Before & After Pics of damaged bumper replacement - Painted and Installed!

[TurboMeTroy]

2000 BMW 323i..bought the car with this crack in the bumper..drove me nuts and I actually haven't driven the car, among other reasons, because of it. :please:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/Reason1.jpg

And another..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/Reason2.jpg

Here's a picture of the bumper I bought to replace it, not the shape either...but no rips.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/NewBumperBeforeAnything.jpg

And up on the sawhorse..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/NewBumperGettinginPostion.jpg

Some close ups of the damaged/new bumper..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/BumperDamage1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/BumperDamage2.jpg

And so I sanded out as much as I could, didn't feel like making it perfect and filling the cracks, esp. on the bottom. Keep in mind this is a budget project. I use the cheapest (Nason) paint - which is notorious for not matching OEM colors well, single stage at that. No filler, bondo, nothing. Cost me $13.76 for a pint of Titanium Silver...had the reducer, hardener and my secret additive. :) .. anyways onto the sanding...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/Sanding1.jpg

More shots..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/Sanding2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/Sanding3.jpg

No primer even...keeping it as cheap as possible..Ready for paint!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/Sanding4.jpg

And the minimal supplies..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/Supplies.jpg

First coat!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/FirstCoatofPaint.jpg

Paint is done here, it's just a crappy shot..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/PaintingDone.jpg

Here's a shot of the bumper I'm removing (pictured above off the car , and of the crack itself)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/BeforeBumperComesoff.jpg

Bumper off the car..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/BumperOff.jpg

The trim, I clean with laquer thinner and used the Armor All Foam (for tires) to bring back out to black and match the new center plate delete strip..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/TrimPieces.jpg

And a couple shots of the new bumper installed! I just used all the OEM aluminum reinforcement, put the fogs back in, the trim pieces, lower grills, and cleaned everything up.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/NewBumperON.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/NewBumperON2.jpg

A picture of the color - match, not too far off. Maybe slightly darker if anything..but it's pretty close. Can't complain..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/PaintMatch.jpg

And one last old vs. new shot...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/TurboMeTroy/Comparison.jpg

Thanks!

Troy

[Die Frau]

Nice, but that crack is TOTALLY repairable.

Might I suggest you keep it for a 'winter' bumper...

BTW, where did you get that paint?

[Die Frau]

Moved back to projects, per Troy's request... I guess it was moved to DIY and he could not see it???

[TurboMeTroy]

I got the paint in Iowa, @ an O'Reily's. . they have much better paint - DuPont ChromaBase is good paint.

[TurboMeTroy]

Thanks Die!

[TurboMeTroy]

And it could have been repaired, but it was easier and cheaper for me to just paint it. :drool:

[L Train]

Secret additive...ha

I hope you used adhesion promoter.

[aaronmjr]

Troy were you at cars and coffee? :D

[TurboMeTroy]

:rock:That's the only bad thing, or good, about having a car that looks like a lot of others.

I wasn't there, althought I have been wanting to hit one of those up...I hear random ppl talking about them here at work..

My car is just a plain jane, 323i. 100% stock. . and a common color too.

[euro]

the pictures are all missing

[JTapper]

the pictures are all missing

Thread is three years old.

[Stumanbmx]

the pictures are all missing

Yes, they were also posted in 2008.

*edit: Wow. I should go back to bed. Jeff beat me by quite a few minutes.