Hi,
I still have the car, sadly it's just sitting in the garage as I don't have time to use it at all.
The headlights just went straight in without any issues or shimming.
The wheels are standard BMW steels with no mods or spacers.
Thanks, Bob.
Last week a good friend of mine bought the 250 convertible that Tribute sold. The multitude of questions he's been asking me have, I'm glad to say, renewed my enthusiasm for mine.
So in the last week I've sorted the wiring that had been cut through when the car was painted, refitted some of the plastic trims inside by the doors and rear of the seats and finished off the rear parcel shelf area although I still have one more waffle alloy tops to make where the seatbelt comes through
It all looks a bit bare at the minute but most won't be seen anyway when the seats go back in.
I made the alloy sill kick trims from scrap MGB ones which I cut down. They loose a little of the plastic look of that area.
Next is the alterations to the centre console and gear lever surrounds including hiding the hazard switch in the ash tray.
The more major issue that I'll deal with later is the stress cracking on the front wings. I'll let it develop a bit more then see what the painter thinks is the best way to deal with it.
Cheers, Bob.
Fair point but if the ashtray's open, then it is visible so hopefully that will be good enough.
Cheers, Bob.
Just above / to the front of the air vents. I'm guessing it's a result of the mods to nip and tuck the lines.
First thought was cover them with racing stripes but as I can feel them now, I'd be able to feel them through any vinyl stripes so I'll let them finish growing and decide then.
Some good thoughts there, I'll discuss with the painter later.
Cheers, Bob.
OK, interior details.
First problem is I'm making it up as I go along so some bits appear and then get changed.
The door trims and dash/console, I've shown the making/altering of earlier. Front kick panels and the side trims around the doors are stock BMW (apart from the XJS chrome grilles over the BMW kick panel speakers.
On top of the rear speaker housings would have been a lot of BMW plastic but this was all beige so was sold a long while ago. I've now made caps on them from some pressed aluminium scrap that I found in the shed.
The headlining, roll cage and rear shelf are all covered in van lining type carpet. There's a cover in the headlining over the high level brake light which is from a Citroen Saxo (possibly) and is also covered in the carpet.
the 2 black strips on the parcel shelf are black painted UPVC house window trim used to cover the carpet joins.
The gap between the rear speaker pods is a piece of wood covered with the patterned vinyl I used on the doors. Along the front of it to cover the edge of the carpet is a piece of angle alloy from a suspended ceiling, painted black.
I've now started on the centre console again as the first version did away with the factory ashtray. This will go back in now for the hazard switch to go in and the alloy ashtray has been moved to the little cubby area further back on the angle. That's from a Matra Bagheera and holds the control for the exhaust.
More details as it happens.
Cheers, Bob.
I'll take a couple of photos for you.
Fitting is wasn't too bad once I'd fitted the parcel shelf and rear window surround covering with the rear window in place. Now that was a bugger.
The roll bar actually made it easier to fit as it divided the area into sections.
My main mistake was using spray glue. It made fitting it much easier but when the weather got hot it sagged down so it rested on my head. If just added a load more spray glue but know I'll eventually have to do it again properly.
Here's a few pictures.
The tops to the speaker pods I'm making from a piece of alloy.
The centre console I've covered this morning
The headlining…
I'm sure a professional trimmer would have made a lovely cloth headliner for it, but I enjoy the fiddling about with interior stuff using what I have lying around or can blag from friends.
Cheers, Bob.
Centre console fitted now. The hazard switch works well in the ashtray with holes cut for wires and depth.
Plug for sat nav etc fitted on the side of the front console. It should be ok as it's not in the way of the gear lever or my legs when anything is plugged in.
Making the gear lever surround now. A piece of carpet underlay first to build it up, then a plywood plate.
This will have a bit more suspended ceiling angle bonded to the sides. Will finish this tomorrow if time.
Well that's the interior as far as I'm doing for now. There's always a few more bits for the future, but that's enough for now as I really should do some non car jobs for a while.
Cheers, Bob.
Thanks for that Barber, I'm going to see it through to the end now.
To do list…
Rubber round from window.
Repro stickers on top of screen (bought over a year ago and waiting for the rubber)
Trim inside boot.
Sort front wing cracks.
Put in working radio.
Might do list…
Connect a large horn to the 'rocket launcher' switch.
Reshape column switch knobs for older appearance.
Put chrome rings around heater knobs.
Fit sill stainless mouldings which I already have.
Fit racing stripes of some sort.
Cheers, Bob.
Interesting idea, I'll look into the chrome strips idea next week.
I took the car over to the painters' yesterday to talk about the stress cracks on the front wings.
It now seems unlikely than the pie cutting has caused it, rather it looks like it's where the box section part underneath the wings stops and changes to single skin as it heads along to the headlights.
This is causing a weak point where the box part stops and very slight vibration of the front end ahead of it has caused the problem.
I'll leave it now until early next year and it can go in for strengthening and painting as well as rubber buffers on the slam panel.
Cheers, Bob.
Here's some photos of the worst side. Hopefully you can just about see the crack and can work out the position from the wheel arch and vent.
Not sure if it wants more layers of glass or if it's possible to fit a lightweight box section down the inside of the wing top as there's no point just moving the problem along a bit.
As mine's been lowered it does crash a bit over speed humps if I'm not concentrating and I've taken to shows across bumpy fields to camping areas. Possibly a car that's been treated more carefully wouldn't have the problem.
Cheers, Bob.
That's the sort of thing I had in mind.
Also making sure it's well supported on rubber at the front will probably be good.
Let us know how it proceeds as I'll probably be following your plan.
Cheers, Bob.
I do have the pipe in mine as well for the wiring. That side has not cracked but I can see the tension has altered the shape enough that I can see it causing a shadow.
It's all unfortunate but just one of those things that happen and we'll deal with. All semi one off projects suffer little setbacks.
Hi Steve, that was me, I was next door getting a hair cut.
I only live at the Norwich end of Drayton off Hurn Road so pop round at some point for a chat and have a look.
Cheers, Bob.
In the end I did it differently so my rare collectors edition 'Vals Old Knickers' are safe in their frame.
Hi Mike, I think most of the information is between about pages 10-13 of this thread. Anything else you need to know, just ask and I'll say.
Cheers, Bob.
It was somewhere like that, that they came from. They do a kit with the mounting towers included.
I was donated the spinners and towers from 2 different friends.
The towers were cut down as the spinners stuck right out and extra holes were drilled in the tower surround to match the bolts welded to the wheels.
Bob.