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Masterful E28 M5 Euro Bumper Conversion Video

Posted: Apr 13, 2021 10:22 AM
by VZehn

Re: Masterful E28 M5 Euro Bumper Conversion Video

Posted: Apr 13, 2021 10:03 PM
by cek
Great job and the car looks great in the end. Fun videography. I enjoyed watching.

It's too bad it wasn't done right. Doing it right isn't that much more work. IOW, the videography is masterful, not the actual conversion.

Re: Masterful E28 M5 Euro Bumper Conversion Video

Posted: May 03, 2021 12:41 AM
by S62ninja
Beautifully done

Re: Masterful E28 M5 Euro Bumper Conversion Video

Posted: May 03, 2021 12:29 PM
by jhh925
cek wrote: Apr 13, 2021 10:03 PM It's too bad it wasn't done right. Doing it right isn't that much more work. IOW, the videography is masterful, not the actual conversion.
Agree.

Re: Masterful E28 M5 Euro Bumper Conversion Video

Posted: May 03, 2021 3:32 PM
by jhh925
jhh925 wrote: May 03, 2021 12:29 PM
cek wrote: Apr 13, 2021 10:03 PM It's too bad it wasn't done right. Doing it right isn't that much more work. IOW, the videography is masterful, not the actual conversion.
Agree.
You know what, I now regret saying it was done "wrong." There are lots of ways to do E28 euro bumper conversions (and I'm in no position to be the gatekeeper) and this is just one of them. And given the lack of available euro parts, it's hard to argue with this method.

There are a number of steps that aren't shown in the vid, so hard to tell if they were skipped or not.

The only OMG moment I had is that as shown in the vid (again, maybe he did more work off-camera) is that by welding up the bumper shock holes in the US rear valance the way he did, he's likely created a pair of highly effective and accelerated rust incubators. Hopefully, he took steps to allow water & dirt to drain on the backside and applied sealers to the back of the new metalwork & welds.

Re: Masterful E28 M5 Euro Bumper Conversion Video

Posted: Jul 28, 2022 10:41 AM
by Mdreamer
jhh925 wrote: May 03, 2021 3:32 PM
You know what, I now regret saying it was done "wrong." There are lots of ways to do E28 euro bumper conversions (and I'm in no position to be the gatekeeper) and this is just one of them. And given the lack of available euro parts, it's hard to argue with this method.

There are a number of steps that aren't shown in the vid, so hard to tell if they were skipped or not.

The only OMG moment I had is that as shown in the vid (again, maybe he did more work off-camera) is that by welding up the bumper shock holes in the US rear valance the way he did, he's likely created a pair of highly effective and accelerated rust incubators. Hopefully, he took steps to allow water & dirt to drain on the backside and applied sealers to the back of the new metalwork & welds.
[/quote]

I am struggling with this conversion as I type this. What is the proper way to allow water and dirt to drain on the backside? Also, where can I find a guide to do the conversion the "right" way? All of the pictures in the guide in the FAQ section have timed out, so it is of little use, and I cannot tell if speed academy series is the definitive method. Please advise!

http://speed.academy/bmw-e28-euro-bumpe ... on-part-1/

Re: Masterful E28 M5 Euro Bumper Conversion Video

Posted: Aug 04, 2022 3:22 PM
by jhh925
Mdreamer wrote: Jul 28, 2022 10:41 AM I am struggling with this conversion as I type this. What is the proper way to allow water and dirt to drain on the backside? Also, where can I find a guide to do the conversion the "right" way? All of the pictures in the guide in the FAQ section have timed out, so it is of little use, and I cannot tell if speed academy series is the definitive method. Please advise!

http://speed.academy/bmw-e28-euro-bumpe ... on-part-1/
I'm not sure that the most "right way" is either, but it's definitely true that the method you will use will depend mostly on what parts you're able to obtain and of those, which you're willing to pay for. It will also depend on what your skills are.

For instance, the Speed Academy link you have in your post shows a method where you use the existing US front & rear valences, plus some aftermarket bumper mount parts. That method avoids having to order some expensive parts (front & rear Euro valences) that are often not available or backordered, but it means you have to have good metal cutting tools & skills, plus ideally the ability to weld some holes shut.

In terms of water pooling and likely rust issues, when you get your rear bumpers off (including the bumper shocks), you'll see that those shocks were mounted in "tunnels" that point towards the rear tires. If your car is typical, you'll already have an accumulation of dirt & grime in that tunnel - and maybe also some rust - from the gunk getting sprayed in there when your drove through water. When you mount your Euro bumpers, you certainly can leave those holes open (they won't get covered by the Euro bumpers, so if you leave them open they'll be visible when your job is done), but if you weld some kind of covering over them, then you'll need to be sure that you (i) make some provision for water & dirt to drain out of the tunnel after you seal the hole up (e.g., cut the tunnel back a bit, add some holes to the floor of the tunnel, etc.), (ii) adequately paint, protect, cover any resulting bare metal, including on the back side, and / or (iii) consider fabricating some kind of smash guard that will shield (but not seal up) the entrance to the tunnel on the there side.

Any other cutting or welding you do has to be well sealed up with paint & undercoating to make sure you're minimizing opportunities for rust to form in the future. It can get complicated.

Re: Masterful E28 M5 Euro Bumper Conversion Video

Posted: Aug 08, 2022 10:08 AM
by Mdreamer
jhh925,

THANK YOU! The description of how to handle the rear is especially helpful. My car did have the dirt and gunk in the spaces where the rear bumper shocks were, but fortunately there wasn't any rust. Of the methods you described, I like the idea of adding some holes to the floor of the tunnel so gravity can help expel whatever dirt accumulates from my driving the car over time.

Thanks again!