BMW 530i Touring Alpina body kit 19" deep dish - my first ever car

[BigBob 8]

Hi guys, big shout out to all you bmw fans, I'm totally hooked. Looking forward to getting involved with the scene!

Only took me 33 years to get around to taking my driving test lol. Finally did it back in Dec last year, donno why it took me so long (always had mates and a misses to drive me around i guess lol, but really because I lived in London most of my life and didn't need a car till i moved to NZ 8 years ago then it was pure lazyness).

Finally got my first set of wheels 5 weeks ago, mean looking BMW 530i with alpina body kit and some deep dish wheels. Already clocked over 5,000km in it doing some epic road trips up the cape and around the north island with mates.

I think I also put off getting a car for so long because I'm a tinkerer, always had mountain bikes and ride at quite a high level, rebuilt all my bikes from the ground up and tweaked the sh*t out of them so knew i'd be the same the second I got a car! Already ripped the kidney grill off and stuck a matt black one on, new black badges just arrived and tinted windows. Now looking at blacking out the chrome window trims and lights.

Quick question; I got quoted $450 for the trims and $380 ish for the lights front and back, which is about right but I'm thinking of doing it myself anyone done it before? for the trim should I Plasti dip or vinyl? I hear lamin-x is good for the lights?

Here's a few photos of my car in it's current state

[qube 3570]

veeeerrrrrry nice!

plastidip is easy but make sure you mask off all the areas you dont want overspray. the plastidip speckles will fly everywhere and you wont see it so much on a black car but it will still land all over your roof/bonnet/doors etc. i recommend vinyl wrapping for window trims but its quite hard so plastidip is fine. its always reversible if you do it right. plenty of instructions online or pm me for any questions

i would say do everything yourself, it will be heaps cheaper and you will definitely have fun while doing it. laminx is the way to go but just know that any tint on the lights are not legal so its at your own risk.

[BigBob 8]

i would say do everything yourself, it will be heaps cheaper and you will definitely have fun while doing it. laminx is the way to go but just know that any tint on the lights are not legal so its at your own risk.

Yer man couldn't agree more think I'm gonna really enjoy tweaking it. Thanks for the heads up on the lights, didn't realise that at all. will I get fined for it or just asked to remove them?

Thoughts on removing the door windshields (monsoon covers or whatever there caleld), probably look better without them hay?

I might give the vinyl a go, where's best to get some from locally so i can have a go this weekend?

[qube 3570]

you will most likely get a fine and asked to remove them. may get away without a fine but depends on the officer. i personally wouldnt risk it but heaps of other people do it so its upto you.

i quite like the rain shield thingys on windows good for ventilation on a rainy day but again, your call haha.

with vinyl wrapping - half the job is in getting good quality vinyl. good ones can stretch easily with a bit of heat gun work but other cheap vinyl will just rip/tear. try any decent sign writing place so get some. dont buy cheap ones from trademe lol.

[Docile 64]

Not fun when you get escorted go the side of the road at a checkpoint and get asked if you knew the light tinting was illegal. And they hand you a fine plus ask you to remove it on the spot.

Anyways. Welcome and you seem to be handy with tools and a natural tinkerer. I say do the things yourself that you are confident in doing.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

Edited April 6, 2016 by Docile

[kulgan 1042]

Thats a hell of a first car..lol

Welcome to the forum.

[TermiPeteNZ 1318]

Welcome from Welly - nice body kit and alloys

[Olaf 3317]

yes, tasty - nice work.

personally I'd steer clear of anything that provides an opening to a side of road discussion with an officer of the law; the light tinting would not fly for me.

[euroriffic 607]

Ohhh puuurrrdy! Love a good e61 touring! Welcome aboard

[BigBob 8]

Thats a hell of a first car..lol

Welcome to the forum.

haha yer, well I had a hell of a long time to save and think about what i wanted, thought f**k it might as well go balls deep

[BigBob 8]

yes, tasty - nice work.

personally I'd steer clear of anything that provides an opening to a side of road discussion with an officer of the law; the light tinting would not fly for me.

Yer that's what I'm thinking, been pulled over twice already and they ain't even tinted yet!