Aero Package Reveal!!!
 

Well, finally got everything painted, installed, and put her back on all fours again after a month and a half. Took a long time for the body guy to repair the damage that the bumpers had on them. Have pics of that but will save them for the build thread. He did an amazing job and I'd much prefer to have things done right over fast anyday. He's coming over Sunday to buff the whole truck as a maya culpa for the delays (he quoted a week originally).

But I couldn't resist pulling her out and snapping some pics with the DSLR. I wanted to wait but the excitement got the better of me. All of the badges will be blacked out eventually but so far only did the 4.8is ones which were moved onto the door due to the kit. Let me know what you guys think... I'm sure some will think it is a downgrade, which I totally understand and respect. I don't like the aero kit on some X5's that I see it on either. But I think it looks really good on imola and in person she looks really "hippy" and wide with the wheel and tire package now with this kit (even though I think the "is" flares are actually a few mm wider). I'm super chuffed.

https://i.postimg.cc/BnvL6136/DSC-0259.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/8P4fNmq9/DSC-0258.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/hvqQPy4W/DSC-0262.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/43qhj4r3/DSC-0264.jpg

She goes in to get the front bumper and the side skirts Xpel PPF wrapped in a couple of weeks to keep her looking the way she does now. Painter is going to shoot the hood in the future as well... and then that will have to be wrapped too.

Shes beautiful! :thumbup:

Nice job!

CW - FWIW. Suntek makes a more clearer film. It is thinner compared to Xpel. For clarit, suntek. For best durability, thicker films.....I have not seen Stek myself for own wiki, but given the latter 2, I'd choose Suntek

Looks great! I think your gonna need some more aggressive or another color wheels now. Something to make that hot Imola fire really pop! Looks slick though! Great job!


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Awesome looking !

She is beautiful, but I do see a small problem.

There's no video of you blasting by the camera yelling.....

"Woohoo you can't catch me because of my awesomeness!!"[emoji38]

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Truely awesome!!! I never liked the aero kit until now. Imola makes everything look better.

Now I'm kicking my self because there was a local guy parting out an Imola with the aero kit about a month ago.


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Exactly, when CW said he was taking the 4.8is kit off for this, I was in the "well, if you like it that's all that matters." category. Imola really does set it off. Changed my mind on the Aero kit for sure. Those Dinan tips out the back of the Aero kit is my favorite part. Can't wait to see in person.

Good Job Joe, should have never doubted you.

Thanks for the approvals gents. Like some you guys I was a little sketchy on the aero kit being the right way to go. It's an awful lot of work (and $$$) to get it done and say "I wish I'd kept the 4.8is kit." :D

Thanks for the info. The installer I use has Suntek as well and mentioned it being a little clearer. I want the impact protection more though and have had Xpel on a vehicle. Made a HUGE difference in terms of how the car looked after 2 years. Had complete front end wrap and it all looked like new . So I'll probably do the Xpel again unless the Suntek is substantially cheaper.

More aggressive than what I have? I thought I was running one of the most aggressive wheel/tire packages on here already! :yikes: Shoot over some ideas... I'm interested. Always been happy with the Forgestars but I'm always open to ideas/suggestions. :thumbup:

I'll see what I can do for you after she gets wrapped. I can't drive her right now as the left rear tire has splits all the way around the inside from dry rot I suppose. Mouse has informed me that in his professional opinion... in the tire business that would be called a Widow Maker and I should not drive it. :D

Should have snagged it! Could have been twinsies. I also like that as rare as the 4.8's are normally as far as being seen on the road... the aero kit is an even rarer bird. So I was happy to marry the two.

I think it's the door pods that take the aero kit from looking good to "overdone." I am really liking the way it looks without them. Glad you've come around... I always get even more nervous when my usual cohort in crime is disapproving. :thumbup: I'll keep an eye out for another so Archer can get his aero kit. ;)

That aero kit … it will take me a thousand years to like it … completely ruins the great looks of the E53, in my opinion of course. Sorry if I ruined the party.

