OEM vs Pattern pannels.

[Letsplayskatch]

Hi all,
I'll be putting my shed in for a re-spray soon, but I need a new bonnet and both front wings replaced. My question is - how good a fit are Pattern parts compared to the OEM fit? The price for a new OEM wing is about £160 or something, so is a Pattern wing (at about 1/3 of that price) worth the hassle? Do they fit well?
If any of you've seen the TV show Wheeler Dealers with Ed China (legend), then you might have seen him bugger about with an old Merc's front wing, which was a pattern part. I dont really want that kind of hassle (or have to pay the body shop the £££ to put them right).

Thoughts?
Scott

[fowler]

depends where they are bought from some areally good some are really bad

[Sanchez]

Most are bad and the extra work a body shop has to put in can be the same cost as a OEM new wing.

You can also find good second hand OEM panels as your getting them painted anyway.

[Letsplayskatch]

I'd be ordering from Euro car parts or similar for the Pattern pannels (£38 per wing), and the bonnet was about £80 I think. Id get a trade discount through my dads business if I wanted OEM panels from BMW.

I thought I'd sourced a nice bonnet 2nd hand on here a few weeks ago but when the lad delivered it, there were a few marks which didnt make it an absolute 'minter' as described. So Im a little cautious about 2nd hand parts now. I think Ill have to buy new now; but pattern or OEM?
Hmm!

[penton08]

cheaper re-pro panels will take alot of time to get them to fit right and last about a year!! OEM panels will fit first time and last another 20 years. i would use good second hand panels over the patten ones if cost is the issue, OEM if its not.

[e301988325i]

The panel gap between bonnet and wing is much larger with pattern parts, too large to be missed. Not so noticeable on a dark car but still there.

[Letsplayskatch]

Sounds like OEM new or 2nd hand is the way forward then, I definately don't want gaps everywhere.

[powelly]

I have just fitted some pattern panels on my golf, hadrian panels to be precise, they are shite, they don't fit well around the headlamps, the gaps are rubbish and the holes for the bolts didn't line up properly and needed drilling out to get them to just about fit, nothing about them is right, having said all that the car I have put them on is a daily drive turd, they look acceptable from a distance but I would not want them on a car I liked. I only went with them because all the genuine 2nd hand ones were rusty crap. My advice, source the best used you can or if budget allows go for oem new.

[Letsplayskatch]

I have just fitted some pattern panels on my golf, hadrian panels to be precise, they are shite, they don't fit well around the headlamps, the gaps are rubbish and the holes for the bolts didn't line up properly and needed drilling out to get them to just about fit, nothing about them is right, having said all that the car I have put them on is a daily drive turd, they look acceptable from a distance but I would not want them on a car I liked. I only went with them because all the genuine 2nd hand ones were rusty crap. My advice, source the best used you can or if budget allows go for oem new.

Thats exactly what I thought pattern panels would be like! And seeing as the only 2nd hand ones on here are going to have come off a scrapheap, not a minter, then I guess Ill have to shell out for OEM ones. I dont really want to be spraying over re-worked rust or repaired dings/dents.
Thanks

[e301988325i]

I bought a mint genuine one in a matching colour to my car from a trader 'Adit' on here, £50 delivered.

[Kedge]

E30 pattern wings don't tend yo fit well around the grille and have a much sharper point on that same leading edge. Also be very careful if buying OEM panels from BMW, some they sell are just BMW approved rather than BMW made, I got stung with this when it was too late and the wing was prep'd and ready to fit.

[Letsplayskatch]

Cheers guys Kedge, did you send the panel staight to paint, or did you buy off of this guy: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-3-Series-E30- ... 1e5954d03d

There are a few OEM wings on ebay, new and unpainted - now youve mentioned this BMW Approved mallarky Im more cautios. Was there a way to tell with your ones (labels etc) before you fitted it?

[Kedge]

I bought it from Sytner Leics. My bodywork man prep'd the wing then went to hang it on the car and thought "this is a crap fit for a genuine panel!" Dug the label out the bin and in small print by the BMW part numbers, badges etc it said BMW approved and Sytner weren't in the slugfest bit interested and i'd had to wait a week for it to come from Germany, needless to say I've not been back there.

[Letsplayskatch]

Oh wonderful Kedge, you were stiched up good and proper then. Coming from a dealer Im shocked - Ill just have to make sure my order is a genuine BMW part then. Which might prove difficult if you think youre ordering an OEM panel then they just figure to chuck you an Approved panel instead. Thanks for the heads up about that man, appreciated

[Kedge]

Just dounble check the label when you buy it, also count the number of holes along the top of the wing, the one i bought had too many holes as well. Since i was buying from a dealer i never considered the need to check things like that

[Letsplayskatch]

Ill check for sure - might collect it myself and have a look over it just to be sure.

[Ant]

^ dude I have a red bonnet thats minty, and I think a NSF wing in red too.

Dad's is V local, come and have a look ? collect ??

[powelly]

I think Si13 mentioned that BMW no longer produce the wings for the E30, rather they handed the presses over to another company who now produce them on BMW's behalf, I guess the presses are now quite worn so the quality of the panels is not going to be great. I take back what I said, you best hunt down the best pair of used panels you can.

[Letsplayskatch]

Ah great Ill have a chat with my dad and see what he says / gan get off the dealers.
PMd Ant