Why so few aftermarket interior parts for an E36?

[Cheeseburger]

I'm hoping to keep my E36 for a very long time, but my interior is falling apart around me.

Looking around for replacement parts, it seems there's no aftermarket options for those of us wanting to keep our cars as original looking as possible; wreckers / breaking yards are our only real source for parts. If I wanted to race/drift-out my interior it's no problem, but I think that look is best left for 18 - 25yos.

Is it just a matter that i'm looking in the wrong places, or am I correct to suggest nobody is making aftermarket interior parts for an E36? Door cards, a-pillars, etc.

[Twistytee]

No, you are correct. Very few options for interiors. It's expensive for an aftermarket supplier to invest in the molds and production equipment for the plastic and vinyl interior. They'd have to recoup that cost through higher pricing, and by and large the e36 community doesn't have a lot of disposable income. Plus the platform is old enough that many have moved on to newer generations. So the base of available buyers for quality aftermarket parts is dwindling. The Hard Motorsport door panels or racing inspired aluminum panels are about the only option short of buying used.

[pbonsalb]

I agree. Limited market. Cars mostly in the hands of kids on low budgets. You can find much of what you need if you pay enough and look hard enough. Hopefully shops with 3D printers will start making some small parts. Had my 99M3 for 13 years and it’s one of the Young examples at only 19 years old. Generally, I’d say if you want a BMW in better condition, but a newer one. My newer one, an 08M3, is now 10 years old.

[notMpowered]

I hear a lot about these cars interiors falling apart, but really other than those stupid speaker grilles, I've had no issues.
What are parts that an aftermarket supplier really needs to make?

[Deus Ex Machina]

The issues I have ran into with mine are the sunroof motor cover and the door panels mostly. I got the hard motorsport panels and I am happy with them. The stock panels mostly just have the typical needed clip replacements and re-upholstering needed, they could be fixed.

The foam kits for seats are pretty few and far between now, you would need a good upholstery shop to repair the foam if you can't do a good job yourself.

[LSxDreamer]

On my first one, the only issue I had was the "tacky" b-pillars that ruined a few pairs of pants.

[seriniboy]

I've noticed this to. I know hard makes some nice door card replacements other than those and door handle trim I don't think I've seen much aftermarket either.

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[seriniboy]

I've noticed this to. I know hard makes some nice door card replacements other than those and door handle trim I don't think I've seen much aftermarket either.

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Edit: also, anyone know how much this trim piece fetches? I've only seen two like it on eBay and they were both several hundred dollars and from the same guy. Didn't know if he was really high or if they're actually that rare..

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[66 6]

I sell vert/sedan wood grains for $100. A coupe may fetch more but coupes were generally more "sporty" and did not want the sophistication of the finer wood trim. I also that there is no central lock on that piece so a more limited buying group.

BTW, I have a 13 parts cars at any given time. I save all good interior, even pieces of leather if anyone needs anything, just PM me.

[e46phillip]

Lots of people including myself have handfulls of cars worth of interiors sitting around waiting for people to need misc bits. Lots of those people, again including myself, are just a PM and a paypal transaction away

[JEC928]

Cool. You got a tan E36 coupe center console in good clean condition?

Hey hey he said PM.

We don't conduct business in the discussion forum.

[iamane30m20nut]

I'm really picky about surfaces matching and a proper reproduction of a door card would require a fiberglass/pvc base, properly made by someone with experience in automotive interior refinishing. Then one would have to have it wrapped with the correct BMW vinyl with resilient adhesives and in such a way that most high-end interior shops cannot deliver. The base, if 'glass, may have issues with delamination if certain adhesives are used, and the PVC bases aren't as rigid as usually required of door cards. It seems that the pressed board like BMW used isn't used often in the aftermarket; only some of the interior of an early 911 (with a value 5+ times that of a very good, low-mile E36) is being reproduced in pressed board, despite its correctness and apparent ease of manufacture.

I deal with reproduction interior parts on a literally daily basis as part of my Porsche restoration job and despite the pricing for some of the parts, we still get stuff we either have to modify or cannot use. We get dashboards from Porsche that are built on a later foam chassis for greater compatibility... but the studs aren't in the exact right locations and there are depressions where the vent cut-outs are located.

The best bet is still to buy good used and redo as necessary.