Quote:
Originally Posted by EdM5
What's up with these horrible bumpers? 1988 US regulations?
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The bumper regulations hit in the 1974 model year which required 5mph impacts, front and rear, to be absorbed without damage. Take a look at a 1973 versus 1974 BMW 2002 or the Bavaria (E3). You can do the same with all other makes too. Porsche did a superb styling job on the 911 -- compare the 1973 and 1974 911 for the US market.
The regulation changed actually for the 1973 model year (from previously being none), but then changed again in 1974. It was hard to believe how nasty bumper additions became in 1974. It was so "out there" that, at the time, many believed the regulation would be rescinded. I can remember seeing a 1974 2002 for the first time and just being in shock that these monster bumpers were real. In later years it wasn't uncommon to drill the bumper pistons, drain the oil, compress the bumper, trim the plastic edges and have a much shorter (but still large) bumper. I mostly saw that done on 2002s and E21 320i...there was even a DIY article in the BMW CCA Roundel magazine.
Rob Siegel does nice job covering the time period
in this article.
Back to the car at hand here -- looks like a really nice E28! We bought a near new 1985 535i 5MT for my wife's daily driver back in 1986 and really enjoyed the car. 1985 was the year BMW introduced ABS brakes to the US market, so it was nice/weird having a car with ABS for the first time too. Within a few months of ownership, I had installed Dinan sway bars, Konis, 16" Rial wheels (ditching the metric stock wheels), and Cibie headlights...all sort of typical "mandatory" needed changes common in that time era for BMWs.