[lazard]

I found that AUTOart BMW M3 (E46) looks more like off-road and not as a sportcar. I saw real car yestrday and the model is really not correct as for position of the wheels in the bodywork. Therefore, I will lower my model. But to separate chassis from the bodywork, two screews over the back wheels just inside the back fenders must be unscrewed. To do it, back wheels must be first removed. Therefore, does anybody of you know how are wheels fixed in AUTOart BMW M3 and how they can be removed without destroying them?
Thank you for your help.
P.S. Kyosho BMW M3 CSL looks much better than the off-road (AUTOart M3).

 

[Guest]

I think you'll have to pry off the centre hubs with the BMW logos on them (that's not an easy thing to do without marking them up) using an Exacto knife and underneath you'll find a screw that holds the wheel in place. :cheers

 

[Guest]

another way is to remove the tyre and hold the screwdriver at an angle, if you think it will cause damge to the model, don't try it as it would be difficult for a car with large rims

 

[lazard]

Rat,
Thank you for your advise. But I found it impossible to remove the wheels without destroying the BMW logo in the centre of the rims.
As my main goal was to disassambly the model, I realized it using approach described by road warrior (thank you r. w. for the advise) but I found this possibility myself yestrday in the evening and have read road warrior's advise just today.
But I was succesfull and my black AUTOart M3 is now a pile of screws and plastic. I hope that I will sucessfully lower the model. If yes, I will post images, of course.

 

[BVR]

But BE CAREFUL! I tried to pull off one of the rims of the Himalaya Expedition because one of the spokes was broken (in order to glue it from the inner side), but the all of the spokes broke! :crying :crying :crying Fortunately AUTOart sent me a replacement wheel. :danbanna :happy :danbanna

 

[Guest]

Be extremely careful withany of the AUTOart wheels as they are all made of a softer plastic than the body kits (may not be ion all models) to shape them and save money

Over the last two to three months I have found a few cars withbroken wheels on them (such as the BMW and Honda Integra

 

[BVR]

Those wheels you mean (I think) have a matt chromey look and feel very metallic! They might be made of some kind of metal, or am I totally wrong on this? :feedback

 

[Guest]

the rims would have a cold feel if they were of any metal construction

Yes they look a little metallic but thats just a product they spray over the wheels to make em look like metal

 

[BVR]

the rims would have a cold feel if they were of any metal construction

That's exactly what they feel like on the Himalaya and the Ford Forty-Nine: cold! :confused

 

[Guest]

then maybe they are metal!! Cool stuff

I hope AUTOart bring out the Aussie cars with metal rims!! :lol

 

[BVR]

:iagree Those 'metallic' rims (whether they are made of metal or not) look fabulous and very realistic! Also the chromed rims on the Forty-Nine are highest quality chrome I've ever seen on a model (apart from the Precision100 Lincoln Zephyr which has actual metal bumpers, windscreen wipers, chrome strips on the side etc... Beautiful!) :happy

 

[lazard]

My AUTOart M3 job is finished.
Here I confirm that it is possible to completely disassamble the AUTOart M3 chasis without destroying any part. All parts in the cassis are "sticked by heating" and it is easy to move them from each other.
The model has metal spring in front and back wheels but the suspension is not funcional, it is only imitation. To lower my model, I shortered plastic part to which the springs are put. However, I cannot say if the model is really lowered or not. I must take some photos of the "lowered" M3 and compared it with original state.

 

[Blitz]

I'd like to see the pics if at all possible. Thinking of doing some Auto Art tweaking of my own.

 

[Guest]

I can tell you now that some of the models form Auto art were originally made by UT and Minichamps for AutoArt and that some of the full cardboard boxed ones have little screws hidden behind little centre caps on the wheels so chexk there first bbefore using a set of long nosed pliers and a screwdriver to remove them. If theyre not secured with a screw then they have a very small clip that will compress and the wheel will come free.

Wheels that were screwed on will fit the clip style rims as well, so find the rims you want to use and try that out