[s3touring]

thought i'd enclose a pic of my former wagon. in the encircled area, there's a piece of black plastic that protects the top of the rear bumper from all sorts of stuff as it is thrown in or hauled out of the rear.



in our e91s, it's just exposed paint.


is there an oem piece that can be bought? my current idea is to have someone who does the clear bra just apply a piece in that area. any other suggestions?

thanks.

[Majikthese42]

Originally Posted by BMW Accessories

Rear Bumper Edge Protector

Helps protect the cargo area sill from minor dings and scratches. Comes in transparent or black.

Rear Bumper Edge Protection-Transparent(PN: 51 14 0 403 597)
Find a BMW Center and buy this online now$39.37

Rear Bumper Edge Protection-Black(PN: 51 14 0 403 598)
Find a BMW Center and buy this online now$39.37

Each price is the suggested retail price and is subject to change. Price excludes installation and taxes.

[Buy this now at a local BMW Center] Buy this now at a local BMW Center [Buy this now at a local BMW Center]

_

[s3touring]

majikthese24,

THANKS! by the way, is this an adhesive part, or does it require some scary diy that i am no good at?

[///Mik3]

i actually made a little something for my car, which kinda serves 3 different functions all together. One of those functions was protecting the bumper when loading items in.

Essentially, the initial idea was to create something that i could hang over the rear bumper to protect the rear bumper when the car is parallel parked on the street. I live in a heavy metropolitan area where people parallel park by "feel" So i wanted to protect the bumper from that. Then the idea came of also making it so it will protect the bumper when i'm loading a bunch of stuff in the trunk. Then also came the idea of protecting the cargo are from things that might be dirty, ie. my bicycle.

So from that i came up w/ this solution (sorry, i know the pictures suck. I'll try to take better ones if you're really interested in the idea):





So to explain it a little better. I took a moving blanket and cut a hole out for the trunk latch. Cut a couple holes for a bungee cord to go through and hook on to the hooks near the back of the trunk. The bungee keeps it in place. I put velcro up by the tail lights to keep the sides up. This all stays folded in place near the back of the trunk. When i want to load up a bunch of stuff, i just unfold the front flap, and lay it over the bumper. If i want to i can leave that flap out and close the hatch. This then acts as a protector for the bumper when parallel parked. And if i want to load something dirty like my bike, i unroll the rest of it into the cargo area and it covers everything up and i place my bike right on it.

The whole thing cost me less than $20 to make.
moving blanket ~$12 shipped
needle & thread: ~$2
velcro: ~$4
bungee: had one lying around.

Sorry, long post, but i thought i'd share in case something like this might be of interest to you.

Otherwise, yes you can buy a clear film to put right on the top of the bumper to protect from scratches when loading.

[Majikthese42]

Originally Posted by s3touring

majikthese24,

THANKS! by the way, is this an adhesive part, or does it require some scary diy that i am no good at?

I don't have the gizmo -- I found it over on the BMW website.

We have a couple of trucks that we use for heavy-duty carrying.

There is a DIY over at Bimmerfest (Search: "Rear Bumper Edge Protector") with photos that looks like it would be very helpful.

[Kilgore Trout]

There is a very similar item available at Bav Autosports

[AlanL]

I had an installer put Clear Bra on mine - works great. I sit in the back to change my boots/shoes when I am out taking pictures and often need to just grab a towel to wipe that area off before sitting down. No problem with the covering.

[s3touring]

Originally Posted by ///Mik3

Sorry, long post, but i thought i'd share in case something like this might be of interest to you.

Otherwise, yes you can buy a clear film to put right on the top of the bumper to protect from scratches when loading.

mik3,

very ingenious idea. you've obviously thought it out! i've seen similar flaps over cars in sf - where bumpers get constantly bumped! thanks! (admittedly i'm not good with my hands, and want a permanent, brainless, and oem solution. )

Originally Posted by Majikthese42

I don't have the gizmo -- I found it over on the BMW website. There is a DIY over at Bimmerfest (Search: "Rear Bumper Edge Protector") with photos that looks like it would be very helpful.

thanks, majikthese42, found it. i guess it takes some installation work, almost similar to a clear bra of sorts. i *think* i can handle it. hahahaha.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...edge+protector

interestingly, grentz (the guy who did it) ended up cutting this piece that extends over the edge...


it's my GUESS that perhaps that flap was to go over the edge, as the black plastic piece in my previous wagon does not simply occupy the top surface area...i've posted a question for him to see what he thought of that.

Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout

There is a very similar item available at Bav Autosports

thanks, kilgore. i'm a pretty decent search function user, but did not find it after using words like 'trunk,' 'rear bumper,' etc. not too intuitive. i figure if the oem part is available, i would 'stick with' () it.

Originally Posted by AlanL

I had an installer put Clear Bra on mine - works great. I sit in the back to change my boots/shoes when I am out taking pictures and often need to just grab a towel to wipe that area off before sitting down. No problem with the covering.

alanl, thanks. the clear bra approach is attractive as it is clear. do you have a picture of it on yours? (although i guess the oem piece might offer just a little more protection. what do you think?)

[Kilgore Trout]

Page 58 in the new Bav Autosports catalog, part # RBP OOO

I am not going to try and convince you that the Bav Autosports item is better, because I have absolutely no reason to believe that. However, i would not be swayed by the OEM notion. Most BMW accessories are rebadged produced made by a third party vendor and I've been soundly unimpressed with a lot of it.

Oh, and thanks for posting this thread. I've got an E91 and have the exact same issue. This was very helpful.

[YYC Bimmer Driver]

Originally Posted by AlanL

I had an installer put Clear Bra on mine - works great. I sit in the back to change my boots/shoes when I am out taking pictures and often need to just grab a towel to wipe that area off before sitting down. No problem with the covering.

I did this as well on my last couple of tourings. The film just wipes off and no scuffing of the paint.

[roundle]

Hi All,

I should receive my '11 E91 in a few weeks. The car will be Sapphire Black Met.

Which would you suggest, the OEM bumper protection in transparent or black?

Both parts are listed here:

http://accessories.bmwusa.com/ItemVi...&productId=173


Thanks!

[s3touring]

roundle,

i'd go black if i were you, as the potential to see the bubbles wold not be near as obvious on the transparent...and i still have not gotten around to installing mine!