325i Sport Front bumper removal?

[r1chardc]

Hi, im getting the front bumper including the m-technic valance resprayed as it's needing alot of salt to go with the chips?!

Can anyone tell me a simple way to get them off without investing in a manual?!

Thanks

[Simon]

The valence is attatched by a series of push clips along the underside, take a quick look and you will see them, there's also a small (8mm?) bolt securing the sides of the valence, the bolt is located on the inside of the wing behind the valence, the valence will then pull off the remaining clips under the bumper.

To remove the bumper there's 2 large Torq bolts (T55) you will find them in the holes on the underside of the bumper, remove these and the bumper will just pull off.

[ian332isport]

there's also a small (8mm?) bolt securing the sides of the valence, the bolt is located on the inside of the wing behind the valence.

Be VERY careful with these 8mm bolts (or is it nuts ?). They get hit with a lot of road grime and get quite badly gunged up/rusted.

If you don't give them a damn good clean and a good soak with penetrating fluid, they WILL rip the plastic fixing off the inside of the plastic valance (as me how I know ).

The threaded stud is just hooked onto a piece of plastic molded into the valance. If you just crank on the nut the plastic will break before the nut even thinks about moving.

Ian.

[Simon]

there's also a small (8mm?) bolt securing the sides of the valence, the bolt is located on the inside of the wing behind the valence.

Be VERY careful with these 8mm bolts (or is it nuts ?). They get hit with a lot of road grime and get quite badly gunged up/rusted.

If you don't give them a damn good clean and a good soak with penetrating fluid, they WILL rip the plastic fixing off the inside of the plastic valance (as me how I know ).

The threaded stud is just hooked onto a piece of plastic molded into the valance. If you just crank on the nut the plastic will break before the nut even thinks about moving.

Ian.

Mine are broken on the touring, and the ones on the sport I recently sold

Managed to get them off in one piece on my old sport though!

[r1chardc]

Thanks guy's im on a day off tomorrow, i'll give it a go then.

[jesmond]

If your talking about a mk 1 sport, take the complete bumber off first, by loosening the two side fixing 10 ml bolts just in front of the wheels (behind the plastic trim/cover). Then loosen the front two 13 ml bolts, behind the little inspection like sq panels. Unplug your lights as your bumber is coming off. Now you can see behind and what is required. The main dome head 17 ml bolts in the corners are likely to be siezed, you'll have to cut them off & replace them. And the clips which attach the vallance to the upper metal bumbers/rubber trim could also be rusted to hell. I replaced all these with a front bumber fixing kit from Euro Car Parts, about 8 quid, which had all what was needed. Although I didn't use the push clips provided anymore, I used the small bolts which have a square backing of metal soldered to the back of them, (to fix to the rubber trim at the sides). There were only two of these originally, I ended up buying 15 of them from BM & replaced all of the push clips with them. They fix the ruber trim better I found, and were just a few pence. Euro Car Parts can also do sections of metal bumber if required, just rub down the chrome & paint to your colour.

[r1chardc]

Thanks for the advice Jes, but the car is a later sport? Not sure if that malkes much difference?

[jesmond]

Wasn't sure what you had Richard, which is why I thought I would pitch in. Yeh, I think they are a bit different by the sounds of things, and from what I have seen of the mk 2 stuff. Simons yer man.

All the best

Paul

[Simon]

Sorry guys should have asked!

Richard, as per my instructions above, and read Ian's post too.

[jesmond]

Thats one hell of a nice looking M3 you've got there Simon. Nice to drive I'll bet. I wouldn't mind one myself, but I'm put off a bit with the parts availability. I know you can get some stuff from the usual sources, but panels, interior/exterior trim, some brake parts, suspension etc. . . I used to have a 6 series, and got fed up with the sharp intake of breath parts guys would let out, when I was enquiring to get most bits. Panels certainly were like rocking horse Ԛ£$%&. One of the main reasons I bought my little sport was the massive availability of parts. I've renewed all suspension, ball joints, rod ends & bars, anti roll bar links front & back, rear axle bushes, all for reasonably little money. Not to mention scrappies for some stuff. Drives & feels like a new car as a result. It needed all these things mind, the noises coming from front & back ends when I first bought it was hilarious. What's the story with yours mate.

Paul

[Simon]

Thats one hell of a nice looking M3 you've got there Simon. Nice to drive I'll bet. I wouldn't mind one myself, but I'm put off a bit with the parts availability. I know you can get some stuff from the usual sources, but panels, interior/exterior trim, some brake parts, suspension etc. . . I used to have a 6 series, and got fed up with the sharp intake of breath parts guys would let out, when I was enquiring to get most bits. Panels certainly were like rocking horse Ԛ£$%&. One of the main reasons I bought my little sport was the massive availability of parts. I've renewed all suspension, ball joints, rod ends & bars, anti roll bar links front & back, rear axle bushes, all for reasonably little money. Not to mention scrappies for some stuff. Drives & feels like a new car as a result. It needed all these things mind, the noises coming from front & back ends when I first bought it was hilarious. What's the story with yours mate.

Paul

Thanks!

BMW is a good car to have, as the parts availability is great, almost everything is still available for them new, there's plenty of alternative suppliers out there too other than BMW, such as C3.
There's quite a few things shared with normal E30 such as interior parts, and suspension parts.
Engine parts are where it get's expensive, and I've only ever had coolant probs with mine, once a holed hose, and once the car got a little hot for my liking due to a blown fuse for the electric fan.
I'm slowly renewing all suspension parts, ignition, and cooling parts on mine, car is a great tool, and it get's all the looks!

And I'm going to be changing this for a ur quattro next year....seen the NLA parts for these cars!!??

Sorry for the off topic!

[r1chardc]

Paul, watch this space as it's my intention to sort the suspension out next. Please keep your eye out for more techy suspension advice in the new year. Simon, im with Paul on your M3, it rocks- my last ride was an E36 3.0 m3 coupe as I wasn't brave enough to drive on the left! The E30 Sport is as close as im gonna get to the ultimate E30!

[jesmond]

Simon, cor, go for it mate, you like your performance motors don't you, although I would probably err on the side of the beemer. Great car the UR Audi mind, understand your desire. It's obviously a personal preference thang.

Richard, nice one, sounds interesting. I have always liked the idea of the M3 using bigger stronger parts to the normal stuff, although I just went the ECP/GSF route on my suspension (oe mtec billies at least, boge springs), brakes etc stuff in the end. But for value for money, not bad I thought. And for what you end up doing for an old car's ride & handling, I would recommend to anyone, providing they're knackered in the first place of course. Maybe I was just unlucky, more likely though my car had a bit of a hard life previously, though thats probably the story with most sports, they do lend themselves to being driven & enjoyed, ha ha. My next quandry is paint or not to paint, that is the question. I'm getting quotes at the minute, but can't decide whether the car is worth it. 125k and still plenty of life, but the money could go to buying a different (not necessarily better mind) car perhaps. We'll see.
All the best chaps
Paul