New Guy Intro ... and needs a bumper!

#1

Hey all,

Just wanted to post a quick introduction and say hello. I’ve been racing for a few years in the Midwest, but moved to the Raleigh, NC area within the last year or so and am looking forward to learning the tracks out here. I had picked up a Spec Miata in the Midwest because there was no SpecE30 racing to speak of. Now it seems like I’m in the thick of it down here on the southeast coast, and I’m delighted to say that I’ve found the right car and will be finalizing the purchase soon. I’m hoping to have it prepped and ready for the 3/23 race at VIR.

Which brings me to my second point… I need a bumper! The car is an '88 and needs an old style bumper and the corresponding surrounds. Anybody have a lead as to where I might be able to locate these fairly quickly?

Looking forward to meeting and racing with you all.

Cheers,

Julian

#2

[quote=“juliancates” post=63871]Hey all,

Just wanted to post a quick introduction and say hello. I’ve been racing for a few years in the Midwest, but moved to the Raleigh, NC area within the last year or so and am looking forward to learning the tracks out here. I had picked up a Spec Miata in the Midwest because IT’S WHAT KYLE DID. Now KYLE HAS MOVED ON TO SE30 SO IT MUST BE COOL, SO I’m delighted to say that I’ve found the right car and will be finalizing the purchase soon. I’m hoping to have it prepped and ready for the 3/23 race at VIR.

Which brings me to my second point… I need a bumper! The car is an '88 and needs an old style bumper and the corresponding surrounds. Anybody have a lead as to where I might be able to locate these fairly quickly?

Looking forward to meeting and racing with you all.

Cheers,

Julian[/quote]

Fixed. Congrats! Now move back to the MW!

#3

Do some poking around at RealOEM to figure out precisely what you need. The '88 is kind of a unique animal for bumpers so I’m not sure what bumper/valence/trim parts from earlier models fit.

The way to do this efficiently on RealOEM is to identify the build month of your car using some VIN lookup tool. Then drill down thru your build month and get the part # you are interested. Then back up a bit in RealOEM until you see the “part # lookup” field, or something like that. Enter the part # and RealOEM will show you all the e30’s that has that part.

Once you have know what model years share your part, post at Bimmerforums in the e30 classified and also your Regional\VA forums. There will be folks parting out cars or doing bumper upgrades to late model cars.

Also, contact Al Taylor on this forum. He also lives in VA, has tons of parts and has a lot of knowledge that will help.

Welcome aboard.

#4

[quote=“cosm3os” post=63875]
Fixed. Congrats! Now move back to the MW![/quote]

I’m coming back to Gateway in April. Come on down! And as for your fixes… that’s what I get for listening to you. “Sure, race a Miata! NO! It’s not a chick car, what do you mean?” :stuck_out_tongue:

[quote]The way to do this efficiently on RealOEM is to identify the build month of your car using some VIN lookup tool. Then drill down thru your build month and get the part # you are interested. Then back up a bit in RealOEM until you see the “part # lookup” field, or something like that. Enter the part # and RealOEM will show you all the e30’s that has that part.

Once you have know what model years share your part, post at Bimmerforums in the e30 classified and also your Regional\VA forums. There will be folks parting out cars or doing bumper upgrades to late model cars.

Also, contact Al Taylor on this forum. He also lives in VA, has tons of parts and has a lot of knowledge that will help.[/quote]

Thnaks Ranger. I’ve used RealOEM for a while now, and I don’t think I ever saw the high level part lookup that showed what other years shared the same parts. That’s very helpful, thanks!

Here’s the realoem diagram for the 9/87 build date:

I’m a little confused at what years share the plastic bits that surround the bumper. (Items #4 and #5 in the diagram.) There are a couple of part numbers listed:

04 Covering left 1 09/1985 09/1987 51111937387 $210.35
04 Trim panel LINKS 1 09/1987 06/1988 51111965035 $200.95
05 Covering right 1 09/1985 09/1987 51111937388 ENDED
05 Trim panel RECHTS 1 09/1987 06/1988 51111965036 ENDED

Sorry for the horrible cut/paste formatting. I assume that the part from 85-87 would work, but they used another part starting in 87 and going through 88?

Also, for lack of a better term, how modular is the chassis here? In other words, how well does it lend itself to up/back dating? As long as I had a complete assembly from any given E30 production year, would it bolt on?

