Panel Gaps

[m3f_kerph32_d1805b1ca4]

My panel gaps seem too wide... hood and trunk at least, what do you guys think?



http://www.m3forum.net/gallery/data/3202/CIMG03801.jpg

http://www.m3forum.net/gallery/data/3202/CIMG03811.jpg

[m3f_iNcUbUs_21_0bcd67a730]

Hard to tell...hood gap looks a little too big over the headlights. Maybe your headlights are screwed down too far giving it that illusion? Loosen up the screws a few turns and see if that makes a difference. There are 3 you can see from the front on top, and 2 more down below on either side of the light. 1 nearest the radiator and 1 nearest the corner light.

[m3f_mike27t_e2fc6d42ea]

I dont think adjusting the headlights will help as the gap goes end to end.

Adjusting the hood is easy. Within the spring mechanism that locks the hood down youll find a nut which you can easily tighten to adjust the gap. Check to see if those have come loose and tighten down if needed.:thumbsup:



Not too sure about the trunk.. :nixweiss:

[m3f_kerph32_d1805b1ca4]

Excellent, thanks Mike ( I assume that's your name) I'll look at that tomorrow once the beer wears off. Not sure if I want to mess with the headlight aiming..

[m3f_iNcUbUs_21_0bcd67a730]

Excellent, thanks Mike ( I assume that's your name) I'll look at that tomorrow once the beer wears off. Not sure if I want to mess with the headlight aiming..



It's not the aiming, it's just the mounting position. I had a small gap and it was removed after I played with the headlights a little.

[m3f_kerph32_d1805b1ca4]

Ah I gotcha. I'll look at both in the morning, or afternoon as its looking now... olde english todafoice

[m3f_Braymond14_63960d99c1]

#1: Does your hood match the height of the run of the fenders? If so, your hood is fine. If not, adjust the hood locking pins (loosen the nut and then use a screwdriver to turn the head) until it is even.


#2: If your hood is even with the fenders. You'll need to adjust your nose panel. There are 2 screws on either side (4 total), loosen those and pull nose panel up.


If anything, your bumper seems to have terrible fitment.

Pull the front mouldings off and behind you'll see 2 large nuts, one at either end. Loosen those and while holding the bumper up (to the desired fitment), retighten them.

[m3f_iNcUbUs_21_0bcd67a730]

If anything, your bumper seems to have terrible fitment.

Pull the front mouldings off and behind you'll see 2 large nuts, one at either end. Loosen those and while holding the bumper up (to the desired fitment), retighten them.



I tried this last week to try and pull the bumper up tighter against the nose panel, and i even used a jack with a 2x4 to put even pressure across the bumper as I was tightening the nuts. It didn't make any difference.

[m3f_DOUGYKIM_04b96b288d]

first thing that throws me off is how much orange peel you've got on your trunk. that leads me to belive that it was repainted, and not to good standards, at that. do you know if your car has been in any accidents? i know there was another thread that touched on the condition of your paint, where the issue was just dropped. i dunno man...there had to have been an accident somewhere in your car's life.

[m3f_kerph32_d1805b1ca4]

There was a front end accident at 80k but nothing involving the trunk... not sure what the deal is with that. Apparently the car was struck on the front-left rim which lead to the suspension replacement all around with the Dinan equipment. Had the car checked out by the local dealer, nothing wrong was found. I'm starting to get a little worried though from what I've been reading. Foul play?

[m3f_DOUGYKIM_04b96b288d]

well could be an optical illusion, but there are two issues that lead me to believe that your trunk was repaired, thus meaning that something had fcuked your trunk up...perhaps the reason why your trunk doesn't align properly.



1) your sig appears to have orange peel, and even w/ a contrast boost in photoshop, the orange peel shouldn't be that pronounced, if it was original paint.



2) your M badge is sporting the wrong middle color. it should be light blue - purple - red. So your m badge was replaced at one point in time.



I dunno man, it happens...poeople get into sh$t and fix it without telling anyone. After i bought my car, I realized that my front corner lights refused to fit perfectly...turns out there was minor fender damage. I felt deceived.

[m3f_kerph32_d1805b1ca4]

I successfully adjusted my hood so that the sheetmetal is lined up properly, and there's still an ugly gap above the headlights and grille. It's like the difference between these two cars:

http://www.bmwinfo.com/pictures/00224.jpg

http://www.umnitza.com/images/E36%20M3%20Umnitza%20RaceMesh%20b.jpg


Mine looks like the top...

[m3f_PhYrE_852fc25d8d]

Mine looks like this- which is somewhere in between, though looks more flush I think. May sound odd, but how is the rubber sitting? Could you just have some stops or rubber around the perimeter worn or bunched up. Try *GENTLY* pushing on some of the corners of the hood. Does it fall considerably (if so maybe just the rubber) or stay where it is?



http://indigo.epicworks.com/m3/P6250091.JPG

[m3f_Sirius_880bd69485]

You'll want to adjust your hood a bit. The trunk looks fine.

[m3f_kerph32_d1805b1ca4]

ok, I undertook it this morning. Here's what I came up with- my left side hood was too low, right side was too high. I adjusted the hood pins and that fixed the alignment.


I then removed the drivers headlight and adjusted the positioners so that the headlight was mounted higher. The gap between the bottom of the headlight and the panel is now even. Still, the hood gap remains for the most part. :banghead:


To add to it, I thought these images would be embedded but instead they're attached. Eventually I'll figure all this out :banghead: