Finally????

[Jehu]

http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/6290/newpaintsm1wp2.pngThe car is back.... eh. I like the Shadowline look BUT they F'ed it up and i have to go back to get some of it repainted again...They FORGOT to Smoke my Tails... twelve days in their shop and they forgot..... I see Orange Peel on the passenger side fender.... I felt they didn't include enough metallic flake to properly match the rest of the car resulting in i think too solid of an appearance while the tone is correct.. They neglected to replace my Tow hitch cover.Weather they painted that new part or not remains to be discovered.. I was in a Huge rush to get to work after they "finished" today and they guy who was washing and drying the car went to lunch WITH MY KEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had to wait another half hour for someone to go get it..
now onto the real hassle,The radio is NFA.That's Not ****ing Available... It started working when i got the car back but when i pressed one of the buttons to change to another CD instead of doing that it changed it to the Weather Band and then none of the other buttons would work...I asked them at the shop if they disconnected my negative cable before they removed the headlights to paint. They did not.... I disconnected the negative battery cable to try and re-set the computer but now it is not taking the Code.... I just got home and again disconnected the battery cable and will try the Code again in an hour... Two other perhaps coincidental issues arose. The Mileage is not reading out anymore. If that's just a bulb maybe their ****ing with my headlights with the battery connected blew the bulb AND The Rear driver's side parking Light In the bumper on the side is AWOL... The warning message appeared after i hit a serious divot in a dirt road so i went to check the bulb. I pulled out the reflector/lens and the bulb,socket and entire harness were nowhere to be found. the lens receptacle for the bulb socket was cracked and i couldn't see or feel the wires... How can I find them? Reach in with a wire hanger and fish around ? It must have just popped out when i hit the bump and fallen into the bumper cavity..Wish me luck.
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/1310/hood003kl4.jpg
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/1273/newpaintsmbb7.png

[Macv]

If you're talking about the sidemarker lights, just take the bumper off. Its pretty easy, then just pull them through and reattach the bumper.

The shots look good, but I feel bad for your story. Definitely make them fix it all, and I'd stay away from them after that.

[Jehu]

If the bumper removal is in the Bentley I should be able to swing it. The shop guy said he might be there in the AM tomorrow working on his Snowmobile ,to call and if he's there he'll at least put on my Sticker. I still want them to smoke the tail lights and he said he'd repair the scratch and the shadow line that one of the guys removed partly with buffing compound he suspects when cleaning the car. he also said he'd try and buff out any of the other longer scratches on the body in places other than where he painted .. I'll let them do that then forget they exist.

http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/9311/newpaint003mq3.th.jpg (http://img229.imageshack.us/my.php?image=newpaint003mq3.jpg)

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/852/newpaint006en6.th.jpg (http://img233.imageshack.us/my.php?image=newpaint006en6.jpg)

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/6982/newpaint008an6.th.jpg (http://img233.imageshack.us/my.php?image=newpaint008an6.jpg)

[Robin-535im]

That sounds like a good shop... Don't you love quality work? :P

[Jehu]

The thing is they were recommended by the local BMW "guru" the Indy everyone in the area considers Top of the heap... I live among Hillbillies and i don't mean that in a good way....I'm even more pi$$ed now. I just went out to check the radio again. Reconnected the neg cable and input the code. Wow it took it this time... that's where my joy ended... They must have fried the thing. It only intermittently responds correctly to the commands . For instance, it came on and began on the lowest FM station as you'd expect with a fresh boot. It would not respond to any other buttons. For a few minutes i tried to play a CD or change the station but there was no response. It finally did respond and begin to play the correct CD but then it would not change tracks nor would it change CD's.... Try to advance a Track up and it goes to weather band channel 1 try to go back and it goes to the next CD.... try to adjust the Bass and it goes up a CD or try to select another CD and there's no response. Hit the CD button you want a dozen or so times and maybe it will go there,maybe it won't.... sounds Fried to me. ...maybe its time for the CD43? I like the weather band though.... how much for a decent stock cassette with code?

