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Thread: Complete interior restoration/mod

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    135
    My Cars
    X3 M40i

    Complete interior restoration/mod

    Hi folks -- I wasn't sure quite where to post this. I'm contemplating importing and doing a restomod of an e30 Touring with an engine swap. I've got the mechanical stuff covered, which I will DIY for fun, but I'm sort of at a loss for the interior and exterior cosmetic stuff. At a minimum, I'd like the interior to look nearly as perfect as it did on the showroom floor in the late-1980s. If it's feasible, I'd like it to look more modded (but super classy) like a Singer 911 or David Brown Mini (see inspiration photos below).

    Before someone tells me this is a waste of money and a lowly 325iT isn't an investment quality car (especially post-swap)... thanks, I'm aware, and I don't really care. If I spend $50K on the thing and I sell it for $15K after enjoying it for 5 years, that's perfectly okay. I'm not saying this is a "money is no object" kind of build, but a $35K loss is no worse than the depreciation hit I'd take driving a new M5 or E63 AMG off the lot.

    I suppose I could hunt around for years looking for a pristine example, but I'd rather just find a structurally perfect chassis and cosmetically decent car within the next 3-6 months and get to work. Based on my searching thus far, the 325iT was a basic family car in Europe so most of the ones I've seen aren't cared for like a collectible.

    So the questions are:
    1) How does one go about a OEM-like-new complete interior overhaul? I don't seem to see any new dashboards on Pelican Parts.
    2) Are there people who do this for older BMWs -- someone who would do it much better than I would (not really having much of a creative eye) nor interest in learning how to sew leather? Someone in Cali is even better. Also, I assume interior is the last step of the restomod -- get the greasy stuff done first?

    Inspiration 1.jpg Inspiration 2.jpg
    Last edited by wintershade; 04-28-2017 at 06:21 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    New England
    Posts
    25,402
    My Cars
    F90 M5; E36 M3 Turbo
    Why do you need a new dash for a 2001-2005 car you have not bought. Buy the car
    Dash should be fine. See what it needs. Go from there. Try realoem.com for dealer part lists. Search on Euro websites if you cannot find stuff in the US. Find a good auto upholstery shop for leather, Headliner, eyc.

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