G. P. Burdell
06-28-2005, 02:34 PM
One thing I really like about the newer BMWs is the clamshell-like storage compartment in the center armrest. Even the MINI Cooper factory armrest comes with a little compartment under the cushion. So, when I stumbled across some old photos of Bimmerforums member tlp-96m3/2's E36 M3 and its E46 center armrest last week, the wheels in my head started turning. I found an armrest retrofit kit in stock at the local dealer on Saturday, and on Sunday, I set to work installing it in my 328i.
The good news: The E46 armrest base bolts up to the mounting points on the E36 body. New E36 armrest kits are nearly impossible to find, but new E46 armrest kits are plentiful and reasonably priced at the moment.
The bad news: Getting the E36 center console to fit around the E46 armrest takes a good bit of effort. For starters, you'll have to do some cutting and drilling on the new armrest and your existing center console. I must have installed and uninstalled the armrest and center console at least ten times to get everything to fit properly. The installation also leaves you with an unsightly gap at the rear of the center console that you'll have to find a way to cover.
Disclaimer: I am not an automotive professional, nor am I affiliated with BMW. I'm not responsible for any injury or damage you cause if you choose to do this retrofit. Take appropriate safety precautions and use power tools in accordance with their manufacturers' instructions. The following is based solely upon my experience retrofitting an E46 center armrest to my 1997 328i sedan; I have not verified fitment on any other car. Verify part numbers before purchasing parts.
The E46 armrest retrofit kits come in a variety of colors and upholstery materials:
51 16 9 415 372 (black vinyl)
51 16 9 415 373 (beige vinyl)
51 16 9 415 374 (gray vinyl)
51 16 9 415 861 (black Montana leather)
51 16 9 415 862 (beige Montana leather)
51 16 9 415 863 (gray Montana leather)
51 16 9 415 867 (black Nappa leather)
51 16 9 415 868 (beige Nappa leather)
I have a black interior, so I don't know how well the gray and beige E46 armrests match the E36 gray and beige interiors. Take the time to examine the E46 colors and choose carefully. I suppose you could always dye the new armrest to your liking.
If you have Montana leather upholstery like I do, the Montana leather E46 armrest is a pretty good match for your seats. It does, however, have a slightly more pebbly texture than my relatively smooth E36 armrest. If you like the smoother texture, get the Nappa armrest. MSRP on the Montana leather armrest kits is $220, but you can get one for as little as $160 from Pacific BMW.
To learn how to remove the E36 armrest and center console, read old skool's instructive thread:
Armrest and Center Console Removal DIY (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=328939)
Here's what you get in the E46 armrest retrofit kit. The black Montana leather armrest is pictured.
Picture 1 - E46 Armrest Kit (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/armr3zt/01.jpg)
The E46 center console has a rubbery satin finish that doesn't match anything else in the E36, so I didn't try fitting it to my car. I reinstalled the E36 center console around the E46 armrest. Keep the bag of fasteners in case you lose one.
You can see from the next two photos that the E46 armrest base is taller to accommodate the storage bin, and the armrest pad is shorter. I did not attempt to transfer the E46 armrest to the E36 base because the stop for the armrest in its raised position is different. There are also coiled springs that raise the armrest pad when you press the latch on the storage compartment, and I wasn't sure I would be able to put them back in after taking the armrest apart. So the E46 armrest and base went in whole.
Picture 2 - E36 and E46 Armrests Compared (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/armr3zt/02.jpg)
Notice the single speed nut on the E36 base and the two speed nuts on the E46 base. This is where the center console connects to the base. Some modification to the E36 center console will be required.
Picture 3 - E36 and E46 Armrest Bases Compared (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/E46 Armrest Swap/03.jpg)
The next three pictures show the modifications you need to make. First, cut the vertical fin off the E46 armrest base so the center console will fit. I don't think this cut will affect the structural integrity of the base; it appears to be a support for the E46 center console.
