6/14/2014 Update
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Worked on the Interior some more. Doors are finished and panels are in. Mirrors are on. In Japan you could have either the Dumbo mirrors or Sport (CSi) mirrors on the Alpina, so I left the decision up to Marcia. Sport mirrors it was! Spent lots of time getting them the door panels way I wanted. Trim around the lower windows is finished. All the seals are in except the one next to the trim below the doors. The Alpina trim on the bottom of the door openings is finished, but will be installed when I put on the lower trim panel.
Next up will be the two roof trim stripes and the fuel filler door and lock. Plus, the front seats will go to the interior shop to be touched up, then I will get to re-dye all those little blue and green squares like I did on the back seats!
Taking today off - Father's day!
Happy Father's Day to everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CSi #18 - Car & Driver Magazine 1994 actual test car
-- Hellrot/Black-Gray (1 of 1 NA CSi color combination)
BMWCCA E31 Chapter International Clubs Liaison
North America Representative, 8er.or Board of Directors
Good choice Marcia!
6/23/2014 Update
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Accomplished the following this weekend. The roof trim rails were very interesting. The directions in the e31 shop manual are...well...nonexistent. If I remember correctly, it says "pull and remove" and that is it. After trial and error, I found out to place the new clips into the groove on the roof and engage the tab in the metal groove, then push the trip strip into the clips. I thought it would have been the other way around (clips onto the trim, then push it into place). Gas cap is on - Marcia had to help hold it in place inside the trunk as her hands are smaller than mine while I secured it into place from the gas cap area. Also took all the trim off the front seats which are out of the car, installed new seat cables to solve a slight twist, and got them ready to be touched up. Then I will need to redye all those little blue and green squares like I did on the rear seats.......
More to come.
CSi #18 - Car & Driver Magazine 1994 actual test car
-- Hellrot/Black-Gray (1 of 1 NA CSi color combination)
BMWCCA E31 Chapter International Clubs Liaison
North America Representative, 8er.or Board of Directors
+ 10 Holy Camole. I am so envious! Hope to see all your work. Put Optima yellow top batteries in this puppy! Have you determined the beer and gatorade cost for this project?!! Gorgeous!
1991 BMW 850i
2007 Honda Odyssey
2017 Hyundai Elantra
2013 Honda CRV
2003 MotoGuzzi 850 Jackal
7/10/14 Update
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More small stuff back on plus the rear bumper went on this weekend. Front seats were delivered to be touched up and redyed last week, and I received a call they are ready and I will pick them up on Friday....then I will be redying all those blue and green squares by hand one at a time (just like the rear seats previously pictured). Once the seats are back in and the steering wheel is on - the interior will be done
More to come and I will post pics this weekend.
CSi #18 - Car & Driver Magazine 1994 actual test car
-- Hellrot/Black-Gray (1 of 1 NA CSi color combination)
BMWCCA E31 Chapter International Clubs Liaison
North America Representative, 8er.or Board of Directors
I'm looking forward to seeing that completed interior (and I'm sure you are as well). Thanks for the update, Roger
================
1985 M635 (gone but not forgotten)
1994 850CSi (also gone but not forgotten)
1985 M635 (current obsession)
Looking forward to Eurofest for many reasons, seeing that car is sure one of them. Keep up the good work.
7/14/2014 Update
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Had a productive weekend, and after over 2 years the seats are back in the car!!! On Friday I picked up the seats, which had been touched up - they were in good shape originally, but after 22 years needed just the bolsters redyed. Of course, all the small Alpina Blue and Green squares had faded, so after picking up the seats and putting them in the family room (Thanks Marcia!), Friday evening and Saturday afternoon was spent redying each square by hand. As I had all the trim and headrests off the seats, they were all cleaned prior to re-assembly. The red buttons on the seat belt latches were faded, so they were refinished. After all the reassembly, the seats went back in Sunday afternoon... Man those seats are heavy. I have to finish off several small things in the interior (place the steering wheel, place the sunroof motor cover with the Alpina plate and light) to finish it off, but that should be fairly simple and quick. Here are some pictures of the seats:
Here are the refinished seats, with the blue and green squares before redying:
After Redying all those Blue and Green Squares:
The refinished seat belt buttons (I know...trivial, but they look better ):
The seat trim cleaned prior to reassembly:
And...FINALLY....back in the car after 2 years!!!!!
The light at the end of the tunnel is getting bigger!!!! More to come.
Last edited by rogbmw; 07-14-2014 at 10:01 AM.
CSi #18 - Car & Driver Magazine 1994 actual test car
-- Hellrot/Black-Gray (1 of 1 NA CSi color combination)
BMWCCA E31 Chapter International Clubs Liaison
North America Representative, 8er.or Board of Directors
Fantastic results, Roger !!! I know the re-coloring of the stripes and the red seat belt buttons was a painstaking process ...... but now they really "pop" when you see them.
