[Kail Wright]

I'm thinking of taking my car's front bumper off for a respray (I don't want to use miles of masking tape to avoid getting paint on the grilles, parking sensors etc., so I don't want to spray it while it's on). Anyway, I've seen many videos of resprays and I've noticed that they almost always respray the silvery things under the screws that hold the top of the bumper (see the attached image). Can this be avoided or are they attached to the bumper and virtually irremovable? I've yet to see one video or tutorial where they got them out and then back in again. It's just a question. If you'll say it's impossible to take them off, I'll just spray right over them (no pun intended), but you know, to keep the respray classy...

[oneup335]

I would take them off and spray the bumpers. If you leave them on and later down the road have to take them off, some paint is going come off with the nuts.

[Kail Wright]

Sure, I see it the same way, but can you even take them off? Aren't they glued to the bumper somehow? That's the only explanation as to why so many people spray over them.

[oneup335]

Originally Posted by Kail Wright

Sure, I see it the same way, but can you even take them off? Aren't they glued to the bumper somehow? That's the only explanation as to why so many people spray over them.

No they are not glued

[Seattlesquash]

Originally Posted by Kail Wright

Sure, I see it the same way, but can you even take them off? Aren't they glued to the bumper somehow? That's the only explanation as to why so many people spray over them.

No, more like lots of people are lazy and don't appreciate quality. Do it once, do it right!

[Wilt]

Originally Posted by oneup335

No they are not glued

^^^ Last month someone ran into my car, and the bumper need to be resprayed to resolve the cosmetic damage to the bumper on my 2001 328i (in addition to the front left fender replacement). Those screws are clearly NOT painted, I just confirmed by looking at my car post collision repairs.

And, if I recall correctly, over a year ago I had removed those very two screws, so I could move the grill outward far enough to insert a black plastic open mesh screen which would serve to intercept larger stones that got passed the grille and could damage the radiator. Perhaps the painted-over ones that you have seen are because the owners were too cheap/lazy to buy the Torx bit needed to unscrew them!

[Kail Wright]

Originally Posted by Wilt

^^^ Last month someone ran into my car, and the bumper need to be resprayed to resolve the cosmetic damage to the bumper on my 2001 328i (in addition to the front left fender replacement). Those screws are clearly NOT painted, I just confirmed by looking at my car post collision repairs.

And, if I recall correctly, over a year ago I had removed those very two screws, so I could move the grill outward far enough to insert a black plastic open mesh screen which would serve to intercept larger stones that got passed the grille and could damage the radiator. Perhaps the painted-over ones that you have seen are because the owners were too cheap/lazy to buy the Torx bit needed to unscrew them!

I wasn't asking about the screws themselves, but rather the silver washers, spacer slevees, whatever it's called, that are underneath them. This is the part -

http://parts.bmwofsouthatlanta.com/i...1452185442.png

Those seem to be painted over ever so often. But yeah, you're probably right about those not being glued either. I guess I'll find out.