Picture 4 - Cut This Piece Off (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/armr3zt/04.jpg)
Trim the cross piece at the rear of the E36 center console so that it meets the two speed nuts at the rear of the E46 armrest base. Drill two holes in the cross piece and use two screws to anchor the center console solidly to the two speed nuts in the E46 armrest base. Take care not to scuff the E46 armrest pad when you reinstall the E36 center console.
Picture 5 - Modified Center Console (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/armr3zt/05.jpg)
Cut the E36 center console rear trim to accommodate the wider hinge of the E46 armrest.
Picture 6 - Modified Rear Trim (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/armr3zt/06.jpg)
The bolt holes in the armrest are oval-shaped slots, so they give you about 3/16" of back-and-forth play. When you bolt the E46 armrest base to the body of the car, slide the base all the way to the rear of the car before tightening the three mounting bolts. This is so that the center console will fit when you reinstall it. Trim the carpet at the rear of the base if you must, but be careful of the parking brake cables and wires back there.
Here's a view of the rear after everything is back together. You can see that there is a substantial gap below the hinge where you can see the armrest base. The E46 hinge sits slightly higher than the E36 hinge, and the springs on the ends of the hinge are also slightly visible. I plan to strip the vinyl from the center console rear trim, add filler pieces on the sides and below the hinge, then re-cover the plastic piece with new vinyl. The E46 rear trim piece (which came with the retrofit kit) appears to be a fairly close match to the E36 piece in terms of width, so I may be able to graft the two together.
Picture 7 - Needs Filler Piece (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/armr3zt/07.jpg)
And here's the end result. The storage compartment is not huge, but small items (a notepad, garage door remote, etc.) will fit neatly inside. I have also seen photos of an iPod resting comfortably in there. To prevent stuff from spilling out, the latch for the storage compartment will not open if the armrest is in the raised position.
Picture 8 - Armrest Down (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/armr3zt/08.jpg)
Picture 9 - Storage Compartment (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/armr3zt/09.jpg)
The flash makes the armrest look gray, but it is indeed a matte black. The seats appear darker because they have a semi-gloss appearance after nine years of daily use, cleaning, and conditioning.
The E46 armrest pad is narrower, so if your E36 armrest rubs against the seats and makes a creaking noise like mine did, the E46 armrest may eliminate this problem.
I will post a picture of the reshaped/re-covered rear center console trim piece after I've finished it.
To be continued...
The good news: The E46 armrest base bolts up to the mounting points on the E36 body. New E36 armrest kits are nearly impossible to find, but new E46 armrest kits are plentiful and reasonably priced at the moment.
The bad news: Getting the E36 center console to fit around the E46 armrest takes a good bit of effort. For starters, you'll have to do some cutting and drilling on the new armrest and your existing center console. I must have installed and uninstalled the armrest and center console at least ten times to get everything to fit properly. The installation also leaves you with an unsightly gap at the rear of the center console that you'll have to find a way to cover.
Disclaimer: I am not an automotive professional, nor am I affiliated with BMW. I'm not responsible for any injury or damage you cause if you choose to do this retrofit. Take appropriate safety precautions and use power tools in accordance with their manufacturers' instructions. The following is based solely upon my experience retrofitting an E46 center armrest to my 1997 328i sedan; I have not verified fitment on any other car. Verify part numbers before purchasing parts.
The E46 armrest retrofit kits come in a variety of colors and upholstery materials:
51 16 9 415 372 (black vinyl)
51 16 9 415 373 (beige vinyl)
51 16 9 415 374 (gray vinyl)
51 16 9 415 861 (black Montana leather)
51 16 9 415 862 (beige Montana leather)
51 16 9 415 863 (gray Montana leather)
51 16 9 415 867 (black Nappa leather)
51 16 9 415 868 (beige Nappa leather)
I have a black interior, so I don't know how well the gray and beige E46 armrests match the E36 gray and beige interiors. Take the time to examine the E46 colors and choose carefully. I suppose you could always dye the new armrest to your liking.
If you have Montana leather upholstery like I do, the Montana leather E46 armrest is a pretty good match for your seats. It does, however, have a slightly more pebbly texture than my relatively smooth E36 armrest. If you like the smoother texture, get the Nappa armrest. MSRP on the Montana leather armrest kits is $220, but you can get one for as little as $160 from Pacific BMW.
