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Fitted gauge pod and OEM extended leather pieces (56K beware!)

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  • Fitted gauge pod and OEM extended leather pieces (56K beware!)

    Have been absent from the forum for a good year or more - been in the process of moving from UK back to NZ, new job, a lot of adjustment etc so no time for hobbies for a long time. Just been catching up reading posts here over the last week or so and sad to see a few great cars / owners have moved on.

    Anyway, finally finding time again to do mods and have kicked off with some interior work.

    Fitted the brand new OEM extended leather dash pieces I picked up from ebay a while ago. This required pulling the entire dash/console/glovebox etc off so not a quick job but pleased with the result. My stock vinyl door cards look a bit rubbish now by comparison. My Z3 has factory extended leather throughout and am now really noticing how much better its doors look.

    Also, fitted a gauge pod. I'm slightly paranoid and wanted a proper water temp gauge (given the coolant temp gauge in the cluster is heavily buffered and so a bit useless) - also wanted oil pressure, the standard oil temp and also wanted to keep the clock.

    The pod was made by a very talented guy (rocknroad) on Bimmerforums - can't recommend him highly enough. He did a run of 3 or 4 of these for me and some US owners but don't know if they have fitted theirs yet.

    Pod hood is fibreglass and gauge plate is moulded plastic, all covered in a thin foam and then leather over the top. Fitting required cutting a rectangle out of the top of the dash as the gauges are slightly recessed below the level of the dash. In the flesh I think it looks OEM which was the goal so am pleased with it.

    Extra gauges are VDO Vision - with OEM chrome bezels (from spare M gauges) fitted. Took a bit of effort to match the lighting brightness and colour but got there in the end. Kept the standard external temp and made up the numbers by using the voltmeter out of the US-spec S52 MC's and Roadsters.

    Used a LeatherZ oil distributor block so the factory low oil pressure warning light/switch still works. And was a good opportunity to change every light bulb in the console and cluster while I had everything apart. Pleased that everything is working OK and enjoying being able to keep a closer eye on things withthe extra info from the gauges

    Few other interior mods -leather covered OEM armrest (modified for RHD) and steering wheel tabs (both by rocknroad), LeatherZ handbrake and shift boots, door armrests, passenger mirror switch blank leather cover, and an illuminated ZHP knob also from LeatherZ.

    Here's a few hastily taken pictures

















    And fitted an Eisenmann - thanks Evolve for shipping it all the way here from Luton ...

    2000 Dakar MC
    1999 Cosmos Z3 2.8
    2004 545i Sport

  • #2
    gauges look great a bit like a focus ST, asc button on a s50?

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    • #3
      Looks really good.

      Car should have had an oil pressure and amp/volt meter as standard.

      Did you move the heated rear window switch? Mines between the seats with a blank where yours is located.
      S54 Titan Silver metallic. Black leather, most factory options including sunroof, Becker Cascade and Becker Silverstone changer.

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      • #4
        Looks great Kiwi, well worth the effort
        VIDEO or Journal

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        • #5
          Thanks for the kind words. Dave and Jon - have admired your cars before - very nice.

          Originally posted by dave p View Post
          asc button on a s50?
