continued - last one this time!
FRONT BUMPER BEAM + COVER + HEADLIGHTS + COOLERS
Since this car was missing the front end, we needed a new bumper cover and bumper beam. Early in the project the customer sent us a rendering of another BMW he liked and this 1M style front bumper cover from Duraflex matched closely with the later M4 race car he found. Duraflex is a branch of Extreme Dimensions and Carbon Creations. They make a lot of bumper covers, hoods, and fenders for late model cars in fiberglass or carbon fiber. They often have unusual style changes, like this one, which was the 1M look front end but made to fit an E46 M3.
We sourced this front end early in the project and mocked it onto the car, but now it was time to mount it properly and add a bumper beam. The Duraflex material is somewhat flexible and easy to work with or modify (mostly it works like fiberglass) and it is also cost effective. It might have worked with the composite M3 front bumper beam but those are still heavy and expensive, so a tubular beam was built using the same 1.75" DOM roll bar material used in the roll cage.
Ryan built this beam using the 3 wheeled tubing roller, then built standoffs that bolt to the factory location. There are no "bumper struts", just steel tubing. From this beam he added brackets to bolt dual Setrab oil coolers up front as well.
The twin coolers line up with the outer fog light openings in the 1M styled front bumper cover. The rear OEM bumper was replaced with a similar tubular 1.75" dia beam as well. I will show that in a future update.
There was some additional structure added to hold the bumper cover along the lower grill opening. I ordered E46 M3 headlights and corner lights online, I cannot remember where. Ryan taped up the fronts and installed those before I could grab pictures, but they are just stock replacements.
WHAT'S NEXT?
We are much farther along than this post shows but I am out space so I better wrap it up here.
Next time I can cover the installation of the carbon fiber hood, the HPR built 7.7L LS engine, T56 Magnum transmission, twin disc McLoed clutch, SFI bellhousing, ARE 4 stage dry sump oiling system, rear wing installation, seat mounting version 3.0, aluminum interior panels/floors, LS7 accessory drives, custom 1-7/8" long tube header construction, and more.
Thanks for reading!