[G559]

Originally Posted by squidlyboy

When you say a little off, do you mean that it has those 1/4"-1/2" gaps at the ends?

I think the ones from Advanation have this gap ...

Yes. It's not too bad on my car since everything's black.

[roxxor]

Ordered mine from Selma on ebay this weekend, should be here end of next week. Hopefully it fits with no big gaps!

[Dippydo]

Originally Posted by roxxor

Ordered mine from Selma on ebay this weekend, should be here end of next week. Hopefully it fits with no big gaps!

You will be safe with Selma. Thats the one I have and there are zero gaps and fits like a glove.

[squidlyboy]

Originally Posted by roxxor

Ordered mine from Selma on ebay this weekend, should be here end of next week. Hopefully it fits with no big gaps!

Can you provide a link to this mythical Selma vendor on Ebay... or at least provide the search terms you used to locate this lip? I'm using a combination of "BMW F30" plus different combinations of "m tech front lip splitter bumper spoiler performance m sport"

I must have spent 30 mins on Ebay looking for them and while i found about a dozen various vendors selling this lip, i cant find this Selma. Most of them acknowledge that their lips are manufactured in China and have the weird gaps on the end.

like WTF For some reason i can't locate them to save my life...

[Marshalltj]

I checked and can't find Selma as a seller either. Just this persons Ebay seller ID would be fine, please.

[Dippydo]

Originally Posted by squidlyboy

Can you provide a link to this mythical Selma vendor on Ebay... or at least provide the search terms you used to locate this lip? I'm using a combination of "BMW F30" plus different combinations of "m tech front lip splitter bumper spoiler performance m sport"

I must have spent 30 mins on Ebay looking for them and while i found about a dozen various vendors selling this lip, i cant find this Selma. Most of them acknowledge that their lips are manufactured in China and have the weird gaps on the end.

like WTF For some reason i can't locate them to save my life...

Here you go.

http://www.ebay.com/usr/selmausa?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

[smolik]

Not $100 but probably the best option considering fitment and quality. $185 is still not bad.

[squidlyboy]

Originally Posted by Dippydo

Here you go.

http://www.ebay.com/usr/selmausa?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

Thanks! that's so weird... the title of the item shoulda matched most of the terms i used

Anyways - appreciate the pointer

[Dippydo]

Originally Posted by squidlyboy

Thanks! that's so weird... the title of the item shoulda matched most of the terms i used

Anyways - appreciate the pointer

Yes I know. I ran into the same problem as you when I was searching until a member gave me the link. Guys name is Jason who I dealt with. If you need his direct email let me know. That's how I contacted him best.

[roxxor]

Got mine in, looks good but I haven't had a chance to check fitment yet. Only question I have before I do the install is: For those of you who installed this, did you follow the instructions from the M Performance install guide? If so, did you use Betalink, and what did you do about the "Installation Plate" in the center? Mine ended up including screws, but I went to the dealer and got the blind rivets mentioned in the guide.

[squidlyboy]

my original lip finally fell apart, so i gotta pull the trigger now on a new one. after reading all the posts all over again, just a couple of observations, and then a few questions. I assume all the ones $250 and over are going to be OEM or very close to OEM, which includes the reinforcement bracket (either installed already or packaged separately), mounting hardware, and instructions. but i'm mostly looking at the lips that are $100-$180, which these comments/questions are based on.

Please correct if any of these things are wrong...

1) so far, all of the $100 Ebay lips are manufactured in China, have that weird gap at the ends, come with no instructions, no mounting hardware (screws, rivets, clips, ...), and have the reinforcement bracket already mounted inside the lip. All are either matte black or gray, ready to be painted (primered). I've emailed about 3-4 of them asking about the gap, and only one responded confirming the gap. None of the others even responded. No doubt they all got theirs from the same supplier.

2) The one(s) from Taiwan, which are a closest to perfect OEM specs/fitment, start a little higher in price. The only one found to date is the one from Selma, and that starts at $180, unless you happen to have lucked out like Dippydo. This one also comes with no mounting hardware, no separate reinforcement bracket (already installed?), no instructions, and is matte black.

Questions
------------
1) The BMW instructions that have been floating around state that you should use like 10-12 blind/pop rivets to attach the lip to the mounting bracket. Anyone find that this was necessary to do? Sounds like overkill to me. When i last lifted MY car up, i noticed both ends of the splitter had only 2 screws fastening them to the bumper (i think i was looking at the right thing). Anyways, anyone else have comments about this? 2 screws enough or too little?

