Short Bumper Kit from Top End Performance

[canada karl]

I saw a 2002Tii on "Bring a Trailer"......it had a front bumper kit from Top End Performance that decreased the "diving board bumper" by 3". I know you can do this yourself by drilling out the bumper shocks and doing some welding but I'm wondering if this bolt on kit conversion would work for a 76 530i bumper?

[Mike W.]

I couldn't find it on their site but their site is a mess and hard to find your way around. So I don't know what their kit is like, but you can drill and compress the shocks. Well, they might fight you some after 30 years, but lets say in principal you can drill and compress them. It's common with some of the E28 guys. Do be aware of a couple of things, those shocks are under very high pressure with oil inside, so it's going to spray like crazy when you drill it, don't have it pointing at your face. Once drilled you can compress it, but it might take some effort. When you get it where you want it, you then need to screw or bolt it in place so it stays where it's at. And the bellows on the ends of the bumpers on E12s will need to be dealt with too.

[canada karl]

Its good to know that the shocks can be bolted or screwed into the position you want them as I remember seeing in the Grassroots article that they welded them in. I want to stay away from the welding. I was kind of hoping I could just buy a kit but it dosnt seem like too much work to modify them the way you said.

[kidballistic]

I am actually in the process of doing a tuck and lightening. I only have the rear bumper off right now. It weighs about 19 lbs, not including the mounts. I am going to cut out most of the bottom, and drill holes behind the rubber strip. Then drill out the shocks, push em in, and mabye even drill new mounting holes to tuck it even further. Well, bolt holes in the shock mounts, not on the body of the car... I will also only use the two outer mounts. The center mount alone seems like it weighs 8-10lbs. Not sure what the front looks like yet, I am guessing about the same. In the end I bet I lose about 40lbs and have them looking alot less like diving boards... My car is going to be somewhat of a road warrior/autox car. No back seats, headliner, ac, wiper reservoir, sunroof motor, no window motors... I am guessing the car will be down in the 2700's when I am done.