# What do you think of my new mud flaps?



## GimpyMcFarlan (Aug 13, 2002)

I like the look of my car w/ mud flaps...


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## mquetel (Jan 30, 2003)

GimpyMcFarlan said:


> I like the look of my car w/ mud flaps...


Ditto that... I don't think they detract from the look at all, and they seem to be very functional. :thumbup:


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## tommyd (Jul 8, 2003)

mquetel said:


> Ditto that... I don't think they detract from the look at all, and they seem to be very functional. :thumbup:


after thinking about it a bit more... i have to say i really don't like the look... but then i think "hey... my car is 2 months old and i already have some scuff marks on my rear bumper from things getting kicked up by the wheels" and "i'll bet his is gonna be pretty clean"...
so i guess if you can stand a pretty minor eyesore (IMO)... it'd be a good thing to have...

kinda like the rubber floormats... functional... but hella ugly! I much liked the standard mats better... but they're bound to get filthy which will transfer to the floor over time unless you spend weekly carpet cleaning sessions...


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## xspeedy (Apr 10, 2003)

tommyd said:


> after thinking about it a bit more... i have to say i really don't like the look... but then i think "hey... my car is 2 months old and i already have some scuff marks on my rear bumper from things getting kicked up by the wheels" and "i'll bet his is gonna be pretty clean"...
> so i guess if you can stand a pretty minor eyesore (IMO)... it'd be a good thing to have...
> 
> kinda like the rubber floormats... functional... but hella ugly! I much liked the standard mats better... but they're bound to get filthy which will transfer to the floor over time unless you spend weekly carpet cleaning sessions...


Aren't the standard carpet mats carpted with rubber backing? My Integra mats are like this, and they are great! The carpet side makes it look nice, and the rubber back keeps stuff from getting through and onto the floor. Plus, the carpet holds the wetness so it doesn't just roll off the edge and onto the floor (like cheap rubber mats might do).

As for the chips you may find behind your wheels, they are normal wear and tear. Most of my chips come not from behind the wheels, but from the front of the car, from stuff picked up by cars in front of me or from gravel falling off trucks. If anything, you need a bra, not splashguards.

Too bad no one makes a nice oversize cover to put over the whole car. That is a new product idea. I'm going to call it the car condom :thumbup:


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## tommyd (Jul 8, 2003)

xspeedy said:


> Aren't the standard carpet mats carpted with rubber backing? My Integra mats are like this, and they are great! The carpet side makes it look nice, and the rubber back keeps stuff from getting through and onto the floor. Plus, the carpet holds the wetness so it doesn't just roll off the edge and onto the floor (like cheap rubber mats might do).
> 
> As for the chips you may find behind your wheels, they are normal wear and tear. Most of my chips come not from behind the wheels, but from the front of the car, from stuff picked up by cars in front of me or from gravel falling off trucks. If anything, you need a bra, not splashguards.
> 
> Too bad noone makes a nice oversize cover to put over the whole car. That is a new product idea. I'm going to call it the car condom :thumbup:


Car condom huh? I'd prefer to go 'au natural'...  
Besides... it spoils the mood...

The carpets probably do have a rubber backing... not sure... and yes they will hold moisture... but i think the moisture and dirt will cause quick discoloration which would precipitate more frequent carpet cleaning... 
Also, what your carpets don't catch (they are a bit smaller) will bleed into your floor which is a bit harder to replace... at least the carpet mats can be replaced if they get too dirty...
i have the BMW all weather floormats... which are pretty ugly... but do keep the floor carpets cleaner... you get used to them i guess...


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## xspeedy (Apr 10, 2003)

tommyd said:


> Car condom huh? I'd prefer to go 'au natural'...
> Besides... it spoils the mood...
> 
> The carpets probably do have a rubber backing... not sure... and yes they will hold moisture... but i think the moisture and dirt will cause quick discoloration which would precipitate more frequent carpet cleaning...
> ...


But if the carpet mats have rubber backings, nothing should get through them to the carpeting. If the mats are decently made, you can take them out of the car, scrub them with soap/water, and hose them clean. I'll do this for a couple of years and if I need to, buy new ones. I don't think the BMW mats are quite as well made as Honda/Acura ones. I still have my original Acura mats after eight years, and I clean them as above. If anything, the fibers have worn out where my heel rests in front of the accelerator.

And it helps to have black


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## tommyd (Jul 8, 2003)

xspeedy said:


> But if the carpet mats have rubber backings, nothing should get through them to the carpeting. If the mats are decently made, you can take them out of the car, scrub them with soap/water, and hose them clean. I'll do this for a couple of years and if I need to, buy new ones. I don't think the BMW mats are quite as well made as Honda/Acura ones. I still have my original Acura mats after eight years, and I clean them as above. If anything, the fibers have worn out where my heel rests in front of the accelerator.
> 
> And it helps to have black


True... but still a lot more maintenance than with the all weather mats...
Admittedly, we don't get much snow in Vancouver so i imagine i'm being paranoid being from Toronto originally... (where winter driving will pretty much guarantee that your mats and floor is going to get filthy). Black would be the worst in such a case... get all these white 'splotches' from the dirt and salt deposits...

