New Guy - '87 325is

[Kershaw]

Lexol Cleaner and Conditioner actually brought back the color a lot more than I thought it would. Bought at Advance Auto. My original seat back didn't have any rips but the top was pretty faded. Cleaning and conditioning really brought it back.

I used 1 and 1/8 bottles of the leather magic to do front seats, rear seat with ski pass, e brake handle and boot, shift knob and boot. Only the rear seats were already cardinal, and that takes a lot less dye. I used an airbrush to apply it. The first few layers do soak in, after that it's a lot like paint.

[RampageRR]

Thanks! I just emailed them to get an idea of which kit specifically would address the issues on my interior. If I can restore the original seats and not need recovering of anything, that frees up a ton of money that can be spent on the suspension instead.

Now to find a reputable place for a headliner. Mine is trashed.

[RampageRR]

Update time. I've been on vacation with the kids for spring break, so I haven't had much time with the car on the weekends as I'd like.

I've at least been able to knock out the replacement of the P/S reservoir and hoses, replaced the incorrect DME with a 173, replaced the oil filter extension housing gaskets which were spraying oil the last time out, installed my Condor SSK/bushings and shorty knob, and some new M3 offset CABs. Either the PO installed new control arms but reused the CABs from what it looked like as they were torn and crusty looking, or just pressed in new ball joints and left the torn bushings. Dumb. Also, replacing the bushings with no special tools kind of sucked.

Took the car out for its longest trip so far on Saturday, probably about 120 miles. The only hiccups right now are balky shifting into 2nd when cold, and stalling when cold. Once I get 2 or 3 minutes of driving in, the car idles rock solid and shifts smoothly. I'll be changing out my trans fluid over the weekend to see if it helps with the 1-2 shift and looking for vacuum leaks as well. I've already cleaned the ICV and replaced the DME, so I can only assume it's a vacuum leak at this point.

Next up after fixing the stalling is looking into an E46 rack swap. Plans at the moment are to get a 330ci rack, Garagistic steering knuckle (since I'm planning on swapping engines this should help with space as well), and a Renown 100R Motorsport steering wheel. Also seriously considering going with aftermarket seats if I can find period correct ones. I'd recover them in cardinal suede or leather if I do go that route. The sport seats look great but they're kinda killer on my lower back. Even if I recovered them and refurbished everything, I don't know if I'd ever be able to really take the car out for a long trip - I was hurting even on the 2 hour ride the other day. Anyone else have lower back issues that can recommend a good seat? I'd go Corbeau GTS II but I see too many reviews about longevity that keep me away.

Here's the new Condor knob sitting in it's rightful place.

[RampageRR]

Haven't been on in a while to update...

I finally got to do the E46 rack swap. I went with a purple tag rack from Rack Doctor, which I put in over the weekend. I've only been able to take it for a quick spin since I need to get it aligned, but holy crap what a difference! I also put in a Renown 100 Motorsport steering wheel, which I like a lot.

Replaced the PO installed JOM coilovers with Ground Control all the way around, new control arms and offset M3 CABs, and a ton of little fixes around the car. I still want to swap the seats out since they kill my back over longer rides, but that's not super pressing at the moment.

[phenryiv1]

Subscribing

[littlemac]

Pics not showing =(

[RampageRR]

Pics not showing =(

Fixed links - I guess Google Photos doesn't work well with this forum. Thanks for the heads up!

[littlemac]

Wow, looks nice. Are you satisfied with leather magic? I have the cardinal red interior as well and need to give them some love.

Love the wheel, Renown right? I just got one from Virtue for a bargain but the horn button broke =(

[RampageRR]

Wow, looks nice. Are you satisfied with leather magic? I have the cardinal red interior as well and need to give them some love.

Love the wheel, Renown right? I just got one from Virtue for a bargain but the horn button broke =(

Thanks! I still haven't gotten around to fixing the seats, so I don't have a firsthand opinion yet. I have emailed them and they responded with a super detailed list of which products I'd need, so I can at least say their customer support is impressive. I do plan on using their product on the seats, so as soon as I get to them, I'll post my experience here. I'll probably wait until the fall to start, since doing all of that in 100 degree heat isn't appealing to me whatsoever.

Yes, it is a Renown wheel. Do you know if your wheel has a standard sized horn opening? I know Renown sells horn buttons separately and they have non Renown labeled BMW roundels, so if they're the same size, that might be a cheap option. Try shooting him an email or DM on Instagram - he's always responded to me quickly.

[littlemac]

Ok, same here. I'm doing my seats over this fall/winter so I might wait until yours are done. Do yours have cracks? Mine has a few but not that bad. Read mixed reviews on repairing cracks so I might just leave them, but maybe dye them. What are your plans?

I actually am restoring my original m-tech 1 wheel so I might just sell it without the horn. Thanks for the info though!

I just got some badge trim today, the 325i with the M and grill M-emblem and the small stickers saying m-technic. Looks awesome =)

Cheers

[littlemac]

Hi again, I changed my mind and are doing them next week. I'll let you know how they turned out!

Cheers

[RampageRR]

Oh, awesome. Please do, I'm very interested in seeing the results. If it all goes well for you, I might just end up doing it sooner rather than later. Good luck!

Mine have just some very small cracks in the seat bottom - only really visible if you look closely while pressing down. The driver side bolster has a small patch of leather missing, so that's going to be the main repair I'd have to do.

[littlemac]

Will do, mine has some cracks on the drivers seat, apssenger is ok and the back is perfect. I'll post pics when I'm done. Dye shipping from UK so it will be a few days extra.

Cheers