Thanks for sharing the photos
================
1985 M635 (gone but not forgotten)
1994 850CSi (also gone but not forgotten)
1985 M635 (current obsession)
Wow! Those blue inserts really had faded out completely.
The color blue is particularly prone to UV damage/fading, so I guess it's understandable after all those years of exposure in Japan.
Very nice job on re-dyeing them, Roger - your attention to detail is meticulous, your patience inspiring!
Just one question - how did you prevent the color from getting on the edges of the leather cut-outs?
Current:
1994 E31 850CSi Sterlingsilber/Anthracite Buffalo
Previous:
1987 E28 M5 Delphin
1986 E23 M745iA Arctic Blue
1986 E24 635CSi Polaris
1976 E3 3.0 Si Arctic Blue
CSi #18 - Car & Driver Magazine 1994 actual test car
-- Hellrot/Black-Gray (1 of 1 NA CSi color combination)
BMWCCA E31 Chapter International Clubs Liaison
North America Representative, 8er.or Board of Directors
Hey Roger,
You know you should have re-dyed the stitching too while you were there. Sharpie makes an ultra-fine marker that would make that possible. Just touch the thread, and it will wick the color into itself...
...you can do it!!! ( in a Rob Schneider voice)
Fantastic SPM-Style work, truly amazing.
'93 850Ci - Mineralweiß Metallic
2001 740iL - Titansilber
ALPINA B7 -Alpinweiß III
...the price of cool ain't cheap!
CSi #18 - Car & Driver Magazine 1994 actual test car
-- Hellrot/Black-Gray (1 of 1 NA CSi color combination)
BMWCCA E31 Chapter International Clubs Liaison
North America Representative, 8er.or Board of Directors
7/20/2014 UPDATE
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I was able to get to the front end this weekend. Here is what was accomplished:
--Removed brakes, cleaned all parts, and painted in Blue caliper paint
--Cleaned wheel wells
--Placed new Zimmerman Cross Drilled Rotors
--Placed new Thermoquiet Pads
--Replaced the Calipers and brackets
--Placed new Stainless Steel coated brake lines
--Flushed the entire brake system - front and rear calipers - and changed to ATE Super Blue fluid
--Placed new front sway bars.
I need to do some more cleaning on some of the front suspension pieces, but that will have to wait until I have the car rolling to put it out in the driveway.
Here are some pictures:
Left Side
M Wrench SS brake lines (I have had these sitting in a box for several years!)
Sway Bars
Right Side:
SS Brake Lines
Sway Bar end.
More work to come!!!!!
CSi #18 - Car & Driver Magazine 1994 actual test car
-- Hellrot/Black-Gray (1 of 1 NA CSi color combination)
BMWCCA E31 Chapter International Clubs Liaison
North America Representative, 8er.or Board of Directors
Looking good!!!
Hey Roger, looks outstanding. Can you tell me how you refurbed the seat belt latch buttons? Also, did you install new grey trim or repaint the old? I'm looking for a paint source for my trim.
Thanks
J
Jeremy Smith
94 840Ci
98 Porsche 986
02 Mini Cooper
13 Ford F150 Platinum
On the seat belt buttons, I just carefully taped them off, and repainted them.
On the seats, they were just touched up by a seat specialist. What I did was call around to several high end car dealerships, asked to speak with the service manager, and explained that I was doing a restoration and needed someone to touch up my seats and ask who they used. I got a consensus, then also asked the shop that did my headliner who they would suggest. After speaking with a couple of companies that touched up leather seats, I ended up going with one that had been in business for almost 30 years between the father and son. As I had the seats out of the car, I took off all the plastic trim, the back cover, and headrests, and took the seats to their shop. They do all the touch up work for the Lexus dealership among others, and the outstanding results spoke for itself. I am very happy with it.
CSi #18 - Car & Driver Magazine 1994 actual test car
-- Hellrot/Black-Gray (1 of 1 NA CSi color combination)
BMWCCA E31 Chapter International Clubs Liaison
North America Representative, 8er.or Board of Directors
Wow!
"It always seems to me that I am doing more work than I should do. It is not that I object to work, mind you; I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours."
Jerome K. Jerome
I wonder why this quote comes to mind?
CSi #18 - Car & Driver Magazine 1994 actual test car
-- Hellrot/Black-Gray (1 of 1 NA CSi color combination)
BMWCCA E31 Chapter International Clubs Liaison
North America Representative, 8er.or Board of Directors
Fantastic build. The seats look spectacular...as does the rest of the build.
I really hope to see this car in person someday.
What a treat that would be!
Gone but not forgotten:
'95 540i/6 M-Sport. GA65474. Alpineweiss/Parchment.
Supercharger project
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