2) Anyone do their installation without the blind rivets? I've never used them before, but saw in a youtube video that you have to drill them out to remove, which to me, seems like a PITA if you ever have to do a replacement. Anyone do the install with just some plain Torx screws or similar to make work down the road easier?

[Dippydo]

Originally Posted by squidlyboy

my original lip finally fell apart, so i gotta pull the trigger now on a new one. after reading all the posts all over again, just a couple of observations, and then a few questions. I assume all the ones $250 and over are going to be OEM or very close to OEM, which includes the reinforcement bracket (either installed already or packaged separately), mounting hardware, and instructions. but i'm mostly looking at the lips that are $100-$180, which these comments/questions are based on.

Please correct if any of these things are wrong...

1) so far, all of the $100 Ebay lips are manufactured in China, have that weird gap at the ends, come with no instructions, no mounting hardware (screws, rivets, clips, ...), and have the reinforcement bracket already mounted inside the lip. All are either matte black or gray, ready to be painted (primered). I've emailed about 3-4 of them asking about the gap, and only one responded confirming the gap. None of the others even responded. No doubt they all got theirs from the same supplier.

2) The one(s) from Taiwan, which are a closest to perfect OEM specs/fitment, start a little higher in price. The only one found to date is the one from Selma, and that starts at $180, unless you happen to have lucked out like Dippydo. This one also comes with no mounting hardware, no separate reinforcement bracket (already installed?), no instructions, and is matte black.

Questions
------------
1) The BMW instructions that have been floating around state that you should use like 10-12 blind/pop rivets to attach the lip to the mounting bracket. Anyone find that this was necessary to do? Sounds like overkill to me. When i last lifted MY car up, i noticed both ends of the splitter had only 2 screws fastening them to the bumper (i think i was looking at the right thing). Anyways, anyone else have comments about this? 2 screws enough or too little?

2) Anyone do their installation without the blind rivets? I've never used them before, but saw in a youtube video that you have to drill them out to remove, which to me, seems like a PITA if you ever have to do a replacement. Anyone do the install with just some plain Torx screws or similar to make work down the road easier?

Damn he raised it to 180 now? Glad I got mine when I did. Here is a picture of everything that comes with the Selma one. I keep one as a spare in case I damage the first one I got. For 100 bucks it is worth it to me. I believe the "bracket" you are referring to is the separate piece here in the picture. It comes with the Selma one and a bag of screws and clips as shown.

I only had two screws center with the plastic rivets on the outer with the 3m tape and it was more than enough. The 3m tape strength is 20lbs per square inch. That is a lot and more than enough to keep it on. I pulled mine off for winter because it gets so cold here that I was not worried about damaging the lip itself more than damaging the bumper if I hit a piece of ice in our below zero temps. It took quite a bit of heat and pulling to get it off. It was not coming off easy.

[squidlyboy]

Thanks for the info! I think Jason was monitoring this thread and thought, "hell, everyone wants one and i've got the only one from Taiwan that has perfect fitment! I could charge double" Its still a great price though, and the best of the rest of the ones that are upwards of $300-$500. Actually, i should probably STFU or else he might raise prices even more.

Thanks for clarifying that the Selma lip DOES include mounting hardware (screws, c-clips). I was actually on the bridgewater site getting ready to order some when i noticed you posted. You saved me $20 :-) I was following the BMW OEM install guide and saw that installation requires torx screws, c-clips, and blind rivets. Interesting that your lip came with only torx screws and c-clips but no rivets. Its similar to what this vendor includes with his lip. However, this vendor includes a bunch of blind/pop rivets only. I guess the manufacturing of these lips are all slightly different in terms of where and how they attach to the bumper.

Slightly different question for those who have actually REPLACED an existing front lip before. The "bracket" (BMW install guide calls it "Adaptor") that Dippydo shows in his pic sometimes comes already attached to the lip and sometimes it comes as a separate piece.

1) When you removed your old lip, do you remove the old bracket/adapter along with it, or do you just take off the old lip and attach the new lip to existing bracket/adapter?

2) Is your bracket/adapter attached to the bumper with rivets or torx screws?

I want to make this as easy as possible, and since the BMW install guide shows that the bracket/adapter is installed using pop rivets, that means drilling them out to remove them (PITA). I really hope i can get away with not having to mess with rivets ... i don't even have a rivet tool, so another trip down to HF :-(

[Dippydo]

Yes there are no pop rivets. I don't look at that thing as a bracket really. When I mounted mine, I attached that piece to the lip first and got it all put together, then attached the whole unit to the car. Much easier that way. The pop rivets are real cheap and are just used on the outer two points. I guess one could use more, but it is really not needed with the tape. Probably no right or wrong way, but that is what I found was easy and it lasted with no problem.

