1:24 BMW E46 Front Grill Late Type (NuNu)

The front end after the facelift

The facelift of the E46 series came in 2001 for the sedan and the touring, while the coupe and the convertible waited two years longer for it. From outside the change concentrated on the front of the car: the bumper received different vents, the headlamps new internal detail and the grille between them an altered frame and a different arrangement of slats. From behind it was guesswork; from the front the difference was visible at once.

This later shape is the content of the part offered. For a builder it is a practical thing, because kits usually freeze in one form, and anyone who wants to build a car of the later model years would otherwise have to sand the front end down and build it up laboriously.

What to do with it

The piece is shaped for the front panel of the kit from the brand NuNu, so it is inserted from outside and lines up with the edge of the hood. First check whether the aperture in the body needs cleaning up: even a thin layer of paint can shift the fit. Paint the frame separately and fit it only once dry, otherwise paint will run between the slats and the detail will disappear.

What to watch out for

On the circuit and rally specials of this generation the grille was sometimes blanked off with metal or painted black because of a sponsor livery. Before you reach for chrome, check the appearance of the particular car against photographs; the part itself is neutral in this and leaves the decision to you. Likewise, decide in advance whether you will build the ordinary version or the sharp sporting one, as the bumper under the grille differs fundamentally on the latter.