Shaved door handles, shaved side trim, shaved whatever

[milotrain]

I want to shave the side trim, door handles, and pretty much anything else I can shave off my 320i before I paint it. Anyone got pictures? I love Steinkek's boat-tail.

Milo

[Jholden]

I was thinking of doing this with my trim black pieces, taking them off bondo and such, then paint. when you get done post so i can make up my mind.

[blitzed310]

You will forever regret shaving the side rubber trim. Plus I think it looks odd. Also not a fan of the shaved handles.

[milotrain]

Originally Posted by blitzed310

You will forever regret shaving the side rubber trim. Plus I think it looks odd. Also not a fan of the shaved handles.

I'm concerned about how it looks too, but basically if I paint the car the color I want then I think the side trim either needs to go or be totally chrome (which I guess I could do). You figuring for parking lot defense?

Still debating on shaving the handles, but I think it'd be cool, I'd only do it if I shaved the gas door as well.

[bflan2001]

the only thing i would do is a truck-style roll pan like steinkek...shaved door handles would probably look good but then you have to deal with being locked out if you ever have electrical issues...and shaved side moldings look terrible on an E21, they completely kill the lines that make these cars look so cool..i'm pretty sure a couple guys here have done it before, i'll try to find pics

[blitzed310]

Yeah, for door dings, plus it will be such a large area that you will have to block the panels perfectly in order to eradicate any distortion. But all that effort will go out the window when you go to the store and someone throws their door into you. But, I just think it would look terrible.

bflan there are many options you can do to avoid ever getting looked out, some are electrical some are mechanical.

[2000mkoop]

quick chop:

[bflan2001]

here's an old thread with some pics. it doesn't look quite as bad if you leave the indents, rather than shaving everything smooth. i couldn't find any pics of completely shaved doors but i've seen it before i strongly advise against it.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ghlight=shaved

[milotrain]

I like it. Actually I like it a lot. Thanks for the Link Bflan. Thanks for the photochop koop.

[superj]

my car has the running lights and badges shaved and filled

[e21brute]

Originally Posted by blitzed310

You will forever regret shaving the side rubber trim. Plus I think it looks odd. Also not a fan of the shaved handles.

I hate it.

Sorry.

Shave an Escort GT or Merkur XR4ti.

Save the e21s!

Like some other beautiful things I can think of, the e21 looks better "au-natural."

--brute

[BoomerDJ]

ive known a few people do it on several cars and it completely destroys the look of the car. bmws lines were designed too all go together. IMO shaving even door handles looks terrible. if anything, just paint everything black

[milotrain]

Can't paint it black. I'm painting the car battleship non metalic gray so the only thing that I think will look good in terms of trim is chrome. I may pull the trim, look at it and replace it with custom chrome trim if I don't like it.

Like some other beautiful things I can think of, the e21 looks better "au-natural."

Well I like it bummperless in the front so it's already not au-natural.

[epmedia]

Originally Posted by milotrain

....You figuring for parking lot defense?...

Parking lot defense is a major priority for daily drivers. You maybe saw the dings on the sst skirts on my '78, which are more noticeable than the rubber trimmings. Keep those trimmings, otherwise your new paint may look like crap in just a few days from parking lot idiots...

Robert

[milotrain]

In some ways I always want her to look a little "ridden hard and put away wet" (can I say that online?). It helps with cop avoidance, just like not painting her red and not installing a big loud BOV. I'm not totally trying to make a sleeper here but I don't mind if she looks totally uninteresting from 15 feet. Perhaps I am contradicting myself, wouldn't be the first time.

[j0sh866]

I say if you're going to shave the moldings, keep the door handles; I don't think I ever like shaved door handles. Shaved moldings look good in the chop to me though.

[dhlthr]

I changed my moldings to plane rubber (I believe 1 1/2" width) that you can pick up at body supply shop and its painted body color. This gives me protection without the chrome. Don't have pictures and I'm out of town for 3 weeks.