Hey all, I'm wondering if any of you have had any experience reupholstering the header panel, or for that matter, the rest of the console on an E30. The panel I'm talking about is where the sunshades and check panel mount to. I've tried with a sheet of automotive vinyl, but I cannot get the material to conform to the various curves of the moulded panel. Is there a method to this? Heat gun and patience? Or is there a different material that I should be using? Before anyone says to check the local yards, everything I've found there has the same separation that mine has. I'm also looking for a way to recover the center e-brake console. Yes, I know they're like $40 new, but I'm looking to customize the interior and get a look that other e30's don't have. I could stop with just the underdash, shift console, and glovebox like an e24, but I think it would look so much more complete with the e-brake console recovered as well. Anyone have any experience or photos to share? Thanks!!
Contact Kevin Chinn, an auto upholsterer in the Atlanta area. He's quite familiar with the E30s. http://www.creativeoptions.info/
Right material, wrong method. To get factory results you pretty much have to use vacuum molding or vacuum bagging. The whole panel/adhesive/vinyl sandwich goes in a big resealable plastic bag, the air is sucked out through a check valve and air pressure forces the vinyl to conform to the panel contours. The whole assemblage is left under vacuum while the adhesive cures. Any good custom upholstery shop should have the equipment, materials and know-how to do it. Also, be advised the consumer-grade adhesives you are likely to find in Home Depot will not withstand summer heat in a parked car. The proper heat-resistant stuff is harder to find and may require special handling. One last tip: It's a cabrio (as in cabriolet), not a "vert." Don't stand by while a perfectly good word dies from ignorance and neglect, be an in-the-know guy who helps save it.
Yeah, I was looking more for some hints and maybe some pics (that's photographs ) of what others have done on the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) side more than the "this is how the factory does it, you may just as well buy the part because you cant do it at home" side of things. In any case, my BEE-mer Vert and I thank you!
Funny. I did give you a DIY hint. If you want high-quality results, you need to use high-quality methods. Manhandling the vinyl won't yield good-looking repairs that last. Now that you know the process name ("vacuum bagging"), google up some instructions (with pics, if you like) on how to build your own rig. It's not terribly complicated and you certainly can do it at home. Good luck.
