Heater Controls Panel - Wood or Brushed Stainless

[Dick Steinkamp]

I think every other Bavaria I've seen has a wood insert in the heater control/clock/glove box release panel. My July of 71 3.0 Bavaria has a brushed stainless panel...

Was one or the other an option? Were there certain years/months where one or the other was used? Random?

 

[HB Chris]

Dick, as 71 was the first year of the 2.8 Bav I think it had less trim than its predecessor 2800 which had wood with leather seats and subsequent 3.0 Bavs ended up getting a bit more. It was not random.

 

[Dick Steinkamp]

Chris,
Mine is one of the first 3.0 Bavs and a 1972 Model Year car. BMW probably had running changes though. So the 2800 Bavs and early 3.0s had this brushed stainless dash?

 

[HB Chris]

Dick, I am speculating a bit. One year only the Bav had a painted panel between the tail lights too.

 

[Dick Steinkamp]

Yes...my car has a painted panel between the tail lights. It is not brushed aluminum like most I've seen.

 

[Dick Steinkamp]

The history of E3s in general and my car in particular is a fun part of the hobby for me. Chris' speculation makes sense to me...that the brushed switch panel and the painted rear panel are related to a certain year (or years) of Bavaria production (and probably other E3 models also).

Does anyone have a source I could query to help pin this down? E3 Limousinen Club? SSR?

 

[Dick Steinkamp]

Here are some pictures I found. The following rear pics are all of 71 MY Bavarias (this doesn't necessarily mean ALL 71's had a painted rear panel)...

The last one (what a beautiful car!) is the only one I could find that also had an interior picture. The dash is wood in it.

the following 2 pictures are of 71 MY Bavarias (again, this doesn't necessarily mean ALL 71s had a brushed switch panel)...

The following picture is of a 2500...

This further supports Chris' speculation.

 

[HB Chris]

I tried checking in the parts book, it’s only shows walnut and then it switches to the illuminated panel at 3103466 for a 3.0 Bav. And the 3.3L got Root Veneer instead of walnut.

 

[mmccusername]

I am looking for the aluminum trim for my dash if anyone has extra they'd like to sell.

Side note: the shift lever on the early automatics are cool enough to almost make me want one.

 

[HB Chris]

A new revelation, the tail panel changed at the Model 71 which I think means 72 for US cars to satin silver And the 71 2.8 Bav was painted.

 

[Dick Steinkamp]

My car is 3100645, so one of the first 3.0s. They could have been still using up painted tail panels and brushed switch panels.

 

[Dick Steinkamp]

From the owner's manual that came with my car when it was new.

Any picture of the dash shows the brushed stainless switch panel...

There is only one picture that shows the rear of the car and it appears to be a brushed panel...not painted...But then it also has some pretty strange tail lights.

 

[HB Chris]

Those are 2800 tail lights, they recycled photos that could be way out of date.

 

[Dick Steinkamp]

Thanks, Chris.

(nice driving gloves too )