I need to repair my front end and wish to save weight

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Howsyourcargo
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I need to repair my front end and wish to save weight

Post by Howsyourcargo »

Hi All,
I have had my 87 535is for 18 years. I hit a deer Sunday and it wiped out my airdam. I have to fix the front end and I am considering options that will help me save weight. Does anyone know how much weight I could save if I go with the Euro bumpers? I have seen the BMP Design fiberglass front bumper and airdam kit and believe that would be my lowest weight option. Does anyone here have first hand knowledge as to how much weight could be saved by going this route? Would safety be compromised to much? This car is not my daily driver. I do drive it on the track a good bit.
Thank you,
Chris
Mark 88/M5 Houston
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Post by Mark 88/M5 Houston »

For street operation I would stay with the US bumpers. The BMP kit is notoriously hard to get to fit properly and a number of brackets need to be fabricated to attach it properly. Euro "tupperware" is prohibitively expensive and the car would look funny if you only did the front end. If you are primarily tracking the car, I'd repair the sheet metal and leave the front bumper off and find a decent aftermarket air dam to help reduce front lift and airflow/drag under the car.
Shawn D.
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Re: I need to repair my front end and wish to save weight

Post by Shawn D. »

Howsyourcargo wrote:I have seen the BMP Design fiberglass front bumper and airdam kit...
Note that it is in no way a "bumper" other than being vaguely shaped like a bumper cover. There is no underlying structure or bumper.
C.R. Krieger
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Post by C.R. Krieger »

I wouldn't give weight saving a second thought. It will only increase your understeer by taking weight off the front. Decide whether you want a real bumper (replace what you had) or something purely decorative (Euro=$$ or BMP=PITA) and do what you like.
shagrath
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Post by shagrath »

Talk to bbaxter here on the forum about the BMP kit.
Karl Grau
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Re: I need to repair my front end and wish to save weight

Post by Karl Grau »

Howsyourcargo wrote: I hit a deer Sunday and it wiped out my airdam.
Doe!

A few bucks on a new air-dam and people will be fawning over your car in no time.
shagrath
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Re: I need to repair my front end and wish to save weight

Post by shagrath »

Karl Grau wrote:
Howsyourcargo wrote: I hit a deer Sunday and it wiped out my airdam.
Doe!

A few bucks on a new air-dam and people will be fawning over your car in no time.
:rofl: :rofl:
Howsyourcargo
Posts: 16
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Location: Lancaster, PA

Post by Howsyourcargo »

Hey thanks for all of the input. So here is where I am at. I did not find anything else I liked better so I am 99.97% sure I am going with the BMP kit. I have to confirm with the body shop but I will probably cut away as much of the metal as I believe I can get away with and fabricate some sort of mounting structure to hold the body kit in place. Besides removing the bumpers I expect to cut off the bumper shocks. The shipping weight of the front piece is 15.2 lbs. I am also going to remove the AC stuff.

Then to address the understeer issue that mister Krieger pointed out, I will tune the understeer back down my welding a 100lb weight-lifting plate on top of my hood to increase the bite of my front tires! :-)
ldsbeaker
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Post by ldsbeaker »

Howsyourcargo wrote:Then to address the understeer issue that mister Krieger pointed out, I will tune the understeer back down my welding a 100lb weight-lifting plate on top of my hood to increase the bite of my front tires! :-)
What a PLAN!!

Hey, uhh. There's this big box waaaay out by the bumper with a bunch of lead in it... Maybe relocate that? (Trunk?)
oldskool
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Re: I need to repair my front end and wish to save weight

Post by oldskool »

Karl Grau wrote:
Howsyourcargo wrote: I hit a deer Sunday and it wiped out my airdam.
Doe!

A few bucks on a new air-dam and people will be fawning over your car in no time.
That entrails a lot of work though. Hoof on over to the local parts yard.
freetoride
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Post by freetoride »

You are very fortunate, that is very little damage for a deer.
burmester
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Post by burmester »

Hi,
to remove (a lot) weight from the front end you could retrofit the battery in the trunk. I did, and it is no big deal.
Howsyourcargo
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Post by Howsyourcargo »

The battery is already in the trunk.

A pick up truck right in front of me had already hit the deer and the deer was laying down on its' side when I hit it. The impact was entirely absorbed through the airdam and the damage was primarily below the bumper. I went airborne over the deer. I was amazed at how well that eurathane spoiler held up given a 65 mph impact with a buck.

Does anyone need a front and rear bumper assembly with all the rubber and lights etc? What is a fair asking price for the bumpers.

The eurathane spolier is intact however it is cracked up a good bit. Is that worth anything?
Shawn D.
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Post by Shawn D. »

Howsyourcargo wrote:Then to address the understeer issue that mister Krieger pointed out, I will tune the understeer back down my welding a 100lb weight-lifting plate on top of my hood to increase the bite of my front tires! :-)
You do realize that you can change handling characteristics with springs and swaybars, right?
Howsyourcargo
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Post by Howsyourcargo »

Yes of course I know that I have numerous options as to tuning the handling characteristics of my car. I was employing sarcasm in response to another member who also sarcastically commented about reducing weight off the front of my car would increase understeer. Fwiw I have adjustable sway bars, camber plates up front, and the Ireland Engineering adjustable bushings in the rear.

Thank you for looking out for me!
ACHTUNG
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Post by ACHTUNG »

Howsyourcargo wrote:Yes of course I know that I have numerous options as to tuning the handling characteristics of my car. I was employing sarcasm in response to another member who also sarcastically commented about reducing weight off the front of my car would increase understeer. Fwiw I have adjustable sway bars, camber plates up front, and the Ireland Engineering adjustable bushings in the rear.

Thank you for looking out for me!
I thought it was funny that some assumed you didn't know anything about weight distribution, suspension set up and how it all effects the car's handling characteristics when you clearly stated that you track your car quite often.
Howsyourcargo
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Post by Howsyourcargo »

Well theoretically it is possible for someone to own such a vehicle and not have clue about set up etc. He meant well and I truely appreciate the kind intent. Fwiw I am just getting back into tracking my car after a 12 year hiatus. I did 2 events in 3 weeks. I am looking forward to doing at least 5 events per season. I will be focusing in on my driving and will not be spending money on additional horsepower or other upgrades other than adding lightnesss or safety. I am focusing on "programing improvements" for the nut behind the wheel. (driving skills) I like having a sleeper and having the guy in the E92 M3 comment to me in the paddock how hard he had to work to catch up to me and pass me. If I can drop 10% of the weight off of my car that is like having 10% more power. More power makes you faster in a straight line, less weight makes you faster everywhere. Therefore I am adding lightness to my car.
Shawn D.
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Post by Shawn D. »

ACHTUNG wrote:I thought it was funny that some assumed you didn't know anything about weight distribution, suspension set up and how it all effects the car's handling characteristics when you clearly stated that you track your car quite often.
You clearly have not met such people -- they do exist.
C.R. Krieger
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Post by C.R. Krieger »

Shawn D. wrote:
ACHTUNG wrote:I thought it was funny that some assumed you didn't know anything about weight distribution, suspension set up and how it all effects the car's handling characteristics when you clearly stated that you track your car quite often.
You clearly have not met such people -- they do exist.
Flatout
pleasefixitup
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Post by pleasefixitup »

C.R. Krieger wrote:
Shawn D. wrote:
ACHTUNG wrote:I thought it was funny that some assumed you didn't know anything about weight distribution, suspension set up and how it all effects the car's handling characteristics when you clearly stated that you track your car quite often.
You clearly have not met such people -- they do exist.
Flatout
I gotta drive flatout.

AMAZING
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