the 80's with one. Plus, they would have been council then just as they are now.

That photo is a trick of the light.

End of.

[Jhonno]

I got my black grill off a completely boggo dechromed e30 from Poland, dolphin grey with wheel trims..

Would it not be an idea to check for a part number on a black grill?

[Rosc0PColtrane]

It's not a trick of the light. It is black. If it was chrome and shadowed, there would be more chrome, less 'shadow'. No it's a deep gloss black. I wonder what gloss kidneys would look like instead of our preferred satin black? Could also laquer it, to protect against stone chips....

The picture is probably just artistic licence, nowt to do with options. Unless it was a European option that us Brits never got. The light playing of the BLACK part of the roundel is the benchmark.

I posted it more as a sense of irony, hoping that some egg head would be able to chirp up 'actually, Germany had a run of about 2000 with black grilles for x,y,z....', that we have a penchant for spraying the grilles black.

[B7]

It's not a trick of the light. It is black. If it was chrome and shadowed, there would be more chrome, less 'shadow'. No it's a deep gloss black. I wonder what gloss kidneys would look like instead of our preferred satin black? Could also laquer it, to protect against stone chips....

The picture is probably just artistic licence, nowt to do with options. Unless it was a European option that us Brits never got. The light playing of the BLACK part of the roundel is the benchmark.

I posted it more as a sense of irony, hoping that some egg head would be able to chirp up 'actually, Germany had a run of about 2000 with black grilles for x,y,z....', that we have a penchant for spraying the grilles black.

Well going along those lines, maybe it was an option on european models. I certainly don't reckon it was available in the UK.

Be interesting to know. Wheres Mr. Everitt??

[suchy]

Hello, yeah does indeed look very black- taken in studio conditions with a direct white light source (softbox/brolly) and possibly white reflectors... BUT could indeed be a chrome grill lit (possibly indirectly) and black reflectors used to create black highlights? Mmmmm.....

[JGG1]

Thats clearly black