Let's not get carried away now...

All good. If we all liked the same thing this would be a very boring place. :thumbup:

Looking good copy cat :D (but you can never have Tit. Silver)
Front bumper needs better fitment on the side. I remove the plastic clips completely and use bolts to have a tight gap. It makes removing/installing the bumper harder but how often would you need to do that, right?
What happen to the front window visors?
And you're wrong about the door fillers being "overdone" ;)

Clean install and don't worry about what others think. if you like the look then that is all that counts.

Awesome Transformation!

:thumbup:

I took forever trimming, tugging, removing, refitting that front bumper. That's as good as it gets unfortunately. Looking at pictures of other aero kit cars I saw that many had a larger gap at the fender than I would expect from a factory body kit. Also all but 1 of the tabs on the bumper that lock into the plastic "hooks" on the fender brackets were broken before I got the truck... probably contributing a little to the fitment. Extremely poor mounting design as it is not very durable. :(

Thanks fellas. Yep, not worried, we all can't like everything fellow members do to their X's. Personal taste is still a thing here. ;) I definitely like it and it's killing me not being able to drive it yet. I haven't put a tank of gas in it since Nov 3rd!

Good work! I admire your patience and initiative to do what you like! Looks great!

I don't understand folks taking the time to post something negative. The considerate choice is to say nothing if one doesn't like something, especially when no one has asked for an opinion.

Looks like the OP has his big boy pants on. I think it's fine to express a dissenting opinion if it's done with the same respect the OP requests. Posting here is very much the same as asking for an opinion. Or at least it should be thought of as asking for one. The chances are a million times more likely that we'll get opinions if we post here than if we don't. LOL I personally don't like it either. Seeing it in Imola would be the Holy Grail- if I don't like it there, I won't like it anywhere. But his truck isn't mine. And that, just as CW said, is what makes the world go 'round :thumbup:

Posting here is not asking for an opinion unless OP asks for an opinion. I acknowledge it is unusual that someone doesn't throw up a negative opinion but that doesn't make it OK. It's great that OP takes the high road. It is unfortunate that isn't universal. If ones wife says I love this dress, who among us is going to answer I think it makes you look fat? It's so prevalent in social media because there are no consequences. "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" is good to keep top of mind in all circumstances.

Is the aerokit made out of the same material as the original bumper?


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It's PUR (polyurethane). I don't know which plastic the original 4.8is bumper was as I did not check. I can tell you this one feels more brittle and the body guy did not like it as much as the side skirts which were made out of a different plastic (or same but different color, did not check stamp). Bumpers were a yellow plastic and side skirts/fender flares were a more common, to me, black/grey plastic. I believe all modern bumpers are stamped though with the abbreviation. Here is a complete list of plastics, though they are not all used in auto bumpers.

Plastics Abbreviations

Here is an excerpt from an auto shop:

"Car manufacturers use a variety of plastics to make bumpers. The most common include polycarbonates, polypropylene, polyamides, polyesters, polyurethanes, and thermoplastic olefins or TPOs; many bumpers contain a combination of these different materials. Manufacturers mix these plastics with glass fibers or other materials to strengthen the bumper. This allows them to provide the same impact resistance that metal has, but at a lower cost and with less weight. Many of these plastic materials are also recyclable. A large portion of TPO bumpers, for example, are made from material taken from previous bumpers, increasing the sustainability of automotive production."

When did having an opinion or preference different from someone start being negative? It's just a different opinion. :dunno: I see a lot of this in news reports about social media. People are so sensitive ab who disagrees with them. Why? Why does anyone care what a bunch of people they've never met think about their choice? Especially for a car.

I say let people disagree respectfully. Above all, allow- and *expect* them to have and share their opinions when we post our own. And finally, people need to grow up and understand that contrary and negative are two different things. And neither one- either for or against- is personal.

