Someone stole my bumper

[Rawhide]

After living in London for years without any problems with cars my M3 seems to be making up for it all. I've just come home to find my front bumper is gone.

Yesterday I accidentally left the car unlocked and someone stole my girlfriends sat nav, my gym kit and various other bits an pieces. Today it's the bumper.

Anyway - just wanted to rant. If anyone sees a cheap bumper for an E46 m3 in Carbon black please let me know.

[AC Motors]

Probably already sold on cheap and being fitted to a 316 with 4" exhausts, M stickers and 18" chrome wheels with cheap tyres as we speak. Sorry to hear about that mate, what bas*$@?s. Do you have any CCTV near that might have caught anything?

[ih8thisname]

Crikey, utter bds.

Chain one of these to each of your wheels.

[Pork]

This sort of thing boils my blood. Why do poeple think that taking them is OK?

Why BMW etc dont make the "special" car components a different fit es beyond me. I know its driven by cost, but as long as BMW/Ford RS/Merc AMG etc bits bold straight on to a poverty spec car, they will be nickable.

Sorry to hear you're a victim. Keep an eye out on eBay for a replacement, maybe?

Out of interest, what area of the country did this happen?

[krallicious]

Wasn't this happening to E36s not that long ago? Very unlucky to have this happen but keep your eyes on the internet. My friend had the bonnet off his Clio 1.2 stolen a couple of years back in London.

[f13ldy]

krallicious said:

Wasn't this happening to E36s not that long ago?

Was very common on the E36. However, with the E46 being different to its non ///M counterparts the market for ///M parts is a lot smaller than it was, hence it was probably stolen by someone with an M3.

Or by someone with a 318i who is about to find out it doesn't fit.

[mat205125]

f13ldy said:

krallicious said:

Wasn't this happening to E36s not that long ago?

Was very common on the E36. However, with the E46 being different to its non ///M counterparts the market for ///M parts is a lot smaller than it was, hence it was probably stolen by someone with an M3.

Or by someone with a 318i who is about to find out it doesn't fit.

.... or about to be bolted to a 318 and left looking cack/covered in filler to "make it fit"

[Rawhide]

I live in Chelsea. The police said it's quite common here. The local BMW dealer has been pretty helpful and is going to fit locking wheel nuts to the bumper instead. I'm also going to ask him to expoxy resin the bolts and use steel cable wraps which should keep the new one in place.

I had my bike stolen several years ago and found it on ebay. To be honest I wasted so much time and energy getting it recovered now I can't be arsed trying to find it. I'm going to claim for the first time in my life.

[amir_j]

Been a few posts on here and other forums, E46 M sport bumpers are apparently very easy to remove due to the method chosen by BMW hence thiefs now know this and do it.

[Pork]

Hmmm....thats worrying, I'm not a million miles from you.

Its infuriating to think you have to modify your car to stop people tampering with it. What worries me about doing that is, if you stop then nicking the bumper, will they just smash the car up?

Scumbags.

[mat205125]

Rawhide said:

I had my bike stolen several years ago and found it on ebay. To be honest I wasted so much time and energy getting it recovered now I can't be arsed trying to find it. I'm going to claim for the first time in my life.

Following Vincent Vega's sentiment, it'd be worth having it stolen to be able to go around their house to collect it

Claim away. That's what your insurance is for, however ensure that it is more securely fastened than standard, as the scumbags that stole the first one will know that there will be a freshly painted one coming along in the next few weeks at your address.

[mat205125]

I've just had a google, and now know what you mean about how easy it is to remove. With a hoodie kangaroo pocket with the right sized ratchets and spanners, I could probably have one off and away in ten minutes. Not good!

When I get chance, I'll whip a couple of the bolts out of the bumper and measure them to replace with something from here:

http://www.securityfastenersandfixings.com/

[tallguy64]

Hi,

I have an E39 M5 and the same thing happened to me. Can you please tell me what BMW dealer you used to to have the additional security measures fitted. I've tried my usual dealer and they say they can't help!!.. thx

[Rawhide]

I used Holland Park BMW. Ask for Andy who is the bodyshop manager.

They managed to drill a new bolt hole that is only really accessable with the bonnet open (which would trigger alarm)

All other methods were not really going to work.

[MarkwG]

Might be possible to rig another pin switch or similar behind it, & plumb that into the alarm? e36 M3 mirrors used to vanish in a similar fashion, & that's one of the ways around it).

[andye30m3]

I had my front bumper stolen off of my E36 M3 last year, the trouble is they are so quick and easy to get off and worth a fair bit of cash.

When I replaced mine we put a small blob of weld on the end of the bolts so the nut's couldn't be easily undone

[tallguy64]

Many thanks for the advice guys, i'll try them and see what they say.

[happidec]

Takes 30 secs for them to get a bumper off, it normally happens after midnight and they do 5 to 10 bumpers in an outing. Generally done by 'Do as you likies'. I hear the market is there for them which is a real shame. Most end up in Enfield. I had to garage mine because I was becoming infuriated.

[hellrot_e34]

apparently its scrotes buying salvaged / damaged cars then nicking the replacement parts to repair them for resale, it would appear the front bumper would be first on their shopping list as most shunts are front enders, must be quite bizarre to find your car with quite major body parts missing.

Edited by hellrot_e34 on Saturday 20th June 13:03

[last exit]

The bumper on my e39 5 series sport has just been stolen for the second time in six weeks.

If this has happened to you, then you have my sympathy.

I propose two very simple courses of action:

1. I will write to the Met police car crime team and outline my concern, which is principally that people on eBay are selling complete front ends for BMWs. I fail to see how they can be sourced in any other way than theft; I am sure you would agree.

2. I will write to BMW UK to request a solution. Sourcing anti-tamper bolts would be an excellent act of customer goodwill; I for one would be prepared to pay for them if BMW UK sourced them.

To be effective I need your support, for which I think the following will be helpful:

- your model type (eg e46 3 series)
- the number of times your bumper has been stolen
- your general location (eg SW London)

I undertake to publish both letters to the police and BMW and the responses I get back.

To be as visible as possible I am posting this message on a number of relevant car forums, so please don't be surprised if you see this message in different places.

Many thanks,

Fred Brown
[e-mail]