Boosted Member
I have Rieger plastic side skirts on my e36. They were installed by what is supposed to be one of the best shops in my area. Last October they attached each skirt with 4 screws and a long strip of double-sided tape. For whatever reason, the skirts were ill-fitting (not long enough) and had tiny cracks in them where they wrapped around into each wheel well. The shop owner told me that the skirts must have contracted (shrunk) after installation and cooling.
Anyway, now that it is hot as hell outside, the skirts seem to be EXPANDING, quite a bit. To the point that one side has popped-off the double-sided tape and bulged or bowed away from the rocker panel. This happenned about two weeks ago on a hot day, and happenned again today.
These skirts are expanding and contracting way too much. My suspicion is that the body shop used too much heat to cure the paint on them - but this is nothing more than speculation. Anybody else have this problem or any ideas on how to fix it?
Thanks.
Garrett
Senior Member
hey sorry but this is waaaay off topic... Where did you get your valve cover done like that?? it looks tooooo good.
Boosted Member
Bimmerworld made 7 of them. I lucked-up and got one.
Thanks
Garrett
Member
Same issues with my Rieger sideskirts. They have tiny cracks right where they wrap around and attach by each wheel well. My car is supposed to be going in this week to get them fixed but I think I am purchasing some Hamann sides instead.
P I T T S B U R G H, P A
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Member
Are they ABS or fiberglass?
Originally Posted by ClintonM3
Member
same problem.. ABS
Member
Same problem for me too. Mine were glued on, and the glue all came off recently because it has been hot as hell in SoCal. And all of mine are cracked where they go around the wheel well. I thought my shop just sucked at installing them. How are you guys going to have them fixed?
Member
The guy at my shop told me that he knew that was going to happen when he installed them. He said he'll be able to fix them (I didn't really ask how) but I'm thinking of changing them to the Hamann ones anyway.
P I T T S B U R G H, P A
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Thats unfortunate.
How can I prevent this from happening to mine?
Member
Are you sure that the sideskirt itself is what's cracking and it's not just the paint? Maybe they didn't use a flex agent while painting.
Member
HAHAH are you serious? I think we as a group can see the difference between PLASTIC cracking.. and paint.. I'm sorry but that has to be the dumbest question in quite a while...
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youd be suprised you bitch
Member
Can you say. suck my dick as*hole?
Last edited by ///M3-Mike; 05-11-2004 at 10:15 PM.
Restaurant *****
whoa, be nice Mike,
daved, paint cracking as a result of lack of flexing agent and the actual skirt cracking are bound to be noticed as you know i'm sure,
it's funny because half the guys on here swear by abs plastic parts, but I always use fiberglass parts on my car, My esquiss parts are hand laid fiberglass and are hands down the best quality aftermarket bumpers I have ever seen, knock-off fiberglass replica parts are usually crap, but when a company manufactures their parts from fiberglass usually they can be trusted to be quality parts...
My hamann stw sideskirts are authentic hamann and are hand laid fiberglass and these things are practically unbreakable.....
and they are for sale, 97Mpwr, you have a pm
Rich
"For A Second I Wish The Tide, Would Swallow Every Inch Of This City....."
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Yes.
Boosted Member
You guys, it sounds like what we have on our hands here is a DEFECTIVE DESIGN.I was hoping my situation was isolated, but it seems like it is the norm. This sucks.
:
The cracks look shitty, but the skirts look down-right rediculous when they bow-out away from the body as they heat-up . . . looks like a rice mobile gone bad . . .
I'm pissed.:
Garrett
Member
I completely agree with you. My body shop said they actually were a little bit too small (hence the cracking where they wrap around near the wheel wells.)The cracks look shitty, but the skirts look down-right rediculous when they bow-out away from the body as they heat-up . . . looks like a rice mobile gone bad . . .
I'm pissed.
WhiteM32 - Thanks man, I appreciate the offer, but I've got a local buddy who I am purchasing my Hamann sideskirts from. They actually look a little different than the ones you are selling.
The cracks are definitely in the plastic and not the paint. I'm sure any body shop will be able to fix them right up and put them back on, but I'm changing to the Hamann ones so this hopefully won't happen again.
P I T T S B U R G H, P A
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License Revoked
First off, sorry to hear of your bad luck. But seriously, why funk up the stock beautiful M3 body? I just don't get it. Your stock side skirts rock!You guys, it sounds like what we have on our hands here is a DEFECTIVE DESIGN.
The cracks look shitty, but the skirts look down-right rediculous when they bow-out away from the body as they heat-up . . . looks like a rice mobile gone bad . . .
I'm pissed.
Member
First off, sorry to hear of your bad luck. But seriously, why funk up the stock beautiful M3 body? I just don't get it. Your stock side skirts rock!
If only you would have offered up that insight before i purchased that SMS rear bumper off you.
P I T T S B U R G H, P A
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License Revoked
If only you would have offered up that insight before i purchased that SMS rear bumper off you.
Hey, it was hard to stop your persistance. You really wanted my bumper, so I HAD to sell it to you.
Member
hmmm, i guess i was a little persistent huh?
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Boosted Member
why funk up the stock beautiful M3 body? I just don't get it. Your stock side skirts rock!
Why ask why? Style is a matter of opinion, right?
Your question makes me wonder if you've ever even seen Rieger skirts.: If you have seen them, then you know that they look identical to OE M3 skirts, except they go just a tad bit lower. If the OE skirts "rock!", then the Rieger skirts must also "rock!".
Garrett
License Revoked
Chill out gangsta, I was giving your car a compliment.Why ask why? Style is a matter of opinion, right?
Your question makes me wonder if you've ever even seen Rieger skirts.
Oh, and there's something to be said for factory fitment and quality isn't there? Which Rieger obviously doesn't have.
E36LSBS52OBD1
Thank you Rich, You are probably the only guy on here that actually agrees with.
Like you said fiberglass is a composite material and if manufactured correctly, and you have added flex into your paint, you will not have any problems with it.
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Boosted Member
Thanks for the compliment lil' gangsta.
I could almost understand your question if you had never seen Rieger skirts before and you assumed they were a real departure from the OE look. But in light of the fact that they look almost exactly the same, the question was a dumb one . . . and the statement about "funk-up" the stock look was even dumber.
Its kinda like asking somone why do you wear a V-neck white cotton shirt vs. a crew neck white cotton shirt? Or why do you say TomAto instead of tOmato? Or why do you have an estoril car instead of dakar? Or why lux vs. regular M3? See what i mean - kinda stupid questions. Its all good, though.
Garrett
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