Just like we're doing here. I disagree with you. I sure hope you don't think that's some sort of personal endorsement. I don't intend it to be. My opinion is different and that's where it ends. Rather than wishing that the community might approach this dynamic differently, a lot of positive progress can be made by the individual reflecting upon the feelings he alone brings into the conversation.

Perhaps we have work to do as a community, but it only begins when the individuals on either side of an opinion make strides to develop within themselves.

:iagree: Not to derail this thread or make it political but I just forwarded this post to the United States Congress. Well said PH.

I was going to post something along the lines of prop as well... But he said it very well. This is a community where you go to share, others would share their opinions.

This is why I'm an independent and not a Democrat or Republican. I don't NEED everyone to agree with me. I WANT to hear opinions/positions supporting and contrary. No one way of thinking can possibly have the solution to every problem all the time...

Negative comments became a much more significant problem when social media became the preferred method of communication. I think the question to ask is-- why does anyone choose to post a negative opinion to someone they don't know? Is it in ones character or are they a follower of the norm in social media?
There are positive and negative opinions. In circumstances such as social media, when someone is proud of something they have done, especially if one has no personal relationship with that person, it is the considerate mature action to keep that negative opinion to oneself unless that person asks for your opinion. If they ask for an opinion that's when respect and consideration for another person should be clear in a response. That has never been an integral part of social media communication.

We also often see posts that say- why can't we all just get along. We never did but social media exasperated that problem. We read more challenges to inconsiderate posts. It is partly because written word is so easily misinterpreted but mostly because the accepted face to face socially accepted behavior did not extend into social media as a standard. And, rather than apologizing for something that offends someone it is considered appropriate to adamantly defend the post with the often used--- you misunderstood my post, how stupid can you be, don't be so sensitive, grow up or implied versions of same.

Constructive differences of opinion are vital to progress but framed in a negative fashion to another opinion are the best way to get nothing done, it just becomes a point and counter point debate. In this thread there was no problem to solve and as a community there is nothing constructive about an inconsiderate negative opinion.

Some things about the good ol' days prior to social media were much better. When the primary method of communication was face to face, with friends, there was something to lose. Expressions and body language were there to consider. Differences were usually resolved with clarification or compromise, apologies or with the help of the rest of the group of friends. The tag line on the home page states-where they come for the information and stay for the friends. Ask yourself-- is this how I should respond to a friend via social media?

This is not suggesting there is only one way or we can't differ or share it is how to constructively do so.

Like I have said before, as long as you like the mod that is all that counts. You have done so many tasteful executions in the past with your beamers. Looks have always been a subjective thing. The areo kit is just a different cup of tea on the X5 for some folks. By the way I still love the wheels that picked out for your X5 some Christmas's ago. That's the mod on your X5 that gets my attention every time I look at it.

CW...your X5 is the ugliest thing on the planet. And it is because I alone disagree with it in every way.:nanana: /thread hijack.

I'm going to go cry into my pillow! Your mean! :( :nanana:

Bcredliner, welcome to the vagaries of the connected world:D You're going through what every generation does. Even the cave man complained about the pen and written word. Yep, he also said the millennials are the most disrespectful, self serving, indoctrinated generation he has ever seen. Which is said about each and every generation.

"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households."

Socrates 469 BC

:bustingup It's rare that such humor could ever bare such truth! Well done! :rofl::thumbup:

I am not demeaning or complaining about any generation. My comments are the choices individuals in all generations made or are making when communicating in writing using any format. Social media has only dramatically expanded the audience in more recent generations and therefore the impact of those choices.

I was responding to one particular post. In my view it is much harder for someone that receives such a response to challenge the sender. I felt bad for Crystalworks and that prompted my initial post. I thought it worthwhile to suggest that it is better to apply the adage that has been valid since human interaction of any kind--if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all. I have no idea why that is funny or discounted.

