Well, it's finally done, and the bumpers look sooooo much better now! During the tuck (sorry I fogot to take pics of the rear):
I understand it, but I don't much agree with it. I've seen too many people 'parking by Braille' and I've been hit by other traffic. The big US-spec bumpers have a purpose and I try not to thwart that purpose because there are too many idiots out there. I would think someone from Connecticut, of all places, would know that.
I didn't post this thread so that I could gather your opinions on whether or not you agree with what I have done. I posted it for those who might also be interested in doing something like this so that they have something to see as to what it would look like when done. If I get into an accident then my bumpers will be the LEAST of my worries. These are only good for 5mph anyway, and if there is an accident, there's a 90% chance that it'll be at more than 5 mph, in which case I couldn't care less about my bumpers. And what, like the later-style plastic bumpers will provide any more protection? Those if anything seem like they will break more easily. Besides, even if it's a fender bender, the insurance company will total my car anyway, so personally, I DON'T CARE about the "minimized effectiveness" of the already useless and fugly diving boards.
Yes; I had a hard time visualizing it before I did it, and only found a pic of a single E30 that had perfect side shots of the tucked bumpers. Me posting the pics gives people a comparison and lets them decide what the average tuck length is, which seems to be pretty consistent so far. Go on Google; search for E30; you'll find lots and LOTs of pics of E30's. Now search for tucked bumpers, and you'll have a harder time finding side pics. Might as well document what isn't documented enough...
Hats off to you B IMHO. They look great. Actually, the first pic looks like it could work only if covers were available for the various holes.
I like the way the shortened bumpers look. I agree that the stock bumpers provide a little better crash protection but I did the same thing on my 2002 because I didn't like the way the "diving boards" stuck out (granted, they made for a good place to sit and have a picnic but...). I think they look great Botond, nice job! I'm curious if the process is the same as it was on the '02? Did you have to drill a hole in the bumper shock, drain the oil, collapse them, etc., etc., etc....?? If so, how did you collapse them?
On my own 2002, I had been hit in the rear end before - in Connecticut - so I left that one as is. I did remove the front one because 1) it interfered with the Kamei airdam I put on it (which had a bulge that kinda' looked like a bumper on it) and 2) I figured I had control over what the front end hits. Since then, I have had a brake line on an E28 break, sending me into the back of an Oldsmobile with only two wheels locked up on a wet street (What a feeling!). Had the bumpers matched, I might not have taken a shot to the radiator and the car might have survived. Also, the US-spec 535is/M5 airdam is fitted to the extended bumper, not a shortened one, so it looks awkward with the bumper pushed in. [That last sentence is my only esthetic statement in this thread. All other observations are simply pragmatic considerations, which I think anyone doing this should evaluate.]
Same process; remove bumper, drill shocks, get soaked in bumper juice, and compress using a method of your choice. For the front, we did it the lazy and most popular way; reattach bumper, and drive into a wall slowly. It worked out good, and have achieved what I believe is the furthest tuck you can do on the front bumper, though I remain unconvinced that this is as far as it goes. But, I'm satisfied with the front. For the rear, I had some issues. My original bumper appears to have been a replacement (DOT-R). One shock compressed fine, which we compressed by driving against the wall. The other wouldn't compress no matter what we did to it (had a buddy help me), be it driving into the wall, hammering it, or throwing it on the ground violently. Drilled some more, still wouldn't compress, so I had to fork out the cash for another bumper at the junkyard (don't ask why I got the whole bumper - long story). The shocks on the replacement bumper compressed juuuuust fine, and here we are at this point. Until I got the rear bumper, I drove around for about a week without a rear bumper, which was really awkward... I so wish I would have access to Euro bumpers.
Botond the car looks great. CR, my E30s are so low that if I get hit it is most likely that the insulting car (SUV) will go over my bumpers anyway and take out my grille or taillights. So it really doesn't matter what kind of bumpers I have. I believe Botond is in the same boat with his lowered E30
Thank you for documenting. I've wondered what it would look like. I am surprised that the front doesn't go in as far as I expected. If I cared more, I might do it. I'd have to relocate my under-bumper fog lights though because they'd hit the lower fairing if the bumper was pushed in any. I've been hit twice now; once by someone who parallel parked using braille, second time by someone backing out of a parking spot who backed and backed and backed and hit me. At 3 mph it's less of an issue now since the hittor will likely be driving a vehicle with bulging plastic bumpers filled with styrofoam (ie all cars less than 10 years old) and will have ample styrofoam crunch capacity for the both of us. A raised 1993 Ford F150?... well that's another issue.
