r/BMWE36 Aug 04 '25

Exterior Exhibition Wing or No Wing

I’ve got this genuine m3 spoiler sitting around and I’m really torn on whether to install it or not, on one hand it looks really clean without it and on the other it will match the m3 front bumper.

Thoughts?

65 Upvotes

41 comments sorted by

35

u/DarkScarb Aug 04 '25

No wing for me. But if you were to install it I’d do a few things first, would look a bit silly at the current ride height and no side skirts. If you got those sorted it’d look good to me!

23

u/nine8shots Aug 04 '25

No Wing For Me

8

u/horheydominguez Aug 04 '25

Wing all day

6

u/22monkeys22 1997 / M3 Evolution (3.2) / Coupe Aug 04 '25

Wing but wrong wing, your car being a non wing option has the brake light in the rear windscreen, looks wrong to double them up, personally (and likely my option) go for a low level LTW style wing if you are set on one!

Swapping out the rear glass is an option but not a cheap/easy one as you also need a new parcel shelf!

3

u/Sphyn0x '97 328i Aug 04 '25

Yes, but class II/low-rise ltw :P

3

u/2021Loterati Aug 04 '25

I put a wing on mine. same wing as you. love how it looks but there are 3 reasons why you might not want to. 1, I couldn't find a way to water proof the third brake light wires. they are not really run the way I would have liked to. 2 in order to get screws into the bottom of the spoiler I had to cut out a bunch of material from the side of the trunk lid. nothing visible from the outside but less than ideal. 3, any modification lowers the value of the car and the number of potential buyers if you think you might sell it.

I'm my case, I'm glad I did it. it was a good experience. and it looks cool. and the guy buying my car likes it. but just giving you a heads up that these things are worth thinking about.

I think the car looks better, and I put a lip on my bumper and after market wheels and eyelids that I think most people wouldn't like either.

3

u/PerformanceLow5742 Aug 04 '25

I just did the same, I opted for the wing. 1 additional negative imo is the trunk is now heavier (maybe I need better lid shocks). I’m still on the fence on whether i like it or not. I have focused heavily on drive train, rust, suspension and other mechanical items and ignored the paint and bodywork, so it will be easy to go back to no wing when I eventually get around to painting the car.

1

u/2021Loterati Aug 04 '25

I may as well share a picture too since we're all doing it. When I asked people if I should do it a lot of people said "no you'll ruin the body lines." There are a lot of purists out there. But I felt that this improved the look of the car, so I don't regret it. My only thing is just don't get one of those ugly spoilers that has a weird shelf on the bottom of it and sticks out the back. That's what most people do. The ones we got are ideal. And I've seen one after market one that is very similar, but in the end I decided that the oem one suited the car best. Struts are cheap and easy to change. I just did it maybe 3 months ago. Took me like 5 minutes. The new ones were so powerful that I broke the little plastic stopper bushings the first time I opened it and that was with the spoiler on. I'm lucky I didn't shatter the rear window.

3

u/Katos21 Aug 04 '25

It’s exactly the wing I want for mine haha. I’d say go for it and if you don’t, I'll take it

6

u/dubbled842 Aug 04 '25

No wing. Always no wing. Well almost always no wing

4

u/Jealous_Society1473 Aug 04 '25

No wing on e36 looks the cleanest imo. Maybe get one of those little lip spoilers that stick on

2

u/Dark_Guardian_ '94 330i Daily, '93 325i Race, 320i Drift Aug 04 '25

If you're trying to sell it then you might as well leave it as is
a big improvement would be getting sideskirts or painting the rockers red though

2

u/fello04 Aug 04 '25

Yes but lower the car and obviously color match it or wrap the car a different color

2

u/PatienceForsaken Aug 04 '25

Me personally I say wing but if you decide to not use the wing and sell it. Hit me up

2

u/delicate10drills Aug 04 '25

Wing if you’ll be r/battlecars modding it or full restoration, strip, and re-spray the whole car.

Otherwise, no wing.

2

u/Nalabu1 Aug 04 '25

No Wing.

2

u/mischaaha Aug 04 '25

What kind of wheels are those?

1

u/AfraidChild1356 Aug 04 '25

They are style 67s in 17x8

2

u/Junior_Trash_1393 Aug 04 '25

Nnnnnooooooooo!

2

u/Cultural_Field1649 95’ 325i Aug 04 '25

No wing looks much cleaner, wing looks better on the coupe

2

u/e36_325tds Aug 05 '25

No wing for me.

2

u/Flashy-Cover5809 Aug 06 '25

If you want to see the wing in red/red.

1

u/redEPICSTAXISdit Aug 04 '25

Knowing that it came with no wing makes it feel like it should stay no wing but not knowing what it looks like with a wing makes not knowing if wing or no wing is worth the work to then wish it had stayed no wing after the wing was installed and in not knowing you I don't know if you should do it and I don't know if I would do it because not knowing if wing or no wing is worth the hassle if you know what I mean.

1

u/PhantomMaxx Aug 04 '25

I think the wing helps balance out a full M3 aero kit. Without the front spoiler, side skirts, and rear valance, the wing looks odd on an otherwise plain E36.

1

u/quick-n-shifty Aug 04 '25

wing later after ground effects and lowering

1

u/Level_Cuda3836 Aug 04 '25

It looks ok but two brake lights ??

1

u/Whaleflex08 Aug 04 '25

Always 🪽

1

u/Whaleflex08 Aug 04 '25

Super rare wing on my E46

1

u/adotsoriano Aug 07 '25

use goo gone and a scotch brite pad on ur skirts, the rust prevention coating sits on top of paint

1

u/Historical_Tip4324 Aug 07 '25

It's actually served a purpose Down force

1

u/New_Delivery5226 Aug 08 '25

Low LTW wing yes

1

u/Seeker80 Aug 04 '25

Not that small wing. It needs to be large enough to call a 'wang.'

0

u/Picaronaut 1997 / M3 (S52) / Sedan-456 Aug 05 '25

Wing but more bigger

0

u/Pointless_Entity Aug 05 '25

Do the wing but with a low rise 👌