Yes, I know Crystalworks is very capable of defending his choices and stated he was not bothered at all. But I would be very surprised if he expected a member would completely trash his body mods as in--I am posting pictures of body changes I have made and and look forward to hearing from members that hate hate hate it. Anyway, the post I challenged is just one example of a style of negative posts that have become more prevalent over the last year.

I think it looks very modern and not over the top. I like it in red and with those wheels. Not sure about different colors / wheel combination. Great work!

not a big fan of the kit, but I appreciate the effort. it took a lot of work to get you x5 to where it is now. looking forward to seeing some updated polished pics. imola is ;pimp;

Whow.. that was deep lol...

I appreciate the empathy, but when I post on public forums among fellow guys/gals who are enthusiasts, I don't expect everyone to like what I've chosen to do. I also expect them to voice that opinion so long as it's in a reasonably respectful manner, which I think all here have done, and certainly don't feel the need to defend anything. :thumbup: I don't consider the forums quite the same as social media, more like a campfire gathering.

Thanks all for the input. Both supportive and critical. Mouse is here this weekend and saw it in person for the first time. Maybe he can come in with his thoughts.

Updates coming later today... In here and in the audio thread. :D. I now have a TV in my dashboard. And it is beautiful!

:popcorn:

Looks great! A lot of work & wampum.

Are you connecting to stations via internet? If not, how well does reception hold up when driving? Pass the smores.

Internet. WiFi hot-spotting off the phone. I confirmed satisfactory YouTube streaming and YouTube TV. I wanted to take a pic of the Superbowl on in the truck but we were hosting so was unable to break away.

Because of said Not-so-Superbowl... I did not get any pictures or anything to update the thread with regarding the aero kit. :( Will go update the other threads though with pics from the weekend regarding the audio install and its progress.

But, the truck did get buffed today and it looks pretty "fresh." Goes in tomorrow morning for a full Xpel wrap on the front end and the side skirts. They said it's going to take 3 days due to needing to be hand cut. "What? You mean Xpel doesn't have any patterns on file for the aero package e53 X5!!!??? I'm shocked." No big deal. As I've said... rather it done right than fast.

Like anything else....taste is subjective.(I think we've learned that from this thread alone) Execution is also key in any build. The truck looks great, a lot of hard work has really paid off. While I'm not a fanboi of the aero kit, it really looks fantastic. A 4.8is with aggressive wheels, Imola Red paint, Dinan goodies....and now the aero kit, VERY well put together IMO. Not sure what's left to add.....maybe supercharger? :D

I just hope the new stereo doesn't rattle those panels off....but that's another thread all together.

You can have it good, fast or cheap but you can only pick two.

Actually, you can only pick one.

If it's good, it won't be fast or cheap.

If it's fast, it won't be good or cheap.

If it's cheap it won't be good or fast.

:D

Reminds me of "Sexy, Sane, Solvent - choose two!" :rofl:

Actually this is how it works--

If you want it good and fast it won't be cheap.
If you want it good and cheap it won't be fast.
If you want it fast and cheap it won't be good.

aero's not really my thing but curious. the side flares. How do they get fitted in. Strictly on the WW with tape on the body ?

Tape on the body and plastic rivets in the wheel arches. This kit uses LOTS of tape. I went through 3+ rolls of 15ft. Still have to put the side step pieces on the rockers which will be at least another 10ft. :wow:

How tight does it sit on the body if you're using tape....granted tape comes in various thickness but surely there must be a uber micro gap. Any concern about water or dirt or both making it's way in whatever mini-reveal, microgap that does exist ?

AND or is the PPF the driving force to address it ?

That exposed micro-gap even with a complete tape line millimeters below it would leave me restless ?

Waaaait wait wait hold on a minute !!!

So your telling me that on a hot day your body kit may fall off because its attached with TAPE???

