Side grill question?

Philippe db

Philippe db

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Hi guys,

Quick question, did all side grills had the black backing or was that an optional extra?

Many thanks in advance.
 
I bet it was always there. It is intended to create the illusion that the grills serve a function and that there is an air passage behind it.

Just like DQs fake antenna, it does not matter if the function is there but it has to be implied.
DQ would not mount a broom on his car, it has to be an antenna.
 
1974 3.0cs

Mine were always the colotr of the car oem
i may black em out
i do like the color behind also
 
All coupes to my knowledge came with the black sticker behind the side grilles, they weren't optional. When they were repainted years ago these stickers probably weren't available.
 
Big thanks for the input guys.

I've been looking at them and thought they would look nice to create that depth. Just never bought them thinking they weren't original to the E9.

One more item to put on my W&N shopping list.
 
Guys just one more question. How do you get the side grills off? In the inner wheel arch I feel 4 tabs but no screws. Do they just pull off?
 
Yes but the pins have fasteners on them or should. Some are the badge fasteners, some are flat metal tabs, whatever someone used that they could find so be careful.
 
If needed take the tire off and shine a light up there to really see what you are up against, these are expensive pieces and break easilly. When I got my car the PO had screwed them on because all the tabs had broken off, I got new ones and use silicon vacuum tube to hold them in place.
 
Hi guys,

Tried to make some pictures. This is the best I could do. Are there just 4 tabs?
 

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Yep Steve, can't feel any screw or iron just plastic tubes.

Would it be possible to just pull these off from the inside?
 
try pulling gently with minimal twist. If really stuck you could try soaking in a penetrant oil for a while.
 
Stevehose said:
try pulling gently with minimal twist. If really stuck you could try soaking in a penetrant oil for a while.
Click to expand...

Just gave it a try and they loosen quite easy, seems they are made out of rubber. One of the advantages of a recently restored car I guess, nothing is really stuck.

Think this is an upgrade I feel confident trying to do myself on both cars. I'll post some pictures ones it's done.

Thanks again for the help.
 
Happy to hear they were rubber fasteners and you got them off.

Mine are this flat-type push-on metal clip. Looks like it would be easy to
apply and would secure the grille firmly to the body.
Fastner_zpskwbfthty.jpg

Unfortunately though, it also makes it very difficult to remove
the grill. Hard to pry off this small flat clip, as those 4 tabs dig into the grille's plastic post
while you are trying to pry it off. Can't see how you take them off
without snapping off the plastic posts, especially given the tight space to work in.

Might have been done by the previous owner who repainted the car,
hopefully it wasn't done by BMW.
 
EJ333 said:
Arde,

Your grills look to me like they have a chromed look. How did you achieve that ? My grills have a satin look.
Click to expand...

I think they sold chrome, satin, and black. Chris had the details I recall.
 
...Discovering this thread.

Hi all

Just from my own experience, when I started reconditionning my car (1990), I wanted chromed hood and fender grilles.
At that time, they were everywhere in Germany (Sima- Power, Wache Autoteile , Rothkegel etc...) I was told then that they were not original, but reconditionned.
I remember Dieter Sigmund (Sima) showing me "faulted" chromed grilles, insisting on the fact that chromed ones were NLA . (The process seemed quite "artisanal").
Concerning the sticker "Folie", it fitted all cars since the beginning, but was often missing when the E9 had to be re-painted.
If you look on the orange books, you'll have 2 P/N for chromed grilles.
I believe the 1st was the satin one (See pic) with chromed side -- like the hood grilles.

Maybe the second ref, concerns this grille I found in a NOS?.
The vertical part is painted black .

Concerning the device to fit them, I had those shown (used for roundels on mine, originally, but not sure they were the correct-original ones).
Moreover, as someone said, you break your grilles pins, trying to get them off, as the core is metallic.
If you don't have anything at hand, even a nut of the belt line moulding bolt will fit..

Sorry for pix, but photobucket did not want to rotate.

Marc.
 
Many thanks for the additional info mark.

Interesting to see the vertical bars being painted black as well.
 
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