I'm interested as well. Who's gonna be the first one to post painted/installed pics?

Who's going to be first to post pics of the final product? :D

Hey guys! I just came back from vacation and had my skid plate waiting for me at my office. I hadnt had the ability to check the forums, but I was surprised as well about the mounting/hole situation. Oh well. I figure that I should pre-install/drill the holes before painting... dont want to tragically screw up the paint job! :D

Also, im thinking maybe of having them do a flat clear coat instead of glossy so that it will match the titanium grills.

Does anyone know the exact part #s for the top 3 mounting screws or hi-res reference images of how the original mounting hardware looked? Id like to keep it as close to what BMW used from the factory.

Thanks guys! Cant wait to get this puppy on there.

The original hardware was 3 well nuts, which you can find at Home Depot. With 3 fine thread bolts, and some black plastic bolt caps up top. Reuse 5 existing bolts on bottom.

Some have said it's better just to use a self tapping screws on top or even a drywall anchor because it negates the need to drill bigger holes for the well nuts.

honestly, just use three 8mm screws to secure the top.
BMW Part Number 07147129161

Mike are those the same ones on the bottom as well? I might buy 8 and have all of the hardware "fresh", don't like using rusty screws on newly painted parts!

Anyone know a good method of cutting the slotted holes for the five tabs? I was thinking a forcing a drill bit sideways but would might look jagged and splintered?

Dremel. Get a round sanding tip in the center, and just work it a tad to the left and right, should make a perfect slot.

yes they are the same screws that are on the bottom.
I painted all 8 of my screws used a nice shiny black

remember to drill holes BEFORE getting plate painted.