[CharlesAFerg]

you should get a new front grill assembly, the plastic looks old, and the headlights look haggard, but that's probably inside the lens.
Also, the corners are a bit faded too... even with cleaning the lens of the headlights and polishing the plastic on the corners, it won't look new.

I say get euro smileys and smoked corners (if you're smoking the rears)

[Jehu]

Ok, duely noted. I agree about the headlights and corners... The Shop suggested i use 1500 grit wet sandpaper on the headlights but I'd rather get new ones... Smoked clear or smoked Amber? Did i mention I like Port...

[AngryPopTart]

As a painter, I can confirm that there is no such thing as properly matching a metallic. Metallic never comes out the same twice, no matter how good you are. The air pressure at the gun, the width of the fan(the spray), even the angle it is sprayed at, affects the way it looks. Our job is to use tricks so that you do not notice the transition from one color to the next. But some tricks are not something every painter can do. And the shop is not obligated to use them, but it would have been kind of them to offer, if their painter had the ability. (I just do it anyway and include it in the cost because otherwise I can't consider it right.)

Beautiful car, by the way. Makes me very hyped about finally getting around to painting my 525. I really want to change the color to a dark blue like the Indigo Poly used on S10's because it looks very good when contrasted with bright silver wheels. My Cirrus Blue is a color I almost never see on other E34's, but it's just kind of eh.

[Sam-Son]

once you go from the old sandblasted head lights to new clear ones it makes it look like a new car

[Jehu]

As a painter, I can confirm that there is no such thing as properly matching a metallic. Metallic never comes out the same twice, no matter how good you are. The air pressure at the gun, the width of the fan(the spray), even the angle it is sprayed at, affects the way it looks. Our job is to use tricks so that you do not notice the transition from one color to the next. But some tricks are not something every painter can do. And the shop is not obligated to use them, but it would have been kind of them to offer, if their painter had the ability. (I just do it anyway and include it in the cost because otherwise I can't consider it right.)

Beautiful car, by the way. Makes me very hyped about finally getting around to painting my 525. I really want to change the color to a dark blue like the Indigo Poly used on S10's because it looks very good when contrasted with bright silver wheels. My Cirrus Blue is a color I almost neve see on other E34's, but it's just kind of eh.

I admit the color is a flawless match even though the fedner is orange peeled... if what you say is true, and i have no reason to doubt you, I see i'd have to have taken it to a BMW dealership for a complete paint job and probably paid like 8 thousand dollars... I'm still pissed they fried my radio.

[Dave M]

If the bumper removal is in the Bentley I should be able to swing it.

Bumper is in the Bentley and should take 10 min your first time. Only removal of trim (no tools) and two large nuts is required.

Dave M

[Robin-535im]

The battery could be too low. Many of these symptoms sound like too little electrical power reaching the parts. It would not be uncommon - since they didn't unplug the battery - for them to carelessly leave door / hood / trunk open all day...

[Macv]

Smoked Clears. Like mentioned above, new headlights will make your car look new.

Sounds like you'll get it all figured out.

[Jehu]

The battery could be too low. Many of these symptoms sound like too little electrical power reaching the parts. It would not be uncommon - since they didn't unplug the battery - for them to carelessly leave door / hood / trunk open all day...

Wouldn't it be charged after driving it a hundred miles like a bat out of Hell yesterday? I finally made it up to 120mph, that's got to make Amps.

[uscharalph]

I bought all new Hella lights at the beginning of the year, all four plus fogs. The old ones weren't bad, but what a difference. The lights in my signature pic were the old ones. Don't forget to get the urethane lens protectors.

[Barney Paull-Edwards]

Wouldn't it be charged after driving it a hundred miles like a bat out of Hell yesterday? I finally made it up to 120mph, that's got to make Amps.
Not correct! Do a drop test on battery, you may have a bad cell,radio symptoms point that way, they left the door open and boost charged the battery, fried a cell, ****!