Originally Posted by umnitza' post='973658' date='Aug 12 2009, 11:14 AM

Yes, we have pre and post LCI models. - If you are doing the complete kit unpainted, here's the link:

M5Tech Special - M5Tech, Side Skirt, and M5 Rear - Pre-Order Special

Guys, I know you are asking about pre-painted, but please consider the list here before getting it pre-painted:
There are many downsides to pre-painting bumpers:
1) Paint match is best done at the shop because very very slight variances in a shade can be minor in the paint booth but extremely pronounced on the car.
Further issues arise from "blending" to the car if it's 6 months old or 5 years old (as some E60s are now).
2) Once a bumper is painted, that's it, it's purchased and it's yours to keep even if it's not perfectly matched paint wise.
3) Shipping costs go dramatically up due to extra precaution required to wrap a painted bumper to avoid any damage.
4) Customer headache potential goes up. What happens if there is a chip, scratch, scuff, or worse a break in shipping? It becomes a double headache fixing something already painted - mostly from a customer perspective because you have to find a shop willing to fix it now or get it sent back and wait for a fix.

For local customers, we recommend Jim from Regal Collision in Vallejo. We have sent many customers there and have had great success with our own 2 cars sent there.

Originally Posted by FastLane' post='979515' date='Aug 17 2009, 11:08 AM

Hey Umnitza,

Thanks for the heads up on the downsides of pre-painting. For some of us who don't have access to good painting options for reasonable prices, the price difference could be significant enough to take the added risk. Where I am, most of the shops here paint based on manufacturer code, and only a few offer blending for substantially more, so for me pre-painted would be preferred.

When you say shipping costs go up dramtically, I'm not sure I understand that. The material may be a bit more expensive, but from the pics I've seen it looks like you are already pretty careful when it comes to packaging. Could you tell me how much extra the shipping will be on the $800 kit, that was supposed to include shipping? Also, do you have a quote on how much it would be to paint the kit based on the std manufacturer code (a08 for me)? If you have an idea from Regal Collision or if you had found the cheaper location that would be great to know. Thx.

Originally Posted by umnitza' post='979740' date='Aug 17 2009, 04:47 PM

When a bumper is painted, it requires far greater care. For example, we would have to purchase clear bubble specifically for the bumper as leaving it inside the regular plastic encasing would likely scratch the paint. Bubble to wrap a large bumper like this is in the $25-45 range just for one bumper.

When we ship a regular bumper, we take great care in making sure it doesn't get damaged, but scratches are not our primary concern simply because once painted, the paint covers everything from scuffs, to little marks, to even scratches.

Blending is not necessary. What is a good idea however is for the shop doing the paint to see what level of fade your paint has and change the paint code accordingly. A good shop that we worked near at our old shop would do the paint code exactly then based on the way the car looked in the paint booth would micro-adjust the paint to reflect the fade.

Regal is the best quality paint there is, very good work as well, they will charge $850 for all of it to be painted. That's their lowest packaged/painted price. Then we would wrap it to ensure perfect shipment etc.

Does that help explain it better?
Let us know if you need any more help.

Originally Posted by FastLane' post='980638' date='Aug 18 2009, 07:28 AM

Thanks for the explanation, that helps. Since my car is an '04 and they won't be doing the fade adjustment for, I don't think I'd need the top of the line paint job, if there are other options available. Previously you mentioned jobs in the $350 to $500 range, did you find any shops in that range?

Originally Posted by umnitza' post='985487' date='Aug 22 2009, 02:24 PM

We have an appt with 2 shops next to us on Monday to show them the bumpers. If they are willing, they may be able to do it for $150 per bumper for pre-paint. Anyone interested?

Originally Posted by umnitza' post='985500' date='Aug 22 2009, 04:04 PM

we'll know on Monday, but we're hoping for around $400-500 for a the whole kit painted.