Massive Interior Project - Need Advice/Assistance/Direction! (LONG)
I'm pretty much going for a completely custom interior. The goal is to incorporate the functions that I want while keeping the look fairly BMW, and the quality looking factory.
To show how thorough I'm planning on getting, I've made a list of parts of the interior that I'm going to go through and decide what to do with (still working on it).
Sound deadening
Upholstery
--- Carpet
--- Door Panels
--- Rear Deck
--- Dash
--- Front Seats
--- Rear Seats
--- Headliner/A/B/C Pillars
--- Moonroof/Sunroof cover
--- Kick Panels
--- Trunk
--- Speaker Grills
Sound system
--- Head Unit
--- iPod Interface
--- Wiring
--- Components
------ 1" Tweeters
------ 2.5" Midrange Drivers
------ 6" Mid-Bass Drivers
--- Rear Speakers
--- Subwoofer (10")
--- Component Amp
--- Sub Amp
--- Cap
--- Crossovers
Information Displays
--- Instrument Cluster
--- Aftermarket Gauges
--- Navigation Display
--- Remote V1 display
--- Head Unit Display
--- OBC
Vehicle Controls
--- Start Engine button
--- HVAC Controls
--- Window Switches
--- Misc. Switches
--- Subwoofer Switch
--- Steering Wheel
--- Steering Wheel Controls
Misc. Tech
--- Alarm System
------ Remote Lock/Unlock
------ Remote Arm/Disarm
------ Remote Window Down/Up
--- Valentine One with Remote Display Hardwire
--- Frequency Scanner (police scanner)
--- CB Radio
--- Navigation Hardwire
Trim/Accents/Lighting
--- Pedals
--- Shift Knob
--- E-brake Lever
--- Moonroof conversion
--- Dome lights
--- Map Lights
---
The goal is to integrate the alarm, sound system, radar detector, police scanner, navigation, head unit, gauges, etc. into the design to make it look like it was intended to be there, instead of tacked on. Much of it, if I reach my goal, will not be terribly obvious at first glance.
So, the reason for posting this thread. I'm going to do this, but there are several things I don't have the know-how to do.
So, here's a list of things I need to figure out how to do:
Yes, I will be updating the look of the interior somewhat, by making the dash a bit more smooth, having nicer front seats, reupholstering pretty much everything, wrapping the plastics in leather, changing out the switches for later model switches (e36), but ultimately much of the e30 look will remain. I'm not doing much to the door panels (shape and design will remain the same), the rear seats, rear deck, etc.
Here is my inspiration for doing this project, but mind you I don't plan to go so far away from what BMW started with. My interior will be mostly black, for example:
Anyway, if anyone knows how to do any of the above listed and can help me (recommend a how-to site, a book, give me the how-to yourself, etc), I would HUGELY appreciate it. I'll be doing weeks and perhaps months of planning, and I'm going to do it right the first time, meaning some pretty hefty learning curves in the weeks ahead. I just need someone to point me in the right direction.
All input welcome, but please, no flames - just constructive criticism.
-Evan
To show how thorough I'm planning on getting, I've made a list of parts of the interior that I'm going to go through and decide what to do with (still working on it).
Sound deadening
Upholstery
--- Carpet
--- Door Panels
--- Rear Deck
--- Dash
--- Front Seats
--- Rear Seats
--- Headliner/A/B/C Pillars
--- Moonroof/Sunroof cover
--- Kick Panels
--- Trunk
--- Speaker Grills
Sound system
--- Head Unit
--- iPod Interface
--- Wiring
--- Components
------ 1" Tweeters
------ 2.5" Midrange Drivers
------ 6" Mid-Bass Drivers
--- Rear Speakers
--- Subwoofer (10")
--- Component Amp
--- Sub Amp
--- Cap
--- Crossovers
Information Displays
--- Instrument Cluster
--- Aftermarket Gauges
--- Navigation Display
--- Remote V1 display
--- Head Unit Display
--- OBC
Vehicle Controls
--- Start Engine button
--- HVAC Controls
--- Window Switches
--- Misc. Switches
--- Subwoofer Switch
--- Steering Wheel
--- Steering Wheel Controls
Misc. Tech
--- Alarm System
------ Remote Lock/Unlock
------ Remote Arm/Disarm
------ Remote Window Down/Up
--- Valentine One with Remote Display Hardwire
--- Frequency Scanner (police scanner)
--- CB Radio
--- Navigation Hardwire
Trim/Accents/Lighting
--- Pedals
--- Shift Knob
--- E-brake Lever
--- Moonroof conversion
--- Dome lights
--- Map Lights
---
So, the reason for posting this thread. I'm going to do this, but there are several things I don't have the know-how to do.
So, here's a list of things I need to figure out how to do:
-Reshaping/molding the dash
-Recovering the dash
-Reupholstering seats and door panel inserts
-covering A/B/C Pillars, kick panels, rear deck, and headliner with either leather or suede leather
-Making fiberglass panels to hold gauges and other information displays (V1, etc)
-Adding cruise and stereo control buttons to steering wheel and wiring them to work properly
-Wire an alarm system to remotely roll the windows up or down
-Wire new window switches (e36) and make all of them + moonroof auto-open/close
-Wire e36 instrument cluster to M20 (possible?)
-Upgrade to 16 button e36 OBC, or if that's not possible, to the full e30 OBC
-Recovering the dash
-Reupholstering seats and door panel inserts
-covering A/B/C Pillars, kick panels, rear deck, and headliner with either leather or suede leather
-Making fiberglass panels to hold gauges and other information displays (V1, etc)
-Adding cruise and stereo control buttons to steering wheel and wiring them to work properly
-Wire an alarm system to remotely roll the windows up or down
-Wire new window switches (e36) and make all of them + moonroof auto-open/close
-Wire e36 instrument cluster to M20 (possible?)
-Upgrade to 16 button e36 OBC, or if that's not possible, to the full e30 OBC
Here is my inspiration for doing this project, but mind you I don't plan to go so far away from what BMW started with. My interior will be mostly black, for example:
Anyway, if anyone knows how to do any of the above listed and can help me (recommend a how-to site, a book, give me the how-to yourself, etc), I would HUGELY appreciate it. I'll be doing weeks and perhaps months of planning, and I'm going to do it right the first time, meaning some pretty hefty learning curves in the weeks ahead. I just need someone to point me in the right direction.
All input welcome, but please, no flames - just constructive criticism.
-Evan
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