[squidlyboy]

My Selma front lip arrived today - it looks identical to my OEM M Performance lip in every other way. I see what you mean about the bracket ... its more like a reinforcement piece that allows the outer lip to keep its shape. I already have that piece mounted on my car from my previous lip, so it might be easier for me to just install just the new lip onto the already mounted bracket... assuming the fitment is exactly the same. The only other thing would be the tape on the existing piece would be old and unusable, and the tape is like half the thing keeping the lip to the car :-) I'll definitely have to use the mounting screws with the clips. Either way, this install should be a piece of cake.. don't even need to remove the bumper

btw... i didn't get the lip at as good of a price as you, but i noticed that there was a "Make an Offer" button, so i didn't pay full price either

[smithf80]

Ugh, when will the prices come down the for F32!?!?, atleast there are other mods to keep me satisfied.... for now.

[Dippydo]

Originally Posted by squidlyboy

My Selma front lip arrived today - it looks identical to my OEM M Performance lip in every other way. I see what you mean about the bracket ... its more like a reinforcement piece that allows the outer lip to keep its shape. I already have that piece mounted on my car from my previous lip, so it might be easier for me to just install just the new lip onto the already mounted bracket... assuming the fitment is exactly the same. The only other thing would be the tape on the existing piece would be old and unusable, and the tape is like half the thing keeping the lip to the car :-) I'll definitely have to use the mounting screws with the clips. Either way, this install should be a piece of cake.. don't even need to remove the bumper

btw... i didn't get the lip at as good of a price as you, but i noticed that there was a "Make an Offer" button, so i didn't pay full price either

Just a little advice before applying the tape. The body shop put mine on and it came loose within a day and I had to redo it myself. The problem with injection molded pieces is that the releasing agent from the mold leaves a residue on the parts. So on things like this where you need to stick tape to it you might want to do the following to make sure the tape firmly adheres to it. I did this and when I pulled mine off for winter it was a biotch to get off even with a hair drier heating it up to get the tape soft.

1. On the lip only, not the car bumper obviously... Where ever you are sticking the tape, take 300-400 grit sand paper and run over the area a few times.

2. Wipe sanded area down with rubbing alcohol. Make sure you change paper towels several times to get all the dust up.

3. Wipe down the area on the car with rubbing alcohol where the tape will go.

4. I would strongly urge to use 3m adhesive promoter on the lip side where the tape goes, then stick the tape on that area. Do not put the adhesive promoter on the bumper painted side. Wiping the bumper off with rubbing alcohol will remove the wax and the tape will adhere to it.

5. Assemble the entire piece, then stick it on the car. I placed tape on the vertical part of the lip. This way you can line it up better. You go in from the front at like a 45 degree angle. Once the rear section is lined up, pull it forward a little, lower it down and then push against the bumper to stick. It should line up perfect that way.

If you do this the tape will be strong. I only had the pop rivets with 2 screws center and my lip survived all our BMW cruises with speeds well over 100mph (taken place in Mexico of course and several inclines that caught it at parking garages.

Yah I am glad I bought my spare one before he increased the price. I know a lot of members bought it from him early on when they saw my thread on the conversion.

Let me know if you have any questions.

[squidlyboy]

That's really great information!

As i was visually inspecting that inner piece last night, one thing i noticed was the double sided tape that is already there looks a little flimsy. I was actually thinking of using some really GOOD double sided tape , but it was just a passing thought. Now i know i will. I purchased it at Lowes and it has an advertised weight capacity of 20lbs. Its like triple the width and double the thickness of the tape that's currently sitting on the part. More surface area coverage will help, but like you mentioned, i really need to do a good job cleaning the surface first. I've never used or heard of this 3m adhesive promoter, but i'll check to see if Lowes or HD have it in stock. I want to do this install this weekend as its a long weekend, and i prob don't have time to order this stuff online and have it come in time.

So maybe i should remove both the old lip and that inner piece off the car, so that i can insure a good solid bond with these new parts. I'm not sure what condition the current one on the car is like anyways, but its prob best not take a chance on re-using it.

Btw, in the OEM instruction guide, it says to tape everything up to hold it (support it) in place for a few hours (or overnight or whatever), once the install is done. I guess its so that it can bond/cure for a bit? Did you end up doing that?

I think i have everything else i need. I'll let you know how it goes...

[Dippydo]

Originally Posted by squidlyboy

That's really great information!

