All the
steel for the front end has arrived. The good news was that everything fits
together exactly with one exception... The front core support did require
some modifications to the side facing the radiator as the steel left from
the big bumper shock supports protrudes into the core support. The
replacement euro style front that is now the only part available does not
compensate for that. If you're getting the parts from BMW that they fit like
they did at the factory and they're made very well. The prices just
seem to go up and up on this stuff. I swear everything has risen at least 50
percent since I first started looking into this!
Front view
shows how the bumper holes on the new tub are only for Euro bumpers...
what's so bad about that? Compare to the before shot from below...
The primer
gray is where the seam sealer has been applied and filled in so that water
cannot creep under the attached body appendages to the engine compartment.
The spot
welds have been applied to the new core support on both sides and there is
still some sanding and smoothing to do to make it perfect before painting.
Here is a
view that shows the holes cut out for the 72 style bumper bracket mounts.
This view is looking down over the right headlight bucket.
Side view
of the front - a far cry from this pic from June shot above.
To snorkel
or not to snorkel, that is the TII question... OK! NO SNORKEL. It's
not fun taking this thing out because of the spot welds. The trick is to use
some of the right steel from the left over core support to make it right.
Above you
see a section cut from the old core support. This will be used to fashion a
correct steel patch over the snorkel hole. More pics to come soon on the
final result.
The right
fender new from the factory. It's already got the reflector holes taken out
and no lower trim holes, so not much work needed here. It's important to
fill up some areas that hold water here. That's to be covered next month
(thanks to Mike McCartney on that one!!)
Driver
side fender well. See the second bolt holes for the 72 style bumper
brackets.
View
looking up at the right shock tower. Seam sealer and silicon prevents water
from entering here and rusting things up.
Another
view looking forward at the front core support.
OK, I
finally found my perfect steering wheel. A 35cm original sport steering
wheel... plucked from another 2002 in Germany no less. These were rare as
hen's teeth in the USA back in the days... and the supply of them is being
scarfed up fast. When they're gone, they're gone for sure.
