Am I missing a piece of my grill?

[Ben Carufel]

Guys,

I just realized today that the lower valance on the front only has one black grill thingy...it should have two, right? I couldn't feel any clips or figure out how another piece would go in there, but it seems to me like I'm missing something...

It would go in the hole right under the bumper, the long thin one. See what I'm saying?

Anyone else with an 89-91 325i or 325is missing theirs? Can anyone please give me a part number if indeed I'm missing it? Thanks!

[cohiba]

Are you referring to the valence lip "clips"? On the "is" models, there are 10 clips.

[Ben Carufel]

Nono, not the lip...those two long, thin, horizontal cutouts that help the oil cooler get cool...there's only a black plastic insert in the bottom one...I'm wondering if both top and bottom should have a plastic thing in them...

[cohiba]

Actually my car has only one insert, its the lower one.

[randywalters]

I just realized today that the lower valance on the front only has one black grill thingy...it should have two, right? I couldn't feel any clips or figure out how another piece would go in there, but it seems to me like I'm missing something...

Only the lower slot has an insert - the top slot does not. It's normal. Odd, but normal. You'll notice that the top slot has no provision for snapping an insert into it like the bottom slot has.


http://home.earthlink.net/~randylwalters/_uimages/FrontViewatQualcommsharper.jpg

[Ben Carufel]

Yeah, that's why I kinda figured there wouldn't be anything on top...

Here's one for ya: How do I get the bottom one out? I figured out how to get the two sides loose, but there's a funny thing in the middle I haven't figured out how to unsnap....

[iamane30m20nut]

Randy, I must say again that your car is sweet. Of what manufacture are the outer lights? They look purposeful and lend a more serious attitude to your car. (As if it weren't serious enough... look at those Ronals and the lowering job.) Ben, why do you want to get the bottom one out? Isn't it there to protect the oil cooler from debris? (That is the oil cooler, right?)

[Ben Carufel]

Randy's car just has ellipsoids. Mine has them too. See the pic. I can't remember which cars in particular had them...I agree, though, they look sweet.

I want to take that lower thing out to paint it semi-gloss like I'm going to paint the grill tomorrow...It'll go back in, don't worry! :D

And yes, that is the oil cooler...

[iamane30m20nut]

Ben, you lucky bastard, you have the lip spoiler still... mine was killed by the previous owner. And you have ellips and I don't! My trim looks to be in much better condition, though. Ha, I have you on one count! Ben, remember to post pics of the freshly painted grille and oil-cooler-damage-preventer-trimpiece. Oh... and how much to ellipsoids cost?

[Ben Carufel]

There's a guy on e30forum.net selling his right now. You could probably pick them up for $100.

[aychseven]

elipsoids came with 1989 cars in the us.