BMW Z3 - Bonnet Replacement

REPLACEMENT BONNET or HOOD

Today 25.06.18 I received a call from Dan from: Go Eco Car Parts Ltd, based in Brentwood, Essex, concerning a replacement bonnet for the Z3. Originally I was quoted £412 inc. delivery - through BreakerLink car parts finder. I left it on hold for a day or two and messaged them back asking the colour - Titanium silver or Arctic silver.
Our discussion continued: " It seemed expensive....."
                                       "Does it come with Kidney Grills?" NO!
                                       "BMW Emblems on vents?" NO!
                                       "But what we can do for £412, is paint the bonnet any colour you like" and for £450 include the Kidney Grills",
                                        "Still expensive"
The compromise...….      "We can spray your bonnet the colour you specify, Arctic Silver, and include the Kidney grills and emblems and delivery all in £430"

                                        "OK! Agreed!

A respray could estimate around £200-£300, for paint, prep and post-spray, labour etc. Then there is the cost of the bonnet itself, delivery, a bonnet is no small object and needs to be carefully packed to prevent damage at least £70 as a rough estimate, the bonnet itself around £200-£300. So logic tells me £430 is a reasonable price to what could be around the £670.

The bonnet is now on order and should reach me on the 29th June 2018. Too Good to be true and could be a possible scam, I felt uncomfortable - a gut feeling, one could say and in the back of my mind, I could see a scenario whereby they take an order, ask for credit/debit card details to secure the item and then not follow up with the goods...… DAN tried to reassure me by suggesting he would contact me by Monday, it was a risk from my point of view, as no invoice, receipt was issued, other than the entry transaction via my bank. A couple of days later, on Monday, Dan did get back to me on the morning and suggested there was a delay, as the jobs had mounted up for the spray booth and he would contact me again in a couple of days. At this point I contacted my bank to ask them to hold on any payments to the company until the item was on delivery, I was informed that the payment had already been made early that morning. Dan had forgotten to mention that, knowing that was against the company policy, I was a little concerned, (the bank gave no advice whatsoever)...…mmmmm! See Diary 02.06.18 and 06.07.18

07.07.18 On the premise the bonnet does arrive Monday, Tuesday or some day next week I have prepared the old bonnet by dismantling any attachment fitting e.g. the two vents with the BMW logo, these were held in with about 4-5 poppers and a small screw, accessed from inside the engine compartment, the sound proof bonnet liner was also taken off, this was held in with 8 plastic screw poppers, (these do become brittle over time and can break when taking them out), the windscreen washer jets and pipes were behind the bonnet liner, the bonnet jets were loosely clipped in the cutouts of the bonnet, (these came away easily once the washerpipes had been unclipped. These were all detached from the upper section of the bonnet and left within the engine compartment, ready to be clipped onto the replacement bonnet.
There is also an earthing strap on the passenger side that attaches from the chassis to the inside of the bonnet lid - this was held on with a standard 12mm nut. I have left the hinges and the dampers as they are; until the new bonnet arrives. This will give me a template for fitting the replacement bonnet and it will remind me where everything goes.
The kidney grills are incomplete, missing its chrome edge, however the black grills are salvageable and will also be detached at some point.
I am not sure what will arrive in the delivery, whether the fitments are dismantled or not! So, it is always useful to have spares - The old bonnet will either be sold as is, scrapped or turned into a 'bobsleigh', the latter an interesting concept..(the big problem here, is storage).

This is the old bonnet, looks like the dents could be knocked out, however the previous owners tried and damaged it further. Whatever impact caused the damage, it has also bent the main structure of the bonnet and this will need to be pulled to be fixed, mainly to meet the correct contact parameters at the front and sides of the vehicle, this will need specialised equipment to obtain the correct ratios and can be expensive in time and labour.

Fortunately; the main infrastructure at the front end of the 'chassis is sound and only the bonnet bore the brunt of the impact, acting as a crumple zone. As one can also see, there is no damage to the bumper and therefore a replacement bonnet/hood is the better option.

(A new number plate also needs to be purchased for the front, as it looks very tired, all in good time)

A useful tip: When and where possible, try using a camera phone when dismantling to record the 'before'. The images will help to replace everything in the correct places instead of guessing, especially if there are no service manuals available.

This is the replacement bonnet that Dan from GoEco was going to send me, however 'believing is in the seeing', as time ticks on to the deadline date, it very much looks like the couriers have lost the package, (TNT and Parcel2Go. Unfortunately there is no accountability on their part)
Credit where it's due, a wonderful spray job for some corrupt person, it looks closer to becoming a refund due to being lost in delivery.

On the 24th July is the anniversary of purchase, allowing for the 21 days for delivery as statutory. After this date, unfortunately I will have to ask for a full refund for non delivery of the goods and will need to resource another bonnet from somewhere, these bonnets seem to be scattered to the four corners of the UK, trying to get a decent one is now becoming more difficult by the day and requires collection. This knocks up the price, excessively. (See Conclusion in Diary: 10.08.18).

