New member - Carbonschwarz

Carbonschwarz · Post by **Carbonschwarz** » Fri Apr 21, 2023 8:59 pm

Spent some time on the interior today, which was very much needed. Vacuumed the interior and cleaned all the plastics. Then I started on the seats, which show the experience of the car. I love the M-seats but don't like how the wear shows on them. Its the first time I'm cleaning leather, but figured that I cannot make the drivers side worse than it is, so gave it a go.

Started using the Gliptone intensive leather cleaner. I applied it using a pad and then gently gave the leather a brush with a bit of water. Repeated these steps a few times. Result is a nicer and cleaner feel of the leather (more like new leather feel) and significant reduction in the shine. More of a matte finish now. Although the feel and freshness of the leather has significantly improved, it still shows the wear.

Previous owner gave me some Traumrot specific leather dye, so stopped after the cleaning step and did not yet apply the Gliptone conditioner. I also bought a heat gun for a tenner today to see if I can get the leather a bit tighter on the seats.

Is the below sequence the right sequence to refresh the seats?

1) Intensive clean
2) Dye / colour
3) Leather conditioner
4) Heat gun

Below quick pic after cleaning the driver seat. Passenger seat is in much better condition, but will clean that one tomorrow too.

: ORx4Fa7zSYmdPcZiy9%vOA.jpg (131.56 KiB) Viewed 647 times

Two more to do's on the list after today's clean.

1) Luggage net on the passenger side has a broken clip (see pic above). Does anyone have the part number or an alternative fix? I'm afraid that I cannot just take it off without leaving the marks in the carpet.
2) The instrument cluster is dirty..... on the inside. What should have been an simple wipe down, has turned into a new challenge. It looks rather awful now. I hope I don't have to take out much of the dash.

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Carbonschwarz · Post by **Carbonschwarz** » Sat Apr 22, 2023 10:59 am

Found the clips online, part number 51472263062 in case anyone else would be interested too.

j3nks79 · Post by **j3nks79** » Sat Apr 22, 2023 11:46 am

Looks great. I have the same colour but Coupe

Carbonschwarz · Post by **Carbonschwarz** » Mon Apr 24, 2023 10:24 pm

Today I visited a BMW specialist to get the sticky steering fixed. At least thats what I was hoping for. Unfortunately it turned out that the eccentric rings in my car already had been maximally adjusted, so nothing to gain here anymore.

Reading online I see I have two options:

1) Getting my steering column overhauled by Steering expert in the Netherlands. 500 Euros for the overhaul + labour for building in and out of the column. Total about 800-900 I guess. Not sure what they change technically , but they claim large experience and commit to resolving it.
2) Getting the bearings changed in the steering column in Monchengladbach , Germany. These guys have huge experience in fixing sticky steering, but I read online about long waiting lists. Will contact them tomorrow. I read it will costs about 600 Euro too.

Not the result I was hoping for today, but these are the perks that come along with driving an 20 year old roadster

Will make up my mind in the coming days, but any advice is appreciated.

NaweedMustafa · Post by **NaweedMustafa** » Wed May 03, 2023 4:50 pm

Carbonschwarz wrote: ↑Tue Apr 18, 2023 11:12 am 10 ) Phone holder + integrated charger. - Will probably open a separate thread for this at a later stage as I will need some help from the experts here. Goal would be wireless charging and no cables visible

Welcome to the forum!

Just to chime in: i sorted this out with a Xiomi wireless chargin phone holder. it automatically opens up to accept your phone by using a proximity sensor. funny gadget, get my friends amazed haha. I routed the USB C able from the phone holder via the air vent (holder is mounted above it). have it all plugged up to a triple cigarette lighter hidden under the passenger footwell. just spotted it a year later after owning the car, was definitely from the previous owner but its perfect, since the OEM cigarette lighter is always on, which bothers most of us

Carbonschwarz · Post by **Carbonschwarz** » Fri May 05, 2023 10:28 pm

Sounds like a good setup. Do you happen to have any pics of that mod? Can the cables withstand the heat from the air vent channels?

NaweedMustafa · Post by **NaweedMustafa** » Mon May 08, 2023 4:48 pm

This is how it looks:

: WhatsApp Image 2023-05-07 at 6.54.46 PM.jpeg (156.41 KiB) Viewed 508 times

: WhatsApp Image 2023-05-07 at 6.54.45 PM.jpeg (151.66 KiB) Viewed 508 times

I should have routed the cable through the red circle, would require a slight bit of force but if its a decent cable, it shouldnt be a problem. Never had issues with heat coming in contact with the cable. I never crank up the heat too high so not sure about durability tests

Carbonschwarz · Post by **Carbonschwarz** » Mon May 08, 2023 9:55 pm

Looks rather neat, NM! I do have the tendency to heat things up in the Zed, allowing for roof down drives earlier in the season. So would rather route cables via the dashboard somewhere.

NaweedMustafa · Post by **NaweedMustafa** » Tue May 09, 2023 8:23 am

Carbonschwarz wrote: ↑Mon May 08, 2023 9:55 pm Looks rather neat, NM! I do have the tendency to heat things up in the Zed, allowing for roof down drives earlier in the season. So would rather route cables via the dashboard somewhere.

Could definitely try around the spot i highlighted in the picture. with my current setup, the wire doesnt go through the whole ventilation system as seen below

: snippet.jpg (8.16 KiB) Viewed 481 times

The temps from the heater shouldnt exceed more than 30-40 degrees, so the shielded cable is well within the thermal limits. Do post a picture if you manage to find a good spot to route the cable. I might also relocate it when i have time

Carbonschwarz · Post by **Carbonschwarz** » Sat Jun 24, 2023 3:11 pm

In the process of sourcing all the parts that I need to refresh the interior a bit. Was able to get my hands on

1) M Performance Shift Knob with alcantara
2) Alcantara custom made gaiters (via ebay so have to wait for final verdict)
3) M Steering wheel + refurbed trims

Whats still missing is the handbrake grip. Looking at the other parts, best match would be a M performance one with alcantara finish. They are however not sold separately without the gaiter / boot. Part number is 34402153755 for the combination. Other option would be to for 34400404523, but it seems to be discontinued. Anyone knows where to find a handle matching the knob below?

Carbonschwarz · Post by **Carbonschwarz** » Sun Jun 25, 2023 8:16 pm

Mounted the gaiter and Knob today. Even compared to the already smaller ZHP the performance version is really small. I like the look and feel, still need to get used to the shifting.

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Special Kay · Post by **Special Kay** » Sun Jun 25, 2023 9:29 pm

The gearknob and gaiter look fantastic

Carbonschwarz · Post by **Carbonschwarz** » Sat Jul 01, 2023 11:49 am

From:

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To:

: akvY4B+TR0OWn7%zlikijA.jpg (167.85 KiB) Viewed 327 times

Thanks to Usel and PVR, I was able to get my hands on a M-sport wheel. Makes the driving feel a bit more modern, simply because most modern cars have these beefier steering wheels.

BTW: if anyone has the multifunction buttons for sale, let me know!

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