12 hours and counting to picking up my new 335 coupe!!

But here is a quickee...

What exactly does the body shop do when they roll your fenders? and;

I have a 19 inch tire with 255s on them, but do I need to put a spacer on to make the outside of the tire flush with the fender?

Thanks guys, and I hope for a quick response.

-HC

Use a wooden Louisville Slugger to roll your fenders. Employ a heat gun to gently warm the paint around the fender lip area and then place the bat between the sidewall of the tire and the lip of the fender. Hold the bat as straight up and down as possible while a second someone slowly rolls the car forward, perfect everytime. There are commercially available fender rolling tools but honestly the bat trick works just as good without the high cost, alot of the 928 guys are doing this. If you still want the tool, Check the Eastwood catalog or website, they sell a fender rolling tool that mounts to the hub (as most do).

Sounds like a good way to ruin a 50,000 dollar vehicle.

hahaha. yea the whole baseball bat thing just really doesn't do it for me.

Sounds like a good way to ruin a 50,000 dollar vehicle.

Actually the 928 was more like a $60,000 base price vehicle 20 years ago and closer to $100,000 in it's final revision for 1995. The technique i described is pretty common practice actually, but hey.. to each his own huh? The commercially available tool basically does the same thing as i described but for a cost of about $250, not bad for a one use tool.

FYI, by 50,000 dollars, I was referring to the cost of a loaded 335i. But, yes to each his own. I for instance would not brag about the price of my vehicle, especially when my stats are wrong.

The 1986 928S was a 288 HP 5.0 L 32 Valver. It had a base price of 51,800. (the Porsche power upgrade is part of "Note 2," this was the next level up, and options could drive the price north of 90,000 for this particular model.)
Awesome car, as this was the last of the original 928's, before the S4 package begin sales the following year. Now it's worth about $21,000 in pristine condition (ie, less than 30,000 miles; museum quality fit and finish). Typically road going 928S models are worth about $4-9,000 dollars today. They often offer a lot of bang for the buck even today in terms of performance. However, the typical 928S has been in the wrong hands, as many have trickled down from original owners and been corrupted by aftermarket parts and shoddy repairs. I am not interested in ruffling anyone's feathers, just pointing out some facts and figures to go with my personal BS. I would never want anyone using a baseball bat to do anything on any car I own, even if it was only worth a few bucks.

Yeah, i knew exactly which car you were referring to Sally. The comment I made about the 928 being a $60K car 20 years ago was meant as a smart assed response to your underhanded comment about my advice being a good way to ruin a $50,000 Vehicle (the 335 we're talking about). And i was not bragging about the base price of my vehicle which was indeed the $51,800 price you quoted, I was talking about the 928 of 20 years ago, was i not? That 928 of 20 years ago, the S4, DID have a base price of just shy of $60,000.

As for what 928's generally cost today, it makes no difference to me unless I am selling or buying. I can tell you this, I paid more for the wheels on my 928 than the typical 928 price you listed. Again, cutting and pasting info on the 928 and it's depreciated values neither "ruffles my feathers" or adds to the topical content of the thread. I don't need to defend the 928 anymore than to say that from 1978 to 1995 you could walk into a Porsche dealership and buy the flagship 928 model or you could settle for the 911. I have probably forgotten more about the 928 in the last five minutes than you ever knew to begin with.

Honestly I probably wouldn't go rolling fenders on a new BMW myself but the man asked about rolling fenders so i told him. My advice still stands... allow me to elaborate. The commercially available fender rolling tools tend to push upward as well as outward on the fender lip, that produces a "duckbill" look to the fender. Using the bat as i suggested Forces the fender outward only and produces very nice results if you hold the bat perpendicular to the ground. "Backyard" i know, but the end justifies the means, and that end is a better looking result than the tool intended for the job.