02.08.18 While waiting for my interior carpet and floor to dry out, I had time on my hands, to just experiment on the bonnet on it's dents. By using some wood, I started to knock out the dents, after a couple of hours...

Looks a little better, could do with spending some more time on it, the more I mess around with it the more convinced I am that I could possibly do something with this bonnet. What is my alternative? I could pay out £400 for another bonnet in Titan silver, delivery inc. Or I could possibly prepare and patch up, rubbed down, prime, rub down again, prime and seal my existing bonnet, however, all this does not escape my thoughts on the engineering factors, there are some well sized gaps between the bonnet and lower body panels and a gap above the headlights. (The latter is normal it seems after checking photographs and YouTube) Something to think about ….

08.09.18 Well! I have given this subject much thought, my Z3 requires a bonnet, even if it may require a respray at some point...

Bmw Z3 Bonnet in titan Silver - very good condition- Grills / vents - condition, used.
eBay £ 235 to include in cost of courier £130 giving a total of £365. Supplier: candccarparts

This bonnet looks very much like the one I originally purchased, however it is not as far as one knows..., through exchanges of email, the supplier is convinced the colour is 'Titan Silver'. I am hoping it is not too much of a mismatch, however this can be rectified by having it resprayed to Arctic Silver at a later date. No, it is not local! Unfortunately, coming from Attleborough, Norfolk and goes against my newly formed instincts. When checking though pages of adverts for bonnets, a decent one at least, is difficult to find, especially after reading carefully the adverts. They seem far and few between and strangely enough around the coastal areas of the UK, not good if based in the Midlands. The prices reflect the condition majority of the time, reaching out at higher prices from £150 to £400 for the good to very good, as they are now becoming rare. The less quality bonnets start from around £50, but may need some form of repair, however are usually incomplete of grills and dart vents, structurally sound? (one needs to check if it has been involved in an accident) from an engineering perspective.

This bonnet comes with the following:

I can be excused for the amount of photographs and the paranoia, as this is doubling up as evidence of condition and purchase for; if the inevitable happens, especially with the unaccountable courier 'service'.

I am sure everyone will agree, this bonnet is a work of art, the curves, the angles, it is precision. If one compares with the dented bonnet, one can understand my worries and opinions concerning the engineering integrity.

The gleam of the paint work and the chrome complements the exclamation of the black.
(The arty me is coming out, almost sounds like a typical remark within a posh gallery - I have lost my calling...).

Everything is there, bonnet catches - (with little rust), soundproof cover, and earthing strap.

I may replace the BMW badge at the front..., however the authenticity of the vehicle and it's age should also be considered as in the looks of the 'whole package'...
(Hey...I'm getting good...:.)

C and C Car Parts, removed this bonnet from a 2003 Z3, in very nice condition. Includes delivery via a pallet. (Even though it was initially advertised as collection only - it is worth asking before purchase and before a long distance trip, via van hire; if unlucky to not have an appropriate vehicle for collection). 30 Day warranty on all parts. Operating the HMRC VAT Global Accounting Margins System on 2nd hand car parts. (see Diary for entries from 08.09.18)
(see:- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-notice-718-the-vat-margin-scheme-and-global-accounting).

Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. Or as with my previous purchase, not received the item. Find out more about your rights as a buyer.

Dart Chevron Vents and BMW Logo Badge

More Exquisite lines and curves

The Trade Mark of the BMW - 2 quarter Black Kidney Grills surrounded with a chrome boarder, (This can vary with different models and can be customised)

A RESULT!
of Replacement Bonnet/Hood

See Car Body Repairs for Updates on Bumper...

Sound Insullation

More of the Dart Chevron Vents and BMW Logo Badge

I have taken off the old bonnet and stored it at the back of the garage I am currently using, ready for the replacement, as and when it arrives...

I thought this was weird too, and then I looked at the possibilities...and it didn't seem a too bad of an idea when one puts it to logic.
It is worth keeping in the back of one's mind for the time being, at least...

One can get them for most makes of cars it seems.

- protects your car from stone impacts, insects etc
- gives a complete new personal look to your car, (in drag!)
easy to fit without any modification
- 100% weather resistant
- with deflectors to keep the bra in place at high speed (seen those...)
made in EU, (liberal)
- 100% moneyback guaranteed

Well it still has more than two hooks, some things never change as bra's go!

I do make fun of this and I shouldn't really, but I do have a warped sense of humour, however this idea is a good concept and worth considering, especially if the bonnet is damaged in any way. Out of sight out of mind and it does look kind of sporty, the deflectors almost look like eye lashes.

This is the old bonnet, as you can see I have worked on the bonnet to knock the dents out at the front - it will need a body panel specialist to finish it off and to respray it an appropriate colour, even though I have another bonnet coming, by knocking the dents out will help me to sell it and recoup the costs of the delivery of the new bonnet/hood.

