1994 850 CSI needs center console

[Ryako1]

Hi fellas it's been quite a while since I've been on the board. I am in desperate need of a center console for the CSI. If anybody has an inkling of an idea where I might find one please, please let me know. Unfortunately, what came out of the car basically crumbled and is almost useless to try and rebuild. But, I'll listen to ideas as well.

Thanks,
Ryako1

[72tpik5]

Have you looked on Ebay?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1995-BMW-840...dZMKzc&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-E31-8-Se...lXKRkH&vxp=mtr

[taylorpatterson]

Good luck with that. Only native center consoles available are in existing CSi's and with only ~200 out there in the US, you'll need to buy the car with it - a hefty price just for a console. :-)

I had my CSi console replaced/reconstructed by an artist in LA starting with the $50 plastic part available from BMW. He matched it after 5 attempts and then water transferred the material to the plastic console. He was a perfectionist. When all was said and done, about $700 bucks later, it matched perfectly and I had a brand new center console. Basically it was better and stronger than the original.

If you want to contact him his name is Joe and he's from Suite E Grapx in Los Angeles (info@suiteegrafx.com)
960 E. Orangethorpe Ave, Suite # E, Anaheim, CA, 92801
www.suiteegrafx.com

It ain't cheap, but I think you will be happy with the results.

Good luck!

[llcarlos]

He's looking for the Yew wood for the CSi. I have a complete set but it will cost $8k.

[Ryako1]

72tpik5 - thanks but not looking for that console. I should have been specific.

llcarlos - thanks but don't need the Yew wood, I still have that, in need of what it overlays on the console.

Taylor - you hit it right on the head. Thanks for the referral I just might be making that call. How long did it take to reconstruct the console without the matching of the wood?

Thanks again everyone

[llcarlos]

I did not know the centre console on the CSi was different from other E31s. What's different?

[taylorpatterson]

Ryako1 - Joe didn't rebuild the old center console. We replaced it. You buy item #10 on realoem.com for $50 bucks: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=51_2746

That's the standard black plastic center console. Send him that and your original one and he will match yours by making a custom pattern the same color. He'll then use that to water transfer the pattern to your black plastic part and wholla - matching center console! Be sure to also buy, and send him, parts 16, 17 or 18 or 31 according to your current car's button pattern. Those all get inserted into the black plastic center console and covered with the same pattern.

You can read all about my journey here: https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...eed-your-ideas

Here is the final matching product: http://bringatrailer.com/2016/02/09/...0csi/#comments

[llcarlos]

It is different. I don't think my car has the Yew wood around the phone opening.

[rockytt]

Yup - Joe is the man!

[rogbmw]

I also would recommend Suite E. Graphics. I am the one that recommended them to Taylor and he was very pleased with their work. They also did the work on my Alpina B12 5.0. You could not tell their work from the original wood. They do a great job.

[Ryako1]

Once again gentlemen I thank you for all of your knowledge and advice.

[CaifanSC]

Taylor, if memory serves...there was no way to salvage the "base" from an OEM CSi console, correct? As in, Joe & company were not able to perform the same process of restoration using the OEM base instead of the new plastic one?

I'm thinking about how the OEM wood/CSi console has a slightly different set up for the mounting bolts up top.

Ryako1: if you go this route, I"d love to take a peek at the finished product in person.

[72tpik5]

The black plastic console has a deeper inset than the wood overlay console.

[Ryako1]

Can anybody give me the Cliff Notes version of how to purchase from Realoem? I can't believe there is not a more direct way to do it. I searched and got the part numbers I needed, when I click on the number it wants me to convert to a PDF and then everything disappears. I just want parts not a primer in computer science. I would have never said I was computer illiterate until now! What am I doing wrong?

[Timm]

RealOEM is only a database - not a shop, it does nothing more than give you part numbers.....

[Ryako1]

Thanks Timm. All these years!