Yes, FP has the right idea. You won't find a lot of love for chrome on this forum. We either all hate and have replaced it, or have cars that came without the chrome. Personally? Chrome is disgusting.

 

I think the posted photo explains it...it's her daily driver. It's 'my' car, but she drives it . I think the shadowline makes it more masculine so that's pretty much what is stopping me. I need to Jedi mind trick her somehow. Maybe the kidneys first. Gloss black on those, right?

Another few weeks driving the manual and she may be begging me to do it. Her shift timing is getting more and more aggressive.

 

For the grills and you want to go black...gloss black yes. Matte black looks too plasticky to me. I had matte black grills on. I took them off after awhile and put the chrome back on with the black center slats. I have the OEM gloss black and will put them on someday.

 

i don't want to speak out of line but it sounds like you gotta start by working out "who's" car it really is ??

 

It's my car that she drives everyday, it's our car. I drive a GMC truck and need it for my hobbies, paddleboarding and mountain bike riding, and household type chores. We use the 5 for everything as a family and I drive it if we go somewhere.

I did all of the research and picked it out (what woman would buy a manual transmission in a sedan?), bought it, drove it home over 1300 miles, I clean it, I maintain it, I do everything but drive it to work.

It's our one nice vehicle.

I doubt she'd complain if I shadowlined the windows and blacked the kidneys, I'm just wondering if it fits the style of the car. I don't have sport wheels or a spoiler or anything at all sporty on the car. Just don't know if it fits a 528i. The silver line in the front grill will stand out a ton if I gloss black the kidneys...

 

If you decide to dechrome the car do everything. It will flow much nicer.

 

For the kidneys, gloss black surround with matte black centers. Another is body color surround and gloss or matte center.

 

do it then, look at it as a first step. Thats where i'm at too starting mods and trying to figure out how, when and what, from these guys that know more than me. Hey man its a great car, go for it

 

This is the first time I am searching for auto body work when my car accidentally hit the front yard truck at my house. I know this sounds not good but my car really got damage a lot. So, any suggesting regarding auto body work..


Auto Body

 

Your question - colors and shadowline trim. I personally feel that the darker the car body color - the better the black trim works.

I also have a Monaco Blue e60 w/sport (therefore shadowline trim) and think the less chrome the better - especially around the windows/doors. That said, matt black or CF kidney grills are an option - the chrome trim in the lower front grill is a must go black!

On a side note - doesn't it seem odd that most (?many?) car manufacturers put black trim on their low-end/standard models and charge extra for shiny trim. BMW does it the other way around