As i was visually inspecting that inner piece last night, one thing i noticed was the double sided tape that is already there looks a little flimsy. I was actually thinking of using some really GOOD double sided tape , but it was just a passing thought. Now i know i will. I purchased it at Lowes and it has an advertised weight capacity of 20lbs. Its like triple the width and double the thickness of the tape that's currently sitting on the part. More surface area coverage will help, but like you mentioned, i really need to do a good job cleaning the surface first. I've never used or heard of this 3m adhesive promoter, but i'll check to see if Lowes or HD have it in stock. I want to do this install this weekend as its a long weekend, and i prob don't have time to order this stuff online and have it come in time.

So maybe i should remove both the old lip and that inner piece off the car, so that i can insure a good solid bond with these new parts. I'm not sure what condition the current one on the car is like anyways, but its prob best not take a chance on re-using it.

Btw, in the OEM instruction guide, it says to tape everything up to hold it (support it) in place for a few hours (or overnight or whatever), once the install is done. I guess its so that it can bond/cure for a bit? Did you end up doing that?

I think i have everything else i need. I'll let you know how it goes...

Yes HD or Lowes should have it. Or a local auto paint & body supply shop. You got the right tape. The strong stuff is 20lbs per sq inch and no I didn't use tape to hold it in place. I actually put it on the night before a show and drove a few hours later. The tape adheres instantly really. I wouldn't get it wet for 24 hours though just in case. If you let it sit over night you will be fine. I think the OEM one suggests the glue which is why they said to tape it up perhaps? I did warm mine up with a hair drier after I put it on to heat it up a little bit and ran my hand firmly over it to get out any air pockets that might be there.

[DD335i]

Definitely going to pick up the Selma piece ASAP for my BSM
I think the contrast between metallic and matte will be nice as I have matte grilles.
Also found on his items the trunk lip spoiler for $50
Looks like I'll be busy soon!
The mod bug is biting hard...

[squidlyboy]

Install Notes

1. The clean up of the old lip was the biggest PITA in the whole process. The previous installer left a grey residue mess on the left side of the painted bumper where the lip apron fits over. I don't know if it wasn't sticking right after the first attempt, and they possibly added some additional adhesive afterwards, but there was a hardened mess of who knows what left behind that i had to take a lot of time to scrape off. The right side didn't have that hardened chemical residue. It just had some double sided tape residue that i was able to easily remove with Goo Gone, 70% IPA, and a lot of fingernail. The lip damage you see in the first pic was from the first week i got the car. I accidentally ran into the concrete barrier in a parking lot stall. I've been limping along with a cracked lip for the last 6 months and it finally gave out.

2. I was pleasantly surprised that the rivets used for the previous lip (to attach it to the car .. and needs to be re-used) was the re-usable push-pin variety that can be easily removed with just a pair of needle-nose pliers. I was expecting to have to drill them out, and did so on the first one before realizing these are the same type of rivets used to hold the trunk liners in place. Very cool. Very convenient. I believe these are OEM part number 51118174185 (Expanding Rivet).

3. Like Dippy mentioned, if your lip comes in two separate pieces (lip + adapter), its easier if you insert/attach the adapter into the lip first, before attaching the combined lip/adapter altogether as one piece to the car. Some lips will come with the adapter already attached to the lip, in which case you lucked out ... as it saves you about 30-60mins of work, attaching the c-clips and torx screws to bind the two together.

4. Only 4 blind rivets are used to hold the lip to the car (see circled #1, #2, #3, and #4 in pics below). The install is a piece of cake once you have the car up on jack stands. Actually, if you get the Selma lip, they also include two other screws to attach the center of the lip onto the car. I actually used them just for additional reinforcement. My previous lip's center was not attached to the car, so it swung free. It didn't seem to make a huge difference. I think it just gives me more peace of mind knowing the center is also attached.

5. The most time consuming part of the install (besides the residue clean-up) was prepping the lip. I followed DippyDo's advice and sanded the area, and sprayed some adhesive promoter before applying the 20# strength double-side tape to other areas of the lip in addition to the included thin strip they had in the front-facing part of the apron. I did a 3" vertical strip near the extreme edges on both sides and i did a long strip across the top of the apron.

6. I also found it helpful to do the little trick he mentioned where you come in at a 45 degree angle from the top to make sure the back gets seated properly first (eliminate any gap between lip and grill), then swing it down like a hinge, and the rest of it just snaps into place. From there, its just popping in the 4 blind rivets on each side, then you're done. Optionally, you can do the 2 center screws if your lip comes with it and you want some additional reinforcement.

[Chuckbuster]

Awesome write up thanks Squidlyboy..I'm expecting my lip to arrive this week so will be using your photos for reference!