Lastly, here’s a pic as it sits now. I’ve obscured it somewhat out of respect to the current owner, since I haven’t paid for this car yet and technically it’s not mine. I’ll post regular pictures when I’ve actually bought it.

I know I have bumper shocks coming with the car. Can you tell by the pic what else I might need?

#5

The diagram you posted diagram looks to me to be classic early model. I interpret that to mean the '88 bumper, trim and sheetmetal is pretty much all “early model” with no important differences.

You asked about fit. I’ve used trim (4 & 5) and valances (sheetmetal behind and below the bumper) from an '85 and '86 on my '87 and while everything was a little different than the origonal '87, everything pretty much fit.

What I see on your car tho is a late model valance. The link below is to the 1/88 valance. http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=1113&mospid=47309&btnr=41_0134&hg=41&fg=10

The valance in that link looks to me to be early model. Therefore I think that someone put late bumpers and valance on your car. So you can either keep the valance and get fragile pretty late model bumpers, or you can lose your late valance and get stout ugly early model bumpers, an early air dam and early valence.

Or, thinking out of the box, I suppose you could put an early bumper and air dam in front of your late valance and just cut holes in the valence for your brake cooling hoses. That way you wouldn’t have to replace your valance.

Of course bumper shocks and bumper have to match.

#6

[quote=“Ranger” post=63887]The diagram you posted diagram looks to me to be classic early model. I interpret that to mean the '88 bumper, trim and sheetmetal is pretty much all “early model” with no important differences.

You asked about fit. I’ve used trim (4 & 5) and valances (sheetmetal behind and below the bumper) from an '85 and '86 on my '87 and while everything was a little different than the origonal '87, everything pretty much fit.

What I see on your car tho is a late model valance. The link below is to the 1/88 valance. http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=1113&mospid=47309&btnr=41_0134&hg=41&fg=10

The valance in that link looks to me to be early model. Therefore I think that someone put late bumpers and valance on your car. So you can either keep the valance and get fragile pretty late model bumpers, or you can lose your late valance and get stout ugly early model bumpers, an early air dam and early valence.

Or, thinking out of the box, I suppose you could put an early bumper and air dam in front of your late valance and just cut holes in the valence for your brake cooling hoses. That way you wouldn’t have to replace your valance.

Of course bumper shocks and bumper have to match.[/quote]

Thanks for being so helpful, Ranger. I found this thread on bf.c which helps me visualize it… mostly.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1431917

Interesting that the 88 they show a picture of on that first post has the new valence and the old bumpers. I guess it’s an 88 thing? I know the one I’m buying had the old style bumper, and that’s what the shocks are for.

The current owner has a line on a bumper, so I think I’m going to be covered, but this is useful stuff to learn.

The cutouts on this car’s valence look a bit different than those on the one shown in the link above. Was there some variation in the new valences?

#7

I agree that the late model valance in Moberg’s pic at bf.c looks different than yours. Other than saying I guess you’re right that the late model valances can be a little different, I don’t have enough experience with them to say anything for sure.

You understand that the lip on your valance is some aftermarket thing, correct? You might be able to sell that to someone running a late model bumper. That way when they feel badly about how they’ve converted their late model bumper into shards of plastic, they can still have a cool lip to bolster their morale. upon.

#8

'88 is the transition year. The bumper should be early model. The valance is late model and the picture of the car you posted has what looks like an aftermarket lower lip. The side pieces (4 & 5) are unique to the '88. BUT, you can get an early model side pieces to work. It will take some shimming and adjusting but it can be done.

#9

Michael is 100% correct. We both have '88s… You can run early or late bumpers in the front and rear without modification and the proper setup is the diving board with a late model valance. The valance in that picture looks like a Euro part but should work fine as well.

See you at Saint Louis! I ordered tires today…

#10

I thought the '88 bumpers were shorter than the pre-'88s. The convertible had these shortened metal bumpers until '91. I’m too lazy to check realOEM to verify.

In short, look at convertible bumpers too.

#11

Thanks guys for the bumper info, this helps a lot!

Richard, I didn’t realize that was you, hard to see the fish in the avatar pic! Looking forward to St. Louis, I haven’t driven there in what seems like forever.