Japandrew73's OEM Euro Restore

[JasonC]

You don't have to buy "euro" backing plates for the rear lights just to have a rear fog. It's very simple to put in the wiring for the fog light in the "US" backing plate. Basicly if you have another spare backing plate. Just remove the parts needed for the fog from one of the other lights. And put it into the one you are going to use. Once you are done, it looks factory, cause it is factory. Just won't have the correct color wire in there. But it won't matter, cause it's covered up anyway. It's not that hard to do, and you'll more then likly have it done with in 5 minutes.

[Japandrew73]

You don't have to buy "euro" backing plates for the rear lights just to have a rear fog. It's very simple to put in the wiring for the fog light in the "US" backing plate. Basicly if you have another spare backing plate. Just remove the parts needed for the fog from one of the other lights. And put it into the one you are going to use. Once you are done, it looks factory, cause it is factory. Just won't have the correct color wire in there. But it won't matter, cause it's covered up anyway. It's not that hard to do, and you'll more then likly have it done with in 5 minutes.

I'm still going to have to run the wire all the way from the switch to the tail light though, correct? I might just do what you said after a bit of investigation.

[JasonC]

I'm still going to have to run the wire all the way from the switch to the tail light though, correct? I might just do what you said after a bit of investigation.

Yes.

And also with the cluster. It's easy to make the rear fog light up in it too. All you have to do is run a + wire to the pin that lights up the rear fog light in the cluster. Talks about it in step #18 http://m42club.com/writeups/lighting...nal_051109.pdf The US cluster is setup for this too. But just don't have the rear fog symble in the light strip.

[Japandrew73]

Yes.

And also with the cluster. It's easy to make the rear fog light up in it too. All you have to do is run a + wire to the pin that lights up the rear fog light in the cluster. Talks about it in step #18 http://m42club.com/writeups/lighting...nal_051109.pdf The US cluster is setup for this too. But just don't have the rear fog symble in the light strip.

Thanks for the help, I've read the whole thing before and it made me realize it's a project not far out of reach. I think I may have come across a problem though, Is the female end of the fog light switch different on the euro models? I hope you get what I mean.

But just don't have the rear fog symble in the light strip.

What do you mean by that? And I have a euro cluster anyways so it will work out. Are the rear fogs wired in series or in parallel? Which would you recommend? And as far as running the wires all the way back there, what do you think is the best way to do it? Do you have to rip up all the carpet and stuff?

[lennon]

props on doing some cool stuff to your car. im sure it is but your next thing should definitely be that rear bumper. also, although i dont care, it is kinda weird that youre hooking up your car with rare euro options (i.e. headlight wipers) but you took off the passenger mirror which was an upgrade. why downgrade your car just for 'rarity'? also i think it just looks better with 2. but to each their own. good luck man!

[Japandrew73]

Drew up a rear fog diagram and confirmed it will work with a guy who has wired them up.


You can see in my current tail housing which wire is missing and which bulb is missing. It just needs to be put in there.


The chrome tip I ordered wasn't the correct size but the guy was nice enough to send me the correct size if I send the one I have back. That will happen soon along with the mono mirror switch.

[neighborhood]

I think what he meant was there is also a light in the gauge cluster for when the rear fog light is on.

[Japandrew73]

I think what he meant was there is also a light in the gauge cluster for when the rear fog light is on.

right, yea we had a PM sesh and now I fully understand the instal

[ZM Blue Devil]

now turn it off, you are going to get water spots on the car.

[Japandrew73]

Still working on the mirror situation but The mono power mirror switch came today (thanks brian:))

In case some of you didn't know, you can take off the main button and clean it.

Here's the old switch (very dirty)

Here are the two compared (one missing pin on the mono switch)


I'm pretty stoked I got it. I know it's a downgrade and very controversial but this part is unheard of. Nobody can find a part number or one for sale anywhere. So I guess it's super rare?

[e30edward]

There's no part number anywhere on it?

[Japandrew73]

There's no part number anywhere on it?

nope, there's a number, but when typed in it doesn't come up as a part.

[dannyg]

Where can I grab a mono mirror switch?

[Japandrew73]

Where can I grab a mono mirror switch?

read the post above yours... I don't know where you can find it.

[Japandrew73]

Many of you may have read in my wanted posts about how my sister got her first car with basketweaves. She wants bottlecaps. So i figured we would trade! But when I saw the car for the first time I found the wheels were chrome. I didn't like chrome. So my parents were going to get her a new set of bottlecaps but Kronus gave me the idea of instead of buying her new bottlecaps, buy me a new set of basketweaves and she gets my bottlecaps. So the switcheroo began. I drove up to LA and back to get these.
They were a little dirty but I knew what was cleanable and what wasn't so the choice of this set was smart.





In one of these pics you may have noticed there is a gash in the spokes, the seller told me about this and I had a plan for it. All of my sisters basketweaves were chrome except for one. And the one that wasn't chrome was in a straight, clean condition just like the others. So I was going to use her un-chromed basketweave for my forth tire, and the gashed basketweave for my spare.

After a high powered garden hose (sprays in a line almost as hard as a fire hose) and "pressure washed" them at first, then I took meguiars wheel cleaner, a bunch of toothbruses, and soap and water and went to town. After the wheels themselves were clean I used "wet tire" or whatever it's called to make the tires look good. They already looked pretty good considering the tread was just as good as my old tires, but it always looks better clean.

The result was awesome. It took about 30 min per wheel but it was definitely worth it. They look way better. I'll let you decide which was cleaned and which wasn't.


When I bought the wheels they didn't come with any centercaps, but for $200 for the whole set you have to expect that. My sisters did come with centercaps, they were chrome and there were only three, but basketweaves look horrid without centercaps IMHO. So I will just rock chrome centercaps on 3 wheels until I get the correct color caps new. Here is a preview
Without:

With:


Here is all 4 cleaned and pretty






I removed the black plain valve stem caps and put on my nice BMW logo caps I got for christmas. (pic is from when wheels were still dirty)


Here it is with the bottlecaps for one last look


Jack goes under, wheel comes off, new one goes in. You all know the process...


Spare goes in the trunk (spare is currently the straight one from my sisters, I have to have it taken to america's tire so they can switch the tire itself from my sisters weave i took, and the gashed wheel so the set of tires are all the same... if that made any sense)


Here is the result. My car is dirty and the lighting isn't good for photos, but who cares.





Here they are with the chrome centercaps. They are better than none




Here is what we were left over with. A bottlecap, three chrome basketweaves and a dirty driveway.