Dashboard restoration

[Java Man]

Taking the plunge this week with the dash restoration. The car is currently at La Jolla Audio getting a retro Becker Europa radio face over a modern Bluetooth system with a good amp, discretely placed speakers, and microphone for hands-free phone use. Next steps will be to remove the windshield and replace old wood dash panels with new ones, and install a newly refurbished MPH speedo to replace the KPH one (this was a US market car initially). A huge THANKS to Carl & his crew at La Jolla Independent BMW for teaching me how to disassemble things correctly (and take over when I got really stuck). JP took my poorly painted & chipped aluminum console pieces for sandblasting & paint; now they look terrific. Will have some minor defects in the vinyl trim & leather upholstery repaired too. It's getting there... wish me luck!

 

[teahead]

Who's doing the wood? Madera? Bela?

Going to leave the top dash pad pieces red?

 

[Java Man]

The wood was acquired by the previous owner. He said it came from somewhere in Eastern Europe. It is finished nicely in a satin French walnut.

Yes, going to keep the top dash pieces in red.

 

[Java Man]

Vintage Becker radio installed -- actually a Becker Europa face backed by RetroSound Bluetooth unit. Powered by Hertz amp with Hertz 6x9" speakers in back + below dash Hertz 2.5" pod speakers, Audison 4" center speaker, & tiny microphone mounted atop the steering column. Sounds great & works great with intuitive controls using the left & right dials to work all the digital systems behind. Very nice! Kudos to Scott Cairncross at La Jolla Audio.

Tomorrow the real work starts with removing the windshield & dash components. Onward!

 

[Java Man]

Ok - now all the wood is out. I just stripped off the black vinyl from the horizontal piece behind the grab bar. Had to pull some rusty screws out and and apply some wood filler, but the piece appears usable.

QUESTION: what type of adhesive do I need to use to apply new vinyl to the horizontal surface? Thanks, in advance, for your advice!

 

[dave v. in nc]

Is your vinyl cut already for the wood fins, or for the overall pattern? Might first want to used the old vinyl as a pattern, but first realize that the old will probably shrink a bit not that its no longer in bondage (a small adhesive joke) to the plywood. Once you have a dry fitting with the vinyl, I'd painter's tape-mask the wood fins, carefully, and the edges of the plywood tray. Then a spray glue onto the plywood face (if you ask nicely, any auto upholstery shop would maybe share their favorite industrial strength adhesive, and may even sell you a can. I would carefully clamp with pieces of thin plywood, clean up around the fins, and remove the tape. That same shop would probably give you a tip or two. Good luck Java Man.
Dave V. in NC

 

[bavbob]

I used 3M multipurpose adhesive, high strength # 90. Lowes or HD have it. I am sure Dave will agree, there are no mysteries here, let the force be with you, ie, common sense.

 

[Java Man]

Dave V -- No, the vinyl is not cut yet. Are you saying the wood fins should be glued in place before laying down the vinyl? When I removed the fins & then the vinyl, it looks to me that in the original installation the vinyl went down first & then the fins were attached through very precise cut outs in the vinyl. If the fins were installed first, the cut outs would have been larger.

 

[bmw2800cs]

Vintage Becker radio installed -- actually a Becker Europa face backed by RetroSound Bluetooth unit. Powered by Hertz amp with Hertz 6x9" speakers in back + below dash Hertz 2.5" pod speakers, Audison 4" center speaker, & tiny microphone mounted atop the steering column. Sounds great & works great with intuitive controls using the left & right dials to work all the digital systems behind. Very nice! Kudos to Scott Cairncross at La Jolla Audio.

Tomorrow the real work starts with removing the windshield & dash components. Onward!

View attachment 116003

I have the retrosound bluetooth, it does a nice job. I had seen the becker faceplate version - I'm jealous, it looks awesome!

 

[dave v. in nc]

You obviously were able to get the fins removed, so you are correct. Often the fins are the most difficult part to remove without damage. Makes the vinyl pretty straightforward now. Cut out for the tenons on the bottom of the fins after doing vinyl, as you suspected

 

[bavbob]

Note fins have a front to back orientation, easy to put them in backwards...

 

[Koopman]

The way it looks to me is the only reason there are holes cut is for more grip with the glue. It looks like the fins overlap the vinyl.

 

[Johnny D]

I am at exactly this stage, so I will be watching with great interest.
I am not a DIY person, and I would have preferred if the installation was carried out by a skilled craftsman-professional. But there arent any of those
kind of guys around in the UK.

Good Luck

 

[bavbob]

Well the Great English Baking Show contestants would disagree!

 

[tferrer]

I am at exactly this stage, so I will be watching with great interest.
I am not a DIY person, and I would have preferred if the installation was carried out by a skilled craftsman-professional. But there arent any of those
kind of guys around in the UK.

Good Luck

Surely you jest! Some of the the best restoration shops in the world are UK based. There is a large cottage industry specializing in all things classic car focused.

 

[jmackro]

No, the vinyl is not cut yet. Are you saying the wood fins should be glued in place before laying down the vinyl? When I removed the fins & then the vinyl, it looks to me that in the original installation the vinyl went down first & then the fins were attached through very precise cut outs in the vinyl. If the fins were installed first, the cut outs would have been larger.

When I did mine, I glued the uncut vinyl to the board using contact cement and then cut the fin slots, as well as trimmed the outer edges, after the glue had set up. I have found that vinyl will expand a bit after the contact cement is applied, which makes pre-cutting tricky. And of course, contact cement doesn't let you adjust the position once the vinyl touches the wood, so it would be impossible to align pre-cut slots in the vinyl with the grooves in the wood. Maybe doable with other adhesives.

 

[Johnny D]

Surely you jest! Some of the the best restoration shops in the world are UK based. There is a large cottage industry specializing in all things classic car focused.

Sorry, I stand corrected.......If youre willing to pay " thousands " then sure you will eventually find someone. But I been looking for the past year and not found anyone reasonable. Please reply if you know of any reasonable resources, in London or anywhere in the UK. My last quote was way out there.

 

[tferrer]

Sorry, I stand corrected.......If youre willing to pay " thousands " then sure you will eventually find someone. But I been looking for the past year and not found anyone reasonable. Please reply if you know of any reasonable resources, in London or anywhere in the UK. My last quote was way out there.

I'd start a seperate post asking for UK shops recommendations from the UK owners, if which there are quite a few...

 

[Johnny D]

I'd start a seperate post asking for UK shops recommendations from the UK owners, if which there are quite a few...

Thanks for the direction trferrer, but I have asked around although not formally as I prefer the word of mouth.

I have spoken to various well known E9 owners and actually been to several garages around the UK.
I‘ve met and fallen for BS and been caught by some absolutely wasters. Met some terrible ones too.
Unfortunately for me, as in most businesses, the highly recommended are just too busy.

I’m a quick learner though, so eventually I’ll pickup up stuff along the way, learn from my mistakes , learn from you guys, become an expert and then charge thousands.

I will keep going and doing what I can while trying to find a suitable fitter in the mean time.
Thanks again.

 

[Java Man]

Ok, I finally got the new vinyl glued down, trimmed, etc. & began some reassembly of the dash. In some ways this was easier than I thought. In other ways it was tricky: non-alignment of certain parts, etc. Here are a couple photos from today's work. Tomorrow I take the car back to the gurus at La Jolla Independent to reinstall the full dash, windshield, etc.