403M alloy refurb - F31
Discussion
Hi all,
I'm getting my alloys for my F31 refurb'ed. The diamond cut finish is looking really tatty on all four.
It's a black car, with privacy glass.
I'm in two minds about whether to go gloss black on the alloys, which looks a touch boy racer like, but I think could look really nice and stealthy.
Whether to go for a high gloss silver paint.
Or to spend the extra £££ and go for another diamond cut finish.
Few photos floating around on the internet, but not many of black. Anyone here made that change, any thoughts on the above?
I'm getting my alloys for my F31 refurb'ed. The diamond cut finish is looking really tatty on all four.
It's a black car, with privacy glass.
I'm in two minds about whether to go gloss black on the alloys, which looks a touch boy racer like, but I think could look really nice and stealthy.
Whether to go for a high gloss silver paint.
Or to spend the extra £££ and go for another diamond cut finish.
Few photos floating around on the internet, but not many of black. Anyone here made that change, any thoughts on the above?
Alextodrive said:
Hi all,
I'm getting my alloys for my F31 refurb'ed. The diamond cut finish is looking really tatty on all four.
It's a black car, with privacy glass.
I'm in two minds about whether to go gloss black on the alloys, which looks a touch boy racer like, but I think could look really nice and stealthy.
Whether to go for a high gloss silver paint.
Or to spend the extra £££ and go for another diamond cut finish.
Few photos floating around on the internet, but not many of black. Anyone here made that change, any thoughts on the above?
How old your F31 if the are spidering around centre cap it’s a know fault and I know someone who had them replaced FOC by bmw . But they won’t replace them if they have had previous repairs or other damage . I'm getting my alloys for my F31 refurb'ed. The diamond cut finish is looking really tatty on all four.
It's a black car, with privacy glass.
I'm in two minds about whether to go gloss black on the alloys, which looks a touch boy racer like, but I think could look really nice and stealthy.
Whether to go for a high gloss silver paint.
Or to spend the extra £££ and go for another diamond cut finish.
Few photos floating around on the internet, but not many of black. Anyone here made that change, any thoughts on the above?
ClubsportStr said:
Alextodrive said:
Hi all,
I'm getting my alloys for my F31 refurb'ed. The diamond cut finish is looking really tatty on all four.
It's a black car, with privacy glass.
I'm in two minds about whether to go gloss black on the alloys, which looks a touch boy racer like, but I think could look really nice and stealthy.
Whether to go for a high gloss silver paint.
Or to spend the extra £££ and go for another diamond cut finish.
Few photos floating around on the internet, but not many of black. Anyone here made that change, any thoughts on the above?
How old your F31 if the are spidering around centre cap it’s a know fault and I know someone who had them replaced FOC by bmw . But they won’t replace them if they have had previous repairs or other damage . I'm getting my alloys for my F31 refurb'ed. The diamond cut finish is looking really tatty on all four.
It's a black car, with privacy glass.
I'm in two minds about whether to go gloss black on the alloys, which looks a touch boy racer like, but I think could look really nice and stealthy.
Whether to go for a high gloss silver paint.
Or to spend the extra £££ and go for another diamond cut finish.
Few photos floating around on the internet, but not many of black. Anyone here made that change, any thoughts on the above?
Sim89 said:
ClubsportStr said:
Alextodrive said:
Hi all,
I'm getting my alloys for my F31 refurb'ed. The diamond cut finish is looking really tatty on all four.
It's a black car, with privacy glass.
I'm in two minds about whether to go gloss black on the alloys, which looks a touch boy racer like, but I think could look really nice and stealthy.
Whether to go for a high gloss silver paint.
Or to spend the extra £££ and go for another diamond cut finish.
Few photos floating around on the internet, but not many of black. Anyone here made that change, any thoughts on the above?
How old your F31 if the are spidering around centre cap it’s a know fault and I know someone who had them replaced FOC by bmw . But they won’t replace them if they have had previous repairs or other damage . I'm getting my alloys for my F31 refurb'ed. The diamond cut finish is looking really tatty on all four.
It's a black car, with privacy glass.
I'm in two minds about whether to go gloss black on the alloys, which looks a touch boy racer like, but I think could look really nice and stealthy.
Whether to go for a high gloss silver paint.
Or to spend the extra £££ and go for another diamond cut finish.
Few photos floating around on the internet, but not many of black. Anyone here made that change, any thoughts on the above?
Not sure what the age limit is BUT it is done on a goodwill basis my BMW
BMW will insist that the car has a full BMW service history, any move away from the dealership you will have no chance, they may also take into account mileage, well below average might increase your chances, well above average will decrease your chances
First step would be a BMW dealer to have them checked - if the diagnosis is "stone chips" BMW wont cover
BMW will insist that the car has a full BMW service history, any move away from the dealership you will have no chance, they may also take into account mileage, well below average might increase your chances, well above average will decrease your chances
First step would be a BMW dealer to have them checked - if the diagnosis is "stone chips" BMW wont cover
edthefed said:
Not sure what the age limit is BUT it is done on a goodwill basis my BMW
BMW will insist that the car has a full BMW service history, any move away from the dealership you will have no chance, they may also take into account mileage, well below average might increase your chances, well above average will decrease your chances
First step would be a BMW dealer to have them checked - if the diagnosis is "stone chips" BMW wont cover
Unfortunately one of them has a nice healthy dent in the side that means it needs an alloy refurb re-doing. BMW wont touch that.BMW will insist that the car has a full BMW service history, any move away from the dealership you will have no chance, they may also take into account mileage, well below average might increase your chances, well above average will decrease your chances
First step would be a BMW dealer to have them checked - if the diagnosis is "stone chips" BMW wont cover
Otherwise I might have been okay. 2015 plate. 43k miles, Full BMW history.
Feel pretty settled on the idea of gloss black now anyway. Never done it. Think it'll look really neat.
Pica-Pica said:
It won’t look neat, IMO.
Gloss? No!
Black? No!
Gloss black? Definitely no.
But, your car, your money.
Gloss? No!
Black? No!
Gloss black? Definitely no.
But, your car, your money.
The silver diamond cut contrasts nicely. But at £90 an alloy and the 403M's being notorious for white worm syndrome. I'm not interested in doing them diamond cut again.
So it's either high gloss silver or gloss black.
Matt black - potentially. But i generally find myself thinking any matt car wraps look naff, and I suspect I'd feel the same about matt alloys. Need to see some in the flesh.
Alextodrive said:
Pica-Pica said:
It won’t look neat, IMO.
Gloss? No!
Black? No!
Gloss black? Definitely no.
But, your car, your money.
Gloss? No!
Black? No!
Gloss black? Definitely no.
But, your car, your money.
The silver diamond cut contrasts nicely. But at £90 an alloy and the 403M's being notorious for white worm syndrome. I'm not interested in doing them diamond cut again.
So it's either high gloss silver or gloss black.
Matt black - potentially. But i generally find myself thinking any matt car wraps look naff, and I suspect I'd feel the same about matt alloys. Need to see some in the flesh.
Edited by Pica-Pica on Friday 19th November 22:47
Pica-Pica said:
Or this (the free-standing wheel, that is). That is a 442M 19”, originally diamond cut, but now powder coated in a gunmetal grey.

