How to tell apart fibreglass from genuine MtechII bodykit?

[Toby_Unna]

took this kit off a scrapper today, i was assuming it was fibreglass because it was only on an iS and was cheap.

but now i'm not sure? how can i tell? would a fibreglass kit be smooth on the rear or have the fibre lay-up marks? and would it have the m-technic logos?

i don't really care as it sat well on the car it came off, just curious.

finally is is possible to buy the few clips that broke when it came off?

cheers all.

[Paul325i]

fibre glass is brittle and will normally have the layered GRP on the back where it's not gel coated.

[Simon13]

bmw stuff has bmw stamped on it somewhere. The only places where the m-technic stickers go are on the boot spoiler and front wing pod. Genuine kit stuff is quite flexible. Plus 318is did come with m-tech kits there are a few around.

[Lordschleife]

so what are the bmw kits made from? some kind of plastic? My iS lip is quite flexible, seems like somekind of plastic?

[Davenotouring]

My M-tech kit is thick plastic and will only bend very slightly.

When I hit a rabbit with my old valance, it broke clean, rather than fibreglass which would break but might hold together with strands.

[Toby_Unna]

so as it has the m-technic stickers only the spoiler and front wing pod, and the rear surfaces are smooth, can i assume it's genuine?

it has the bmw roundel moulded into the back in some places

[Davenotouring]

Is there any chance you could post some pictures of the kit from the front and rear, and I'll try to tell you!

There may not be stickers, but there will be an indented bit in the plastic on the front wing pod. But this could also be on a copy.

How thick is the plastic?

[Simon13]

all the kit is smooth like a baby's ass, just like the bodywork

[Toby_Unna]

will get some pics up tomorrow (i drove back from the scrappy with a complete interior including carpet, rear suspension and front brakes rammed into my 2-dr and the bodykit just wasn't going to go in! so i'm collecting it tomo.)

[johnl320]

how much did that lot cost? sounds like a good find that mate

[Toby_Unna]

yep it was a really nice 318iS in red that had just arrived, i was really lucky - mint recaro check interior with a decent grey carpet and nice doorcards. spent about 160 all in, the rear bumper kit has a crack in it but will fibreglass quite easily i think.

[Simon]

Does sound like a genuine kit, copies normally have the on piece front bumper valence too.

Sounds like you've found yourself a bargain there!

Clips are all still available from the dealers too.

[Davenotouring]

The copies are normally much thinner, the genuine article is thick plastic as I said.

A replica front valance I had was a separate piece.

They often are one piece fronts as Simon says....

Simon says....

[Simon]

Simon says....

......put your hands on your head!!

Sorry!

[gangstabmw]

bmw stuff has bmw stamped on it somewhere. The only places where the m-technic stickers go are on the boot spoiler and front wing pod. Genuine kit stuff is quite flexible. Plus 318is did come with m-tech kits there are a few around.

Yeah like mine

[Simon13]

where's the pic's?

[Toby_Unna]

it's all still piled up in the car! i spent half the day putting the new interior in and by the time i finished it was dark, then i had to go collect the bodykit.

thinking it's bmw as when i collected it i noticed all the blanking covers have bmw roundels and part numbers on the back.

i am never changing an e30 carpet again, what a nuicance of a job!

[Toby_Unna]

like this one

[Davenotouring]

Looks like it could well be genuine!

Like to see the rest of the kit though!

Looks like you've got a bargain if it is!

[Demlotcrew]

it's all still piled up in the car! i spent half the day putting the new interior in and by the time i finished it was dark, then i had to go collect the bodykit.

thinking it's bmw as when i collected it i noticed all the blanking covers have bmw roundels and part numbers on the back.

i am never changing an e30 carpet again, what a nuicance of a job!

Im about to do it next week also, im not looking forward to it at all!

[Toby_Unna]

right then:




i pulled the crack in the rear valance open and it does look like plastic. one door pod was missing but still, Ԛ£30!

andy - carpet well worth doing, just a pain to make it go up and under the heater matrix. nothing like a nice carpet!

[Davenotouring]

That looks pretty genuine to me!

You didn't get the whole lot for 30 quid!?

That is bargain of the century!

[Toby_Unna]

the breaker didn't seem too happy when he realised he'd sold the passenger door with part of the bodykit still attached to someone else, and with the crack in the rear valance too i think he was past caring.

need to get that door pod and a few plastic clips, but the valance will be fine - when it came free from the iS it popped straight again and the crack closed up.

can't believe my luck - i was trying to negotiate to buy a kit for Ԛ£200 from a zoner on friday, which was absolutely miles away and someone else got there first anyway. and i thought that was cheap.

Now i'm wondering if i might have the energy to go back and have the black headlining and de-chrome trim too - i was thinking this would be a real pain, but i quite fancy a black headlining!

[Davenotouring]

Very lucky mate!

Well done.

Go for it! Get the headlining, but get the black plastic front part too, and the sunroof panel and sun visors too!

[Toby_Unna]

bit sad to see such a nice iS in a scrapyard, didn't have an LSD but very high spec, really nice car i reckon - until someone went into the back of it! obviously been looked after, the rear shocks and springs and front brakes I took were all in really good condition.

anyone know how much of pain a headlining would be to refit? i'm sure i can remove it, but i don't want to bother if it would be difficult to get it to sit right in mine.

ditto the dechrome window trims.