I was looking through the sales pages on eBay during my ordeals with couriers and bonnets and noticed an advert that may interest some BM owners, for the BMW Z3 Bonnet Bra! Yes! 'A bonnet bra' and it fits 1993 to 1999 and apparently, the 2.2 2002.
German engineering idea and comes from Vreden, Germany eBay: £29.50 Supplier: mbh-autoteile

Old Bonnet/Hood with dents

The bonnet/hood has arrived 20.09.18 late afternoon on a pallet the size of Birmingham, o.k. a slight exaggeration, lets say Solihull instead.. I will be breaking it down up until Christmas! Not knocking it, it has protected the bonnet/hood very well and has been professionally packed without question, big truck delivered it too with a young kid of twelve driving it. I must be getting old....

I was right! The bonnet/hood is an excellent match to the rest of the paint work, so the guy Chris, the Polish Gentleman Mechanic I had got the car off had his colour coding wrong, not Arctic Silver, but Titan Silver, unless of course the panels are a mismatch all over, this is easily done. Today, weather wise is windy and awful, so I will be having a closer look and assembling the bonnet/hood in the correct position. At the moment it is on the vehicle just unattached.

I ended up ordering two replacement gas struts, my originals detached from the ends of the strut. I am sure this also contributed to the gap between bonnet/hood and the lower panels, we shall see when the replacements arrive and when they are refitted. (they look either reconditioned or they are new, a bonus for the price?)
The struts from a E36 should fit the Z3. [OEM: 51231960852] Like always, check first! eBay: £10.50 free p&p pair Supplier: globebestdeal. I thought the price was too good to be true, in my case, they didn't fit! And another set has been place on order; Supplier: Autodoc GmbH £16.70 Pair p&p £8.45, Total £25.15 (PayPal).

So far I have had two attempts to get the bonnet struts right and so far I have been wrong both times, even though each
company I had approached suggested their struts would fit the Z3 - They don't! Be WARNED!

x2 Nipples on each side of the Vehicle

Circlip attached to the Bonnet Section

21.09.18 This afternoon there is a slight break in the weather and I have gone straight up to the garage, first to try and dispose of some of the wood from the pallet and to re-attach the replacement bonnet/hood. I must point out, this is really a two-man job, however it can be done individually if ends must; and no-one else is available. However, there is a risk of scratching the door pillars if doing this job on your own, so be warned....

I found the bonnet/hood needs to be almost 45 degrees from the line of the lower body panels and the hinge 45 to 60 degrees, as to get one bolt in, for each bolt, the job does become a little easier. Check your Bonnet/hood struts, sometimes, if old they will detach from the end connectors. If this is the case, new or replacements are recommended. Note: there are two round nipples on both sides of the vehicle for the struts to attach to. These are vertical and stepped and are for height, forward/back adjustment for levelling the bonnet/hood. I would suggest using the lower ones, as these should align the bonnet/hood closer onto the lower panel lines and prevents a wide gap between the panels, well! In most cases... a case of trial and error. Also note: by detaching the circlip of the strut end attached to the bonnet/hood that inserts onto the bonnet screw thread, leave this connection last; this should make it easier to connect to the lower nipples on either side of the vehicle.

Written on the underside of the Bonnet/Hood

Dusty Bonnet attached
(Note: not fully closed at the front)

A polished or 'T' Cut Bonnet/Hood

A = CORRECT!
BMW Z3

When looking for struts for the bonnet/hood do note the length of the flat metal at the top of the strut:

B & C = INCORRECT!

INCORRECT
B = both ends flat with a hole in each end
C = One end is short and has a drilled hole, the
lower end has a cup shaped end

A = Just note the length of the metal at the top, with drilled hole. This one is CORRECT!

I have decided to leave the struts for now and just use the original ones I have, they do the job and this small game between the customer and the supplier can become expensive if you don't get it right... However, those that sell these items also have a responsibility to know their products to help their customers and should identify the parts as being varied or different in their manufacturing and not just look out for quick opportunist profit! But that seems to be the way of the world today, unfortunately and all at the buyers expense..... Make sure you do your research and obtain the right part number, even if it means going to your BMW dealership to get it, remember you don't have to purchase it from there if you don't want to...Perhaps I should have taken that note out of my own book....;)

Flat Ends Too Short

TOP
Longer Than Average Length

With a Cupped End on the Bottom

My bonnet/hood is on, using the old struts to a fashion, (the new struts will be attached when I can get around to ordering some more) side vent darts, and kidney grills came within the price. This bonnet/hood is long awaited and the colour match is also good, so looking from my eyes it does look good!

Still a slight gap between bonnet/hood and bumper. a possible problem with the bumper brackets, either damaged or broken in some way? On the other hand, with reflection, the accident with the bonnet in general may have caused damage structurally and requires rectifying through tapping out the imperfection(s), (Jig?). With close inspection, this maybe down to the bumper, as everything else seems to line up correctly. It could just be down to the bumper bolts needing tightening up, something to ponder on...