Hmmm.... gun metal is tempting. But I'm not sure it would suit a black car. And I can't find any pics of a black bmw f30/31 with gun metal alloys anywhere to see. there must be some out there!Edited by Pica-Pica on Friday 19th November 22:47
The grey that people tend to go for is Ferric Grey II, which I believe is the inner colour of the 403M stock diamond cut finish.
I have a Mineral Grey F31 and recently refurbed the 403M’s.
I didn’t want it to be too dark and to lose the definition of the alloys, so no black or grey, but at the same time going full on silver looked a bit to ‘standard’ for my liking, the stock diamond cut 403M’s have a nice contrast within themselves due to the grey inners.
So anyway I went for shadow chrome - they look great IMO. Have to get the levels right though, I went quite bright (for shadow chrome).
It’s actually a black powder coated wheel with the shadow chrome sprayed only on the spokes / faces, so you get a contrast in some way.
It looks different in different lighting, and won’t ever really come out that well in a photo

I have a Mineral Grey F31 and recently refurbed the 403M’s.
I didn’t want it to be too dark and to lose the definition of the alloys, so no black or grey, but at the same time going full on silver looked a bit to ‘standard’ for my liking, the stock diamond cut 403M’s have a nice contrast within themselves due to the grey inners.
So anyway I went for shadow chrome - they look great IMO. Have to get the levels right though, I went quite bright (for shadow chrome).
It’s actually a black powder coated wheel with the shadow chrome sprayed only on the spokes / faces, so you get a contrast in some way.
It looks different in different lighting, and won’t ever really come out that well in a photo
Edited by TG20T on Saturday 20th November 20:29
Edited by TG20T on Saturday 20th November 20:31
TG20T said:
The grey that people tend to go for is Ferric Grey II, which I believe is the inner colour of the 403M stock diamond cut finish.
I have a Mineral Grey F31 and recently refurbed the 403M’s.
I didn’t want it to be too dark and to lose the definition of the alloys, so no black or grey, but at the same time going full on silver looked a bit to ‘standard’ for my liking, the stock diamond cut 403M’s have a nice contrast within themselves due to the grey inners.
So anyway I went for shadow chrome - they look great IMO. Have to get the levels right though, I went quite bright (for shadow chrome).
It’s actually a black powder coated wheel with the shadow chrome sprayed only on the spokes / faces, so you get a contrast in some way.
It looks different in different lighting, and won’t ever really come out that well in a photo

Although the diamond cut finish is easy to damage, one benefit of the contrasting ferric grey on the rim and inside of the spokes, is that brake dust visibility is much reduced.I have a Mineral Grey F31 and recently refurbed the 403M’s.
I didn’t want it to be too dark and to lose the definition of the alloys, so no black or grey, but at the same time going full on silver looked a bit to ‘standard’ for my liking, the stock diamond cut 403M’s have a nice contrast within themselves due to the grey inners.
So anyway I went for shadow chrome - they look great IMO. Have to get the levels right though, I went quite bright (for shadow chrome).
It’s actually a black powder coated wheel with the shadow chrome sprayed only on the spokes / faces, so you get a contrast in some way.
It looks different in different lighting, and won’t ever really come out that well in a photo
Edited by TG20T on Saturday 20th November 20:29
Edited by TG20T on Saturday 20th November 20:31
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