Ok , those Lokari ones look good , could you have the factory/ W&N ones fitted as well as the Lokari ones , or are they supposed to be instead of the factory ones ?On the E3 and E24, their removal allows access to the cavity behind the rocker panel. I've pulled them to then run a vac tube down the length to suck out dirt/sand and yes, acorns. That does not exist on the E9. I pulled it on the E9 to find crap accumulated behind it. All told, not sure what function they serve on the E9. Like the perfectionist I am, I got new ones from W&N anyway. Many swear by Lokari wheel well covers. https://www.lokari.de/epages/62716287.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/62716287/Products/IKF-0233-0234
Hi there, I am in Ireland so unfortunately my car will only sparsely see sunshine so I will have to take extra care to keep out the rust , thanks for the advice !!!In my view the OEM situation is that nice, yeah it is quick in assemble line, but the clips that slide in those holes (captive nuts) will usually scrape the paint. So, in my car, i opted to weld the holes shut as rust had gotten to it, and weld a threaded end on there to hold the removable metal panel, or lokari's.
If your car in the future will only sparsely see any water, then the oem solution will probably be good enough, just make sure you coat the inside of the A pillar with something to prevent those speed clip-scratches to start rusting again from day one.