To learn how to remove the E36 armrest and center console, read old skool's instructive thread:
Armrest and Center Console Removal DIY (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=328939)
Here's what you get in the E46 armrest retrofit kit. The black Montana leather armrest is pictured.
Picture 1 - E46 Armrest Kit (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/armr3zt/01.jpg)
The E46 center console has a rubbery satin finish that doesn't match anything else in the E36, so I didn't try fitting it to my car. I reinstalled the E36 center console around the E46 armrest. Keep the bag of fasteners in case you lose one.
You can see from the next two photos that the E46 armrest base is taller to accommodate the storage bin, and the armrest pad is shorter. I did not attempt to transfer the E46 armrest to the E36 base because the stop for the armrest in its raised position is different. There are also coiled springs that raise the armrest pad when you press the latch on the storage compartment, and I wasn't sure I would be able to put them back in after taking the armrest apart. So the E46 armrest and base went in whole.
Picture 2 - E36 and E46 Armrests Compared (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/armr3zt/02.jpg)
Notice the single speed nut on the E36 base and the two speed nuts on the E46 base. This is where the center console connects to the base. Some modification to the E36 center console will be required.
Picture 3 - E36 and E46 Armrest Bases Compared (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/E46 Armrest Swap/03.jpg)
The next three pictures show the modifications you need to make. First, cut the vertical fin off the E46 armrest base so the center console will fit. I don't think this cut will affect the structural integrity of the base; it appears to be a support for the E46 center console.
Picture 4 - Cut This Piece Off (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/armr3zt/04.jpg)
Trim the cross piece at the rear of the E36 center console so that it meets the two speed nuts at the rear of the E46 armrest base. Drill two holes in the cross piece and use two screws to anchor the center console solidly to the two speed nuts in the E46 armrest base. Take care not to scuff the E46 armrest pad when you reinstall the E36 center console.
Picture 5 - Modified Center Console (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/armr3zt/05.jpg)
Cut the E36 center console rear trim to accommodate the wider hinge of the E46 armrest.
Picture 6 - Modified Rear Trim (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/armr3zt/06.jpg)
The bolt holes in the armrest are oval-shaped slots, so they give you about 3/16" of back-and-forth play. When you bolt the E46 armrest base to the body of the car, slide the base all the way to the rear of the car before tightening the three mounting bolts. This is so that the center console will fit when you reinstall it. Trim the carpet at the rear of the base if you must, but be careful of the parking brake cables and wires back there.
Here's a view of the rear after everything is back together. You can see that there is a substantial gap below the hinge where you can see the armrest base. The E46 hinge sits slightly higher than the E36 hinge, and the springs on the ends of the hinge are also slightly visible. I plan to strip the vinyl from the center console rear trim, add filler pieces on the sides and below the hinge, then re-cover the plastic piece with new vinyl. The E46 rear trim piece (which came with the retrofit kit) appears to be a fairly close match to the E36 piece in terms of width, so I may be able to graft the two together.
Picture 7 - Needs Filler Piece (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/armr3zt/07.jpg)
And here's the end result. The storage compartment is not huge, but small items (a notepad, garage door remote, etc.) will fit neatly inside. I have also seen photos of an iPod resting comfortably in there. To prevent stuff from spilling out, the latch for the storage compartment will not open if the armrest is in the raised position.
Picture 8 - Armrest Down (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/armr3zt/08.jpg)
Picture 9 - Storage Compartment (http://www.mindspring.com/~wreck00/armr3zt/09.jpg)
The flash makes the armrest look gray, but it is indeed a matte black. The seats appear darker because they have a semi-gloss appearance after nine years of daily use, cleaning, and conditioning.
The E46 armrest pad is narrower, so if your E36 armrest rubs against the seats and makes a creaking noise like mine did, the E46 armrest may eliminate this problem.
I will post a picture of the reshaped/re-covered rear center console trim piece after I've finished it.
To be continued...