Grille Variants
From E30 Zone Wiki
Grilles
There are two kinds of standard BMW front grille. The European spec, and the United States spec. The European type grille was also used for South African and Australian E30s. The US spec was only seen in US market cars.
European Type
This has an unbroken rim which runs across the top of the headlights.
US Type
There is a gap in the rim, above each of the four headlights.
Comparison
The two types of grille, together for comparison. European spec is above, North American spec below.
Retrofitting
The grilles use the same mounting points, and are completely interchangeable. It is a good idea, if attempting to swap the grilles, to replace the foam strip along the top edge, replace all the clips, and clean the exposed inside edge of the metalwork.