I don't imagine you get much snow in Texas? :rofl:

Also really a moot point for me as i plan to store for the winter anyways (rainy season)... like i said... paranoid from past experience... :angel:


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## xspeedy (Apr 10, 2003)

tommyd said:


> True... but still a lot more maintenance than with the all weather mats...
> Admittedly, we don't get much snow in Vancouver so i imagine i'm being paranoid being from Toronto originally... (where winter driving will pretty much guarantee that your mats and floor is going to get filthy). Black would be the worst in such a case... get all these white 'splotches' from the dirt and salt deposits...
> 
> I don't imagine you get much snow in Texas? :rofl:
> ...


I was in Chicago for about five years with my existing car, here in Texas for four. I always used the regular carpet mats. They'll get wet from snow and such, and maybe a bit salt stained. But in the spring, I just rinse them well with water from a hose, scrub them with a brush and dish soap, and then rinse with the hose - really well. You can then wet-dry vac them or just let them drip dry.

My fear with plain rubber mats is that any water that gets on them will run over the mat, over the edge, and down into the original carpet. Of course, the better mats have a recess so as to not allow this to happen, so it isn't a worry if you have the better quality rubbers.

If I was in your situation, I'd probably put the better rubber mats over the carpet ones in the winter, and then go to just carpet mats in the summer.


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## tommyd (Jul 8, 2003)

xspeedy said:


> I was in Chicago for about five years with my existing car, here in Texas for four. I always used the regular carpet mats. They'll get wet from snow and such, and maybe a bit salt stained. But in the spring, I just rinse them well with water from a hose, scrub them with a brush and dish soap, and then rinse with the hose - really well. You can then wet-dry vac them or just let them drip dry.
> 
> My fear with plain rubber mats is that any water that gets on them will run over the mat, over the edge, and down into the original carpet. Of course, the better mats have a recess so as to not allow this to happen, so it isn't a worry if you have the better quality rubbers.
> 
> If I was in your situation, I'd probably put the better rubber mats over the carpet ones in the winter, and then go to just carpet mats in the summer.


My thoughts exactly! :thumbup: 
...but paranoid... can't get myself to take the rubber mats out right now... :rofl: 
The BMW mats have quite a high lip so i'm not too worried about any runoff... had the car two months... floors and carpet mats (kept underneath) are spotless!


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## gmlav8r (May 28, 2003)

I havent' noticed any BMW's around here with mud flaps. I have to start looking now. If any place required mudflaps then it would be Ohio winter. I had some big mudflaps on a truck I had a few years ago and I concluded that unless you are driving in mud then they are mostly useless in keeping the sides cleaner.:dunno:

Hey, do you have to drill holes to put those things on? If so then:thumbdwn:. 

I dare somebody to show a picture of their Beemer with rebel flag mudflaps, or Nascar #3, or crome (sp) mudflaps with a cutout of a woman on them! That would be fun to see. :tsk:


P.S. Enjoy your mudflaps:thumbup:


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## tgravo2 (Dec 7, 2002)

I just can't get myself to like them. Maybe if they were painted :dunno:


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## bimergrin (Dec 17, 2002)

I've had my car since March and the mudflaps before that and still can't decide if I should put them on. I like the way they look on your car.

Did you have to take the wheels off? Were they easy to put on?


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## GM (Aug 6, 2003)

Why not have them painted the same color as the car? They'll blend in. :dunno:


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## ObD (Dec 29, 2001)

Real men don't eat quiche and they don't use mud flaps. :bustingup


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## Terry Kennedy (Sep 21, 2002)

bimergrin said:


> Did you have to take the wheels off? Were they easy to put on?


Yes to both questions. As long as you have the instructions is is pretty easy. Don't mix up the hardware from the front and rear kits - the pins are subtly different.

To a later poster, regarding painting the flaps - the plastic the flaps are made of is relatively soft and because they are molded and not intended to be painted, the surface is rather slippery from the mold releasing agent they put in the plastic. I expect that you'd start to see chips and flakes in the paint after a while.

To an earlier poster, yes - you have to drill a couple holes. But none of them are on the side of the car - they're on the rear faces of the wheelwells, and you're drilling into plastic, not metal. If you take the flaps off, you just re-insert the plastic mounting pins in the wheelwells.


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## gmlav8r (May 28, 2003)

No drilling into the metal. Good. :thumbup: I'll remember that this winter.


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## CascadeTelcom (Aug 7, 2002)

*Massachusetts*



ObD said:


> Real men don't eat quiche and they don't use mud flaps. :bustingup


Real men don't live in the Peoples Republic of Massachusetts, only liberals. :bareass:


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## ObD (Dec 29, 2001)

CascadeTelcom said:


> Real men don't live in Massachusetts, only liberals. :bareass:


:rofl: I am not a Liberal, even the Braintrust isn't bankrupt enough to say that. :thumbup:


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## rumratt (Feb 22, 2003)

After having the mud flaps for a while, I definitely don't even notice them any more, and I suppose they help keep the car clean.

But I'm getting worried about them resting up against the paint on the side. Dirt definitely gets in there, and the other day I pulled out a little twig that was wedged in there! :yikes:  If I weren't so lazy I would take one off and examine the paint. 

I bet the risk of the mud flaps damaging the paint is higher than the chance that they save you from damage. So in a way, the mud flaps are all about looks... just to keep your car looking cleaner between washes (less dirt kicked up on the sides).


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## LDV330i (May 24, 2003)

Other brands offer color color specific mud flaps so they are pretty subtle and do not stand out. The BMW mudflaps are as subtle as wearing a black eyepatch.


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