How'd the Northeast '02 owners like an alternative for body

[Guest Anonymous]

URL: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/BA2002s/

http://alfaparts.net/

Hello Matt, we will get back to you after the 1st of the year. We will be happy to take care of the "little Beemer's" needs. Talk to you after the holidays. Thank you, Allen Hall

----- Original Message -----

From: Matthew F. Guilbault

To: allen@alfaparts.net

Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2003 10:11 AM

Subject: Re: Body Panels Inquiry

Thanks for your response!

Allen:

Thanks for your reply. There's a huge demand for almost all body panels as the only true supplier is Jamic out of England (http://www.jaymic.com/classicbmw/default.asp)and availability is determined by Maximillion Imports (http://www.partsforbmws.com/). Other BMW2002 (http://www.partsbmw.com) specialists can supply assorted body panels, but the cost and shipping is often prohibitive for us in the northeast (front fenders are $185 each, and quarters are $695 a piece!). Floor pans have been discontinued and fenders, quarters, nose panels and rockers are always in demand as restoration of these cars continues to be a major undertaking for any owners not located in Southern California. Just check out this page to get a glimpse of what we go through:

http://www.marsmann.com/2002tii/may_status.htm

Additionally, you may be interested in guaging the opinion of other '02 owners on the messagebaord at:

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/talkshop/forum/

An inexpensive alternative for common panels such as front fenders, rockers and assorted rust repair panels not currently available from the common suppliers (http://www.jaymic.com/shop/parts_02_products.asp?grp=02BD), such as post repair and other repair panels, would be a welcome addition.

Thanks again for your reply and your consideration,

Matt

[Guest Anonymous]

Aftermarket panels always seem to require some tweaking. I'm not really happy with the latest MT early noses - headlight buckets aren't welded in correctly, or symetrically the metal is thinner, and the press lines aren't as crisp. The metal is "bunchy" in some places around the rad support area.

[Guest Anonymous]

URL: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/BA2002s/

How do you even go about getting Mobile Traditions stuff? I can't even get them to approve me to get on the website! Are their prices competitive?

I agree with your thoughts, but think that less-than-concours-quality parts would be a welcome alternative to us Northeastern '02ers to keep our daily drivers on the road a bit longer before they die from cancer.

[Guest Anonymous]

(nt)

[Guest Anonymous]

We do not determine availability or price of sheetmetal parts or pretty much anything else for that matter. We get most of our parts from BMW Mobile Tradition, who is a division of BMW AG. They determine what gets reproduced and distributed, and BMW decides, based on what the production costs were, what the prices for the parts will be (or rather what they will cost for vendors and dealers to buy), not us or Jaymic or anybody else. If I'm not mistaken Jaymic also gets most of their sheetmetal from MT also, though I believe they have some patch panels and other stuff produced in-house or locally, but I can't really speak for them. There are also independent sheet metal producers who make aftermarket fenders, rockers and some other patch panels for the 02 and though they are cheaper, they also generally don't fit as well. I hope this clears some things up.

Matt

Maximillian Importing

[Guest Anonymous]

URL: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/BA2002s/

For those of us who are looking to keep the car on the road on a budget can you tell me who the independent sheet metal producers are that make aftermarket fenders, rockers and some other patch panels for the 02?

[Guest Anonymous]

Well, there's a company in Europe called Veng that used to make AM fenders and quarter patch panels as well as rocker panel overlays. They used to distribute through body shops and some of the usual parts vendors but their stuff seems to be getting harder to get ahold of. Some of their patch panels are actually still sold through BMW dealers. Their rockers were really not worth a hill of beans though, they were just a cosmetic overlay for the original rocker, not a structural repair piece. For the $45 or so those cost vs. the $60 or so for an original rocker, they weren't really worthwhile. I'm not sure who if anybody, is still stocking this stuff in the US though, the problem is that the parts aren't sold in high volume anymore so most of the vendors that used to carry this stuff don't want to stock them anymore. Here's a sampling of what I know you can still get though:

wheel arch patches ~$40

rear quarter patches ~35

quarter patches between door and wheel arch ~$40.00

front fenders (maybe) ~$80-100 ea

late nose skins ~$350.00

Things like whole quarter panels and hoods and doors will probably never be made on the aftermarket because of their size and relative complexity. To defray the costs of making the dies to stamp the parts, you'd have to make a thousand of each, so we're talking about huge capital investment and in the end they wouldn't be much cheaper than whats already available through MT.

What I would like to see done are lower door skins, and maybe the little tray area at the bottom of the door where the skin attaches, and patches for just the bottom of the A-pillar behind the fender. maybe some patches for the back of the rear wheelhouse too where water and road grime collect.

Matt