Nah. Those double side tape is viscous. Solvent's may soften it but it still has a viscous hold

PPF is just so that the paint stays looking as good as it does now. The painter did a better job painting the kit than BMW did painting the X5 and I want it to stay that way.

There is a gap there... maybe a half millimeter? I'm not concerned about it after removing it from the other truck. There is no damage to the vehicle after having the kit on for who knows how long. The donor vehicle has just over 200,000 miles on it and if you were to take the time to remove the tape residue and buff the truck it would likely look like there was never a kit on the truck.

Curious though, why would you be concerned?

LOL... I sincerely hope not. It stayed on the donor vehicle just fine. As long as my prep was solid it should stay on until long after the vehicle is in the junkyard. ;) Which will be long after I depart this blue/green marble if I have anything to say about it.

Very doubtful to have an issue unless not prepped/installed well, which I can tell you won’t be the case with CW’s attention to detail. You would be surprised how many manufactures utilize double sided tape for factory fitted parts such as spoilers, side skirts, etc. I remember a body shop telling me that Ford’s SVT vehicles were a pain to work on because of the way they installed their specialty aero add-ons....which was usually 2/3 screws and a bunch of double sided tape. They said usually most screws would be missing and customers never knew because of the tapes ability to keep everything form fitted. This is also true for dealer port installed parts. In the end, screws/fasteners make us feel warm and fuzzy for anything installed outside our vehicles, but double sided tape and betalink is nothing new to the industry.

The reveal - gap - just my OCD Detailing Kicking in. I'm sure dirt should stop where it meets tape, accumulate and it will get cleaned off on the next car wash. Any concern water or micro-water might potentially ingress and sit between the 2 panels ? You don't see salty areas so maybe NOT that much of a concern

Figured I would do a little update as to how the tape is holding up through 100+ degree days and 8 months of being on. I did have to re-do the driver's front fender flare as I had not prepped the paint surface well enough and it had begun peeling in the very front corner. Started peeling within a week of install (noticed it when I picked it up from Xpel wrapping). After removing that tape, cleaning, prepping, and reinstalling I have not had anymore issues anywhere else on the kit.

https://i.postimg.cc/0NctZPb1/20190629_125230_HDR.jpg

Here you can see the gap left by the tape. There is a small amount of space between the body and the kit on some panels but I have not had a hard time with dirt getting trapped there. Polish/wax residue will get pushed in there if using a large wool pad though. Had that happen after the painter polished the painted pieces out. It's not a real problem but something that might be noticed by an OCD owner. Fortunately it hasn't triggered my brand of OCD as the residue does come out with normal washes without spending a ton of time on it using a regular wash mitt.

https://i.postimg.cc/rwGZ0STm/20190629_125243.jpg

The pic above is the rear door where the 2 kit pieces meet. It looks like the tape is different thicknesses but it's not, just the way the mating surface on the body kit is molded. The pic below is the front left fender flare.

https://i.postimg.cc/sgC0gTtq/20190629_125300.jpg

"I thought I was running one of the most aggressive wheel/tire packages on here already! :yikes: Shoot over some ideas".

Finally an E53 these would look "right" on.....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/EXTREMELY-R...-/142252601436

This guy has had these listed for years. I made him an offer of $2500 a few years ago, '16 I seem to recall (they are refinished). Offer was denied.

That’s my wheel size.

Makes the truck look beefy!

Who ever gets these will definitely be satisfied.

Tiger claws would be interesting on an E53. 21" though takes a lot of the extra meat off the tires that I like to have.

There was a set of 19" tiger claws here in Austin for $700 I think it was. Was tempted to pick them up for my E61.

Yeah you definitely need to be on pothole patrol. Also, in my opinion you need tires with a solid rim guard.

Tires ain’t no joke for these, 2 to 3 grand installed.

whats size tires r u runnin on that beauty?

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285/40/20 front and 325/35/20 rear. Extra meat has saved the wheels from blemishes a couple of times. :D