[Grentz]

I saw this accessory and really wanted to add it to my car as I knew the bumper would be one area that was going to get scratched up without protection no matter how careful I was. Surprisingly I could not find one person talking about it online in forums or anywhere :yikes:

This accessory is sold under the name of Rear Bumper Edge Protector, Load Edge Protector, or Trunk Edge Protector and comes in two colors, clear or black.

Clear P/N: 51 14 0 403 332
Black P/N: 51 14 0 403 325
http://accessories.bmwusa.com/ItemVi...&productId=898

Both MSRP for $36.73, I ordered from Tischer (www.getbmwparts.com) for a total of $41 w/shipping.

It comes in a tiny box with:
-squeegee
-soap packet
-alcohol swab packet
-protector itself

No instructions are included, but Tischer can send them to you and I also attached them to this post. Sorry I forgot to grab a picture of the box/items in the box.

Here is a picture of the protector rolled out, I opted for the black version obviously:


The protector is very nice quality. It is a matte black and has a bit of a texture to it that should hide scratches nicely and wear well. I was impressed and have seen a lot of stick on protector type products in the past. After putting the protector up to the bumper I found I had an issue though, it was not the right fit! :mad:

It is not long enough to cover the whole bumper area and it also was actually too wide to fit on the bumper and over hung a bit. After some more looking I think this might be because I have a 2009 LCI 335d, but I dunno.



I decided to do my own custom mod of it though since I already had it and really wanted a protector. What I did was round off the ends with a razor blade using a simple curve template based on the first little indent already cut on the protector. I also ended up taking a bit off the inside edge to make the whole thing less wide. Was very easy as long as I took my time.



The whole application process is very similar to a screen protector (for phones/pdas/etc.) if you have ever used one before. You basically take the soap packet and mix it with water in a spray bottle. Then you clean the surface with soap/water and finally wipe down the surface (in this case the bumper) with the alcohol swab to get a perfectly clean oil free surface. Next you spray the bumper down with the soap/water mixture and peel the protector off of the backing and spray it down with soap/water as well. This allows you to place the sticker on the bumper and still be able to position it and move it without it completely sticking. Finally, using the squeegee, you work the soap/water solution out from the middle and remove any air bubbles. You can also follow up with a light blow dry using a normal hair dryer to completely dry and stick the protector on the bumper.

All this is easy enough to do and this sticker was really nice quality and smoothed out REALLY well, I was impressed.

Here is the final product:


Overall I am happy with the product and results. I was not thrilled I had to modify it, but in the end I actually think I like the look better as it is a nice simple rectangle with smooth curved ends and an edge curve that follows the edge of the bumper.

I am shocked more people have not gone for this accessory as in my book it is awesome and makes a big difference in protecting the back area of the car where you load/unload things and even while being careful can cause scratches and marks.