One of the first upgrades was getting the Alcantara Tri-color M shift, parking brake boots and gearshift knob from LeatherZ.
Nothing beats their quality products especially the craftmanship of their Alcantara line.
Note the OEM plastic window control bezel as well as the mid-upper center console control covers for reference.
Next was to have the Whalen Gear Shift Knob reworked (thanks again CJ aka Phil)
Original
The "M" insert is the same that is on M wheels. The space it occupies is inset ergo flush mounted.
The original owner lived in Phoenix. The car didn't come with the Cold Weather Package (heated seat e.g.). I had my Stepson, who owns a detailing/rim/glass tint/audio aftermarket install shop, install heated seats in both front seats. This is not a job that I would consider doing. Disconnect the battery, remove seats, install wiring, remove the leather covers off the seat bottoms and back, install heat pads back and bottom and off/low/high control switches. Now me bum and back gets toasty warm whenever I want.
Now for the piece de resistance: Carbon Fibre Fabric.
The interior trim pieces for this car was a high gloss cosmos black plastic. Over the years it became scratched and unappealing. I came across this fabric which is easy to work with. The most difficult part of this project is removing the trim. Once removed, I used a grey Scotbrite pad to take off the shine off the pieces and to assist the material adhering to the parts. I used 3M #77 adhesive, sprayed the part, sprayed the fabric, waited until it was set up and mounted. Because this material has a weave pattern, one must consider matching the pattern where different parts meet. The fabric is thin and very durable but not strong like denim or anything close. I added the white face gauge overlay and the CF gauge bezel during this time.
Curved and contoured parts take some doing but the results are stunning.
I custom mounted the iPod in the arm rest (in this pic the arm rest storage area is open to show the iPod). Also made a custom mount for the GPS in the center console. Both are meant to be convenient, removable and stealth. The GPS power line is also installed. The BMW original idea for this storage was for sunglasses.
Next thread will cover the amps and subwoofer trunk install.
Nothing beats their quality products especially the craftmanship of their Alcantara line.
Note the OEM plastic window control bezel as well as the mid-upper center console control covers for reference.
Next was to have the Whalen Gear Shift Knob reworked (thanks again CJ aka Phil)
Original
The "M" insert is the same that is on M wheels. The space it occupies is inset ergo flush mounted.
The original owner lived in Phoenix. The car didn't come with the Cold Weather Package (heated seat e.g.). I had my Stepson, who owns a detailing/rim/glass tint/audio aftermarket install shop, install heated seats in both front seats. This is not a job that I would consider doing. Disconnect the battery, remove seats, install wiring, remove the leather covers off the seat bottoms and back, install heat pads back and bottom and off/low/high control switches. Now me bum and back gets toasty warm whenever I want.
Now for the piece de resistance: Carbon Fibre Fabric.
The interior trim pieces for this car was a high gloss cosmos black plastic. Over the years it became scratched and unappealing. I came across this fabric which is easy to work with. The most difficult part of this project is removing the trim. Once removed, I used a grey Scotbrite pad to take off the shine off the pieces and to assist the material adhering to the parts. I used 3M #77 adhesive, sprayed the part, sprayed the fabric, waited until it was set up and mounted. Because this material has a weave pattern, one must consider matching the pattern where different parts meet. The fabric is thin and very durable but not strong like denim or anything close. I added the white face gauge overlay and the CF gauge bezel during this time.
Curved and contoured parts take some doing but the results are stunning.
I custom mounted the iPod in the arm rest (in this pic the arm rest storage area is open to show the iPod). Also made a custom mount for the GPS in the center console. Both are meant to be convenient, removable and stealth. The GPS power line is also installed. The BMW original idea for this storage was for sunglasses.
Next thread will cover the amps and subwoofer trunk install.