1986 was 21 years ago, 1987 was 20...
Nuff said.:rolleyes

http://e46m3performance.com/installs/fender_roll/index.htm

THAAAAAAT's what I was looking for. Thanks a lot.

-HC

You're very welcome.

Maybe using a baseball bat to modify your car is acceptable in IOWA, but here in NY, where there is much less corn product and far fewer morons, I just laugh at you. Your "rolled" fenders with touch up paint covering the cracks you made when you bent the sheetmetal of your car doing some half-ass modifying. If you want to keep this going, do it here. If you send me any further "private messages," be sure to explain what your "Sally" comment means. Perhaps you'd like to say it to my face rather than on some anonymous internet forum? Bring your bat too, we'll see if you can get your mouth around it.

and BTW, that Porsche info I recited is straight off the top of my head, and from Kelley Blue Book online. I wonder how far the resale value of Porsche plummeted when you ruined the fenders LOL. Some people are just so dumb it is unbelievable. In the future please refrain from speaking to me, and respect the rules of the forum (ie, no name calling , or otherwise acting like a backwoods Iowan) .

wow.

Maybe using a baseball bat to modify your car is acceptable in IOWA, but here in NY, where there is much less corn product and far fewer morons, I just laugh at you. Your "rolled" fenders with touch up paint covering the cracks you made when you bent the sheetmetal of your car doing some half-ass modifying. If you want to keep this going, do it here. If you send me any further "private messages," be sure to explain what your "Sally" comment means. Perhaps you'd like to say it to my face rather than on some anonymous internet forum? Bring your bat too, we'll see if you can get your mouth around it.

and BTW, that Porsche info I recited is straight off the top of my head, and from Kelley Blue Book online. I wonder how far the resale value of Porsche plummeted when you ruined the fenders LOL. Some people are just so dumb it is unbelievable. In the future please refrain from speaking to me, and respect the rules of the forum (ie, no name calling , or otherwise acting like a backwoods Iowan) .



BTW, have you ever rolled fenders yourself? The only advice you've offered on the subject at hand is what not to do. If the baseball bat method is the wrong way to go, I'm sure the original poster would appreciate some comments on how to do it better.

The baseball bat method is tried and true. I know plenty of people who've used this exact technique with great results.

Hey, I'm sorry I implied you were a girl, it was just a good natured ribbing. Obviously you didn't take it as such. Anyway, if i ever do get to NY, which i would like to do someday, can't we get together and wrap our lips around a couple of beers rather than a ball bat? We're all automotive enthusiasts here right? Do New Yorkers really think Iowans are "backwoods"? No hard feelings.
-Ben

Do New Yorkers really think Iowans are "backwoods"?
-Ben

It's not just New Yorkers. :D

You know Illynoise isn't out of my reach!

I've helped people roll their fenders with the universal tool. It can typically be rented/borrowed, and does a great job of ensuring even alteration across the entire lip. Heat gun is absolutely necessary, and it takes a while to heat up the metal, but the results are worth it.

You know Illynoise isn't out of my reach!

I'm in Chicagoland - i though you country bumpkins were afraid of the big bad city?

BTW, have you ever rolled fenders yourself? The only advice you've offered on the subject at hand is what not to do. If the baseball bat method is the wrong way to go, I'm sure the original poster would appreciate some comments on how to do it better.

The best way to roll fenders, especially if you are doing it on a car you care about, is to have a professional body shop do it. The cracks and blemishes on the front fenders of 325i were the result of the baseball bat technique. I would counsel all to avoid using any tool not specifically engineered to complete this task.

What exactly is the point of "rolling fenders"? Looks?

What exactly is the point of "rolling fenders"? Looks?

So you can fit a larger wheel/tire combination underneath without the tire rubbing the inside of the fender.

I own a fender rolling tool but usually use a rubber mallet instead, or atleaset at first before using the roller (if a completly flat or pulled fender is needed). The fender roller CAN cause paint damage or chips. Heating up the paint is always a good idea regardless of method used.