Is it OEM or not

[Kibokojoe]

Just bought 2 BMW hood/trunk emblems. The seller says they are OEM but when I removed the old ones I noticed that the part number had BMW embedded between the numbers. Whereas the new emblems just have the part number. Do the new OEM emblems only have the part number or is this guy selling fakes?

http://www.freewebs.com/kibokojoe/BMWOEM.jpg

[Jr ///M5]

The original emblems were much sturdier than the replacements of today. Maybe that was the reason these cars cost $40,000 back in 1989.

They just don't make 'em like they used to...

JR

[repenttokyo]

The original emblems were much sturdier than the replacements of today. Maybe that was the reason these cars cost $40,000 back in 1989.

They just don't make 'em like they used to...

JR

mine is still going strong :)

[uscharalph]

The new ones (Only one's available) are all plastic.

[Ross]

The new replacement on my desk has BMW in the part # as your picture shows.
Real ones sell for 11-15 USD. If you paid significantly less they are probably counterfeit.
The current replacements are plastic as has been stated. The one in your pic is a plastic replacement and not the original to your '89.

[Phatty5BMW]

The new replacement on my desk has BMW in the part # as your picture shows.
Real ones sell for 11-15 USD. If you paid significantly less they are probably counterfeit.
The current replacements are plastic as has been stated. The one in your pic is a plastic replacement and not the original to your '89.

I have bought 4 emblems in the past 4 years and they were oem bmw ones, and the all start chipping and cracking away. My brother bought 2 new for the e28 and those are **** too. I got to order more..... again. I got them from BMA

[MeanM50]

BMW likes to move/change numbers/stamps around a bit. They may use a different supplier now. I have had some interesting looking parts from the dealer that don't match up with what I took off my car, but they are most likely OEM.

[Kibokojoe]

Interesting...so they have been replaced before. Boy the old ones are really weathered. Were the originals metal?

[MeanM50]

Yes. They were metal back in the day.....

[e34.535i.sport]

I need new badges... They're chipped and weathered quite badly. I couldn't give a toss if I get OEM or not personally so long as they look the business.

[Ross]

They were "potmetal", a white amalgam that corrodes easily but will accept electroplating. The originals were enamaled, the plastic replacements have an adhesive badge.
The metal ones pit and the enameling flakes off. The plastic ones are an improvement if you ask me.

[filip00]

european badges are still solid metal. $20 for a piece at the dealer.

[BMWCCA1]

No E34 ever had an enamel BMW emblem. In fact, no 5-series of any year ever did if you're referring to fired enamel cloisonné. The last cloisonné badges were the c-pillar badges on the E9 coupes and that stopped by about 1974 when they were replaced with painted pot-metal emblems. The stick-on type currently used has been the normal badge since probably 1980 or so but it started out adhered to a pot-metal base and switched to the current (Italian) plastic several years ago. It seems the cheaper they get in materials the more BMW charges for them. Name one other manufacturer with an emblem that deteriorates as badly and quickly as the BMW roundel.

Your European badge is the same as what is sold by BMW here in North America. If you recently purchased one in metal, it was probably old stock. Every one I've replaced recently as the "sticker" flakes away has been OE plastic made in Italy. I wish they would make them in the USA, they couldn't be any worse! The replacement piece-of-crap from my local dealer is currently $27.50.

[Ross]

Perhaps not true enameling but painted then on a metal base rather than an applied label. There is a crusty example somewhere in my garage for the infidels.

[Kibokojoe]

I got these for $16.50 plus $3.99 for shipping

[e34.535i.sport]

[QUOTE=BMWCCA1] Name one other manufacturer with an emblem that deteriorates as badly and as quickly ... [QUOTE]

FORD!!!!! Just had to replace the boot badge on the gf's 3 yr old fiesta...

[attack eagle]

interesting... mine still look mint.

[Sixdown]

I just got two sets of BMW badges, one for the e28 and one for the e34, and both are produced using metal. They also say Made in Germany on the reverse sides and seem to have a clear coating to them...so no plastic for me.

[Kibokojoe]

Where did you get yours?

[Kibokojoe]

Ok Where did you get yours?