[thatBimmerBloke]

I've ordered CF shark fin/antenna cover for my car and wanted to know if anyone has successfully removed it after install without damaging the underlying antenna/fin and the paint?

I believe it is supposed to be attached using 3M double-sided tape.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

I'll also be installing the M4 style CF trunk spoiler, any info about removing that successfully would also be helpful.

Thank You.

[328iX]

I've never done the antenna but have done spoilers in the past. but removing 3m tape off paint causes no harm, heat up the area prior to removal though (hair dryer or low heat on a heat gun), and use a paint safe adhesive remover afterwards.

[thatBimmerBloke]

Originally Posted by 328dX

I've never done the antenna but have done spoilers in the past. but removing 3m tape off paint causes no harm, heat up the area prior to removal though (hair dryer or low heat on a heat gun), and use a paint safe adhesive remover afterwards.

I'm just worried because of the weird shape of the antenna/fin cover, I will have to just pull out evenly after heating without pulling off the antenna/fin too

[mlev]

You need to tape around the fin against the roof, then use a razor to cut the rubber gasket holding the fin on. Heat will not remove the fin since rubber is holding it on. To seal it back on, highly recommend using a silicone industrial strength weatherproof sealant (used with windows). Do not use a strong sealant from Autozone to put the new one on (learned my lesson, was too weak to bond correctly). You can try the 3m tape it comes with, but I don't really trust whatever they include from China. If water gets in there, replacement can get pretty expensive.
Had this done when my roof was wrapped gloss black and haven't had any issues with leaking or water in antenna.

[thatBimmerBloke]

Originally Posted by mlev

You need to tape around the fin against the roof, then use a razor to cut the rubber gasket holding the fin on. Heat will not remove the fin. To seal it back on, highly recommend using a silicone industrial strength weatherproof sealant (used with windows). Do not use a strong sealant from Autozone to put the new one on (learned my lesson, was too weak to bond correctly). You can try the 3m tape it comes with, but I don't really trust whatever they include from China. If water gets in there, replacement can get pretty expensive.
Had this done when my roof was wrapped gloss black and haven't had any issues with leaking or water in antenna.

Can't it be wrapped without removing the fin? I was planning on having the roof wrapped, around the fin and then just stick on a CF fin cover on top of the fin?

[mlev]

Originally Posted by thatBimmerBloke

Can't it be wrapped without removing the fin? I was planning on having the roof wrapped, around the fin and then just stick on a CF fin cover on top of the fin?

I could not find a single shop that said they could wrap the fin properly without removing it.

[thatBimmerBloke]

Originally Posted by mlev

I could not find a single shop that said they could wrap the fin properly without removing it.

I found a couple of shops here that would do it without removing the fin, one of them said the fin will have a crease that is noticeable if someone will get very close, I don't mind that, I also have a CF cover that I'll put on top of it.

Did you get the roof wrapped? If so then how's your experience with it?

[mlev]

Originally Posted by thatBimmerBloke

I found a couple of shops here that would do it without removing the fin, one of them said the fin will have a crease that is noticeable if someone will get very close, I don't mind that, I also have a CF cover that I'll put on top of it.

Did you get the roof wrapped? If so then how's your experience with it?

Yes, very happy with my roof wrap. Love the look since I have other black/CF accents. My installer used Avery SW 900 in Gloss Black. I've heard good things about 3M 1080 as well. Also recently got darker tint which makes the roof wrap blend even better. Avery claims their black wrap remains vibrant for up to 12 years. I would definitely do it again.

[thatBimmerBloke]

Originally Posted by mlev

Yes, very happy with my roof wrap. Love the look since I have other black/CF accents. My installer used Avery SW 900 in Gloss Black. I've heard good things about 3M 1080 as well. Also recently got darker tint which makes the roof wrap blend even better. Avery claims their black wrap remains vibrant for up to 12 years. I would definitely do it again.

Thanks man, I'm getting it done this weekend or the next. For how long have you had it so far? Also what made you go for Avery instead of 3M? I had a black 328 that I traded in for white 435, I miss the black look.

[mlev]

Originally Posted by thatBimmerBloke

Thanks man, I'm getting it done this weekend or the next. For how long have you had it so far? Also what made you go for Avery instead of 3M? I had a black 328 that I traded in for white 435, I miss the black look.

I purposely chose Alpine White so that I could accent it with things like black roof/wheels, CF spoiler, lip, etc. I personally think it's the best looking combo and it's much easier keeping Alpine White looking clean.

Got the roof wrapped 6 months ago. The installer preferred the Avery and it's what he had in stock and used for all his wraps, so I did my research and felt comfortable with using that over the 3M. You can't go wrong with either as long as the installer does a good job.

[thatBimmerBloke]

Originally Posted by mlev

I purposely chose Alpine White so that I could accent it with things like black roof/wheels, CF spoiler, lip, etc. I personally think it's the best looking combo and it's much easier keeping Alpine White looking clean.

Got the roof wrapped 6 months ago. The installer preferred the Avery and it's what he had in stock and used for all his wraps, so I did my research and felt comfortable with using that over the 3M. You can't go wrong with either as long as the installer does a good job.

I've a tint and will do the roof soon, also my interior and headliner is also black, will also de-badge it soon, thinking of wrapping the crossbar with blue carbon vinyl but not sure how easy it will be to take off if I get sick of it, it looks really good, I've seen it on one car so far. Swapped the chrome grills with black ones. Next on the list is M4 style CF trunk spoiler and CF mirror caps, along with CF fin cover. Do you happen to know if I need to drill holes for a front lip splitter? I have M-Sport bumper so might not need any drilling. Also installed the M-sport diffuser couple of weeks back it looks really good!

I read the roof vinyl should be replaced every 3 years, otherwise it gets hard to remove and leaves some yellowish tint in some cases. $300 for 3 years is not a bad deal.

What kind of black wheels do you have? Might powder-coat my 400Ms.

[mlev]

Originally Posted by thatBimmerBloke

I've a tint and will do the roof soon, also my interior and headliner is also black, will also de-badge it soon, thinking of wrapping the crossbar with blue carbon vinyl but not sure how easy it will be to take off if I get sick of it, it looks really good, I've seen it on one car so far. Swapped the chrome grills with black ones. Next on the list is M4 style CF trunk spoiler and CF mirror caps, along with CF fin cover. Do you happen to know if I need to drill holes for a front lip splitter? I have M-Sport bumper so might not need any drilling. Also installed the M-sport diffuser couple of weeks back it looks really good!

I read the roof vinyl should be replaced every 3 years, otherwise it gets hard to remove and leaves some yellowish tint in some cases. $300 for 3 years is not a bad deal.

What kind of black wheels do you have? Might powder-coat my 400Ms.

I'm running OEM black/silver 437m's that I bought from an M3 owner. Nice and aggressive, love the fitment. Not sure I'd like a CF fin and black roof, the difference between the two may bother me. I'd have to see a pic though. I would definitely consider upgrading to 19's before spending that money to powdercoat those 18's, bigger wheels look great on the F32. I almost powdercoated my original 403m's but decided to put that money towards my current wheels instead, very glad I did.

To install my lip, small self tapping screws were used under the bumper to ensure it stays attached properly. Even if it was removed, you wouldn't be able to see the holes so not a big deal. I don't know how you would attach any lips securely without screws. I'm lowered on H&R sport springs and have scraped quite a few times, making me glad it's screwed in (no movement of bumper and no visible damage to lip). That thing needs to be able to withstand a lot, especially driving 80mph on the highway with the wind force.

The older and lower quality vinyl wraps should be replaced every 3 years. I've also read that the metallic/specialty wraps only last about 3 years. Black/white is much more durable. If you're more worried about your paint underneath, you just need to take care of it and do your best to keep it out of the sun when possible. If you park out in the sun and heat all day every day, 3 years would be a safe bet. But even then, the paint will probably look fantastic underneath. I couldn't find any reviews saying SW900 or 1080 messed up their paint after only 3-4 years, when applied properly.

You have to keep in mind that good quality wrap actually protects the paint underneath, moreso than being exposed to the elements during that time. I'm sure your installer can give you some more insight as well. At least you won't have to worry about 1080 or SW900 wrap fading or discoloring, like good window tint it's got great UV protection built in. 1080's gloss black claims "The film is coated with a UV protective layer which lasts up to 7 years outdoors." And Avery claims "up to" 12 years for their black.

edit: correction on installing the lip. You can use the pre-drilled holes from the bolts already in the bumper, but my installer added self-tapping screws on top of that.

[thatBimmerBloke]

Originally Posted by mlev

I'm running OEM black/silver 437m's that I bought from an M3 owner. Nice and aggressive, love the fitment. Not sure I'd like a CF fin and black roof, the difference between the two may bother me. I'd have to see a pic though.

To install my lip, small self tapping screws were used under the bumper to ensure it stays attached properly. Even if it was removed, you wouldn't be able to see the holes so not a big deal. I don't know how you would attach any lips securely without screws. I'm lowered on H&R sport springs and have scraped quite a few times, making me glad it's screwed in (no movement of bumper and no visible damage to lip). That thing needs to be able to withstand a lot, especially driving 80mph on the highway with the wind force.

The older and lower quality vinyl wraps should be replaced every 3 years. I've also read that the metallic/specialty wraps only last about 3 years. Black/white is much more durable. If you're more worried about your paint underneath, you just need to take care of it and do your best to keep it out of the sun when possible. If you park out in the sun and heat all day every day, 3 years would be a safe bet. But even then, the paint will probably look fantastic underneath. I couldn't find any reviews saying SW900 or 1080 messed up their paint after only 3-4 years, when applied properly.

You have to keep in mind that good quality wrap actually protects the paint underneath, moreso than being exposed to the elements during that time. I'm sure your installer can give you some more insight as well. At least you won't have to worry about 1080 or SW900 wrap fading or discoloring, like good window tint it's got great UV protection built in. 1080's gloss black claims "The film is coated with a UV protective layer which lasts up to 7 years outdoors." And Avery claims "up to" 12 years for their black.

Yeah I feel pretty safe about the roof wrap, the guy is gonna get back to me later about doing it this Saturday
How hard was it to attach the front lip? Did you do it yourself? I'm thinking of gettting Dinan springs with bump stops, the shops charge a lot for installing springs over here, the roads here are not so good and my girlfriend's garage has a big slope, it might be fine as she never scraped her Civic Type R which is pretty low in stock form, she does have to go very slow over there.

I can't find the silver/black 437Ms, do you have any picture? All I see are complete black ones.

[mlev]

Originally Posted by thatBimmerBloke

Yeah I feel pretty safe about the roof wrap, the guy is gonna get back to me later about doing it this Saturday
How hard was it to attach the front lip? Did you do it yourself? I'm thinking of gettting Dinan springs with bump stops, the shops charge a lot for installing springs over here, the roads here are not so good and my girlfriend's garage has a big slope, it might be fine as she never scraped her Civic Type R which is pretty low in stock form, she does have to go very slow over there.

I can't find the silver/black 437Ms, do you have any picture? All I see are complete black ones.

Some pics of my wrap + wheels + lip. I had someone install the lip for pretty cheap, he just jacked up the front, lined it up and started installing the screws. I could've done it myself but didn't mind paying a bit

[thatBimmerBloke]

Originally Posted by mlev

Some pics of my wrap + wheels + lip. I had someone install the lip for pretty cheap, he just jacked up the front, lined it up and started installing the screws. I could've done it myself but didn't mind paying a bit

It looks great, the wheels are in shade though so can't really see the color
Is that a matte black lip? Where did you get it from and how's the fitment? Are there different types of front splitters/lips? Apart from different material, I heard carbon fiber lip breaks easily on small impacts.
Also, how is your experience with lowering springs? How long have you had them for?

[mlev]

Originally Posted by thatBimmerBloke

It looks great, the wheels are in shade though so can't really see the color
Is that a matte black lip? Where did you get it from and how's the fitment? Are there different types of front splitters/lips? Apart from different material, I heard carbon fiber lip breaks easily on small impacts.
Also, how is your experience with lowering springs? How long have you had them for?

Thanks. Yeah the shadow makes it hard to see but the wheels have a nice deep aggressive concave. The lip is from eBay, ikonmontorsports. If you go to their profile (or regular eBay) and search "F32 lip" you will see all the options for your car. Mine was called "DP style". Fitment was very good. F30 lips will not fit on the F32.

I chose a polyurethane (dense black gloss plastic) for that reason. They don't crack like carbon fiber does, plus CF is usually much more expensive. For example, I had my brakes changed the other day and the installer test drove my car. He pulled right up to a median and hit it with my lip. I got out, wiped the white concrete dust off my lip, and it looked good as new. I am certain that would have cracked a CF lip.

Car has been lowered for about 5 months. I love the look, H&R sport springs really give the perfect stance. But obviously suspension is stiffer and a bit bumpier being lower to the ground. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for now, but down the road may put on Koni Yellow or possibly Bilstien B8's. I've heard the Koni Yellow's are very comfortable with Dinan Springs or something similar. With M Sport shocks and H&R sport springs, potholes can be rough/loud if you hit them. Car handles great though and I am happy with just the H&R's for the time being