Wood color of dash - light and dark version?

[eriknetherlands]

I have just dismounted my dash, and now i've been able to compare it to the replacement part i bought 5 years ago.

Now, seeing them side by side, i see a clear difference; one's light, the other is definitly darker. The light one is from my car, the darker one a spare.

Have there been colour variants, or am i just seeing age/sunload difference/natural variation?

If there have been colour variants is the light version from my car, the correct shade for a may 1973 3.0 cs?

 

[jmackro]

Have there been colour variants, or am i just seeing age/sunload difference/natural variation?

My guess is that there was not a "dark version" and a "light version". Rather, that you are seeing age/sunload difference/natural variation. You will notice that the areas of the veneer that were shielded from the sun (because they were tucked behind other panels) will be darker.

 

[Keshav]

The pre face lift cars have the Cherry tree veneer with a slight reddish tinge/ reflection and the face lift cars, 74/75 have the Walnut tree veneer which is a darker with more pronounced grain.
That there will be variations from car to car but basically two different ‘tree types’ were used.

 

[adawil2002]

My CSi built in June of 1972 had & has French Walnut. The grain is very straight similar to Cherry & Mahogany. Photos are from 2011 with a cheap Canon Cool Pix Camera & 2018 & an iPhone X.

 

[HB Chris]

I was always told it was a French walnut with a satin finish but I am always eager to learn.

 

[rsporsche]

one fact to remember is that wood bleaches and lightens from U/V light. i have some NOS rear wood pieces for both sides, and it is amazing how much darker they are than any other wood pieces that i have seen in cars. i will look to see if there is a production date on them at some point - either on the wood or the surrounding panels.

i never choose to argue with my friend Keshav, but i have never heard that cherry was used on the coupe - i agree with Andrew that walnut has a tight / closed grain as cherry does. where i disagree with Andrew is on mahogany - as it has an open grain and it only becomes that smooth when it is filled and finely sanded. our friend @dave v. in nc can certainly speak to this with greater authority, but this is my experience from millwork design. also remember that most european or french walnut is generally plain or quarter sawn w/ straight grain. this wood is rarely found as a highly figured veneer, american walnut is often found with relatively high figure, but it is generally a different natural color.

this is an clear finished / non-figured cherry

this is a clear finished black walnut - the flat grain is similar to european walnut - just the color is different

this is a european walnut - you can see that the color is more on the orange side of brown

 

[dave v. in nc]

I will agree not to argue with one as smart and sharp on bmw's as Keshav on most everything. Most everything. I've been working with "our" interior wood for almost twenty years now...cutting, re-laminating and re-veneering, sanding, clamping etc..I have an "11 June 70" stamped gauge surround I just finished veneering, aand have a pair of 72 cars, and a 74. They are all "French" (aka, Persian, English, Italian, etc) Walnut. I am probably working on parts of four sets currently, and all are pre-facelift, pre-74 cars. All are the same species. Scott is correct in his comments; and as to the dark original finish, my guess was they tried to emulate a color usually associated with mahogany; in the red family. The UV indeed bleaches to a warm glow..but if you look carefully where the sun never shone (back end of a rear seat piece, or under never-removed gauge rings) its almost opaquely dark, comparatively. I attached a (bad night-time)

pic of a "step" panel of figured French just to show the transformation...
Keshav's interior looks outstanding, but it's Juglans Regia also...

 

[Keshav]

Scott and Dave, thanks for your vote of confidence!
Leaving names of wood veneer’s apart, the pre face lift have light colored wood whereas the later cars have a way darker and different type of veneer. A very good friend phrased it as, all 435xxxx series have the dark wood and all 22xxxxx the have light wood.

 

[rsporsche]

Keshav, to be clear, you have more than earned our confidence - years ago ... and you always find a polite way to renew it. BTW, your description of colors matche my experiences in looking at many cars and many pieces.

 

[E911]

I will second Keshav's statements, I own both series and there's no missing the change over in both tone and grain.

 

[eriknetherlands]

The date stamps on the parts i have match the light and dark color as described by Keshav indeed.
Attached the date stamp on my light colored parts, indeed VIN from the # 22 series

So, now that i know what's what, and what should be in may car, it means that i have some parts left over ( dash with vinyl and speakergrille, gauge pod and one right door ) watch the for sale section...

 

[e9coupeMA]

Erik - Do you have detailed instructions on how to remove the wood from the dash? Does anyone have these? Thanks

 

[sfdon]

Pictures of dark and light speaker grills from yesterday

 

[eriknetherlands]

Erik - Do you have detailed instructions on how to remove the wood from the dash? Does anyone have these? Thanks

Depends, do you have your dash out of the car, or is it still in?
If it is outside of the car it is straight forward, so my guess is that the wood parts are still in the car.

If it is still in the car, then you have to remove a lot.
(Instrument hood, instrument wood cluster, window defroster vents, lower dash parts, grab rail, top dash pad. )
I needed to remove my steering column cover as well, as on top is my automatic gear selector indicator.

Not sure if it can be done with the windshield out, i think it can. Mine came out without needing to go upwards. I think i pulled it out straight towards me, ons corner first.
Not sure if the center console needs to be put; mine is already out for 5 years...

Be carefull with vinyl parts, they do crack.
The top pad has 4 metal clips that clip into the bottom portion of the window flange ( horizontal surrface) where thee are 4 rectangar holes. They are usually rusted, and do not come loose easily. Dont pull the pad upwards by the corners, as the vinyl skin will likely snap. Slide something ( a ruler) between the underside of the pad and the metal resting surface untill you find the clips. Then.insert something thin that you can twist and pop out the clips with.

Also the heater ducts can be brittle, mine were still a bit flexible, but then my car has been in moderate temp climates all its life.