swede70 Posted September 2 Share Posted September 2 (edited) Greetings, A fairly fast project this, one long put off. A few years ago KK released a range of 1:18th scale diecast BMW E3's, whereupon I purchased an example and later gathered up some recently removed new-tool sealed Minichamps 1:18th scale BMW E9 CSi and CSL wheels and tires hoping to add these to my KK E3 purchase. Some promotional photographs depict the then new or newish Alpina-style rims without the familiar black paint finish across the centers, while so too do occasional examples turn up online depicting such as witnessed here. I view this appearance as a bit lifeless, whereas with the Minichamps scale footwear in hand, eventually I'd try something. This is how the KK sealed body BMW E3/3.0 S arrives, and pretty tidy it appears. Other colors have been done, hence some choice exists with regards to gathering an example if one is so-driven. ...while this the wheel appearance/finish I desire/desired. Quite handsome, while the exterior color appears to be Granatrot in BMW-speak. Not trying to much for this fast overhaul, nevertheless the decided to spray the interior casting floor to suggest low pile salt & pepper carpeting while also adding small squares of fluorescent red material to suggest seat belt latch releases. The seats but for the rear bottom cushions may be removed from the floor casting, hence not much was risked here. Same too for the handbrake lever; i.e. it's a separate part that can be pulled to facilitate paintwork. After trying to pull the wheels and tires off the KK model and failing in my attempt, I decided to remove the tires and laboriously hand file each rim face flat until the old rims fell away from the hubs hoping at it were that I could reuse the KK assemblies here. The effort seemed doubtful for a time, but then success! The Minichamps E9 CSi/CSL Alpina turbine wheels had to be ground out a bit to remove shafts situated behind each to otherwise accept alternately an axle or pin, but otherwise didn't require a wild amount of work. Track remains a bit wide, but I'm not sure much further effort would have yielded me a commensurate improvement with regards to appearance. Tires hardly seemed different for detail, size and material employed between the two companies, hence what's made out here are Minichamps tires on same-tool wheels, while oddly enough the KK model comes through with superior brake detail including fair brake calipers and photo-etched brake discs that show better through the Minichamps rims. Notice further that the seat belt latch release button detail can indeed be made out through the side 'glass'. Really quite nice then, with the recent sealed Minichamps BMW 2500 situated just beneath the facelifted KK iteration above. Out back one can make out new 'Bavaria' trunk lid identification even as many discreet tell tales relate this to be a later 3.0 S. The 'Bavaria' lettering was commissioned to and created by 3 Amigos Decals. Additionally, the exhaust outlet was cut a bit short here, while an AUTOart BMW 2002tii chromed exhaust tip was added to mix things up again. Thanks for your review of this brief project post. Mike K./Swede70 Edited September 2 by swede70 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede70 Posted September 4 Author Share Posted September 4 (edited) Hello, Not meriting another thread given it's largely the same topic, this would be another 1:18th scale BMW E3, this time the recent Minichamps sealed shell tool of an early 2500 sedan. Having picked up a set of early alloy wheels and tires from the eBay seller who posted bundles of KK and Minichamps sets that included the Alpina turbine wheels plus tires fit to the '74 3.0 S in Granatrot featured above, I hoped to wrap up matters for effecting another swap out/conversion as made out below. Caution is advised given it's a finicky swap at best even as the manufacturer here is the same; i.e. wheels from a sealed-body Minichamps BMW E9 CSi being fit to a sealed-body Minichamps BMW E3. The front suspension of the E3/2500 sedan isn't all that easy to remove or service, although once apart trimming the mounts of the front wheels to size and screwing each into place to match the alignment of what had been removed proved doable enough. Spacers had to be fabricated for the rear wheels, while given space didn't exist to transfer E9 brakes to the front of the E3, I didn't mount an extra effort to add anything in terms of extra detail even as room existed to mount brakes at the rear. I guess for the effort it's no worse for detail and a bit more handsome for it, hence happy enough on this side. As-delivered and quite handsome as seen, finished in what is termed Tundra Green... Intimations that it can look quite fetching when upgraded with the period factory light alloy wheels though... Performed fast but (more or less) effectively, the wheel/tire change pays dividends. Just the two models together recovering in the display/post-op. area I maintain. Further below is the BoS BMW E3 2500 from years ago, while it wears full wheel covers to round matters out. Thanks for your review of this post... Mike K./Swede70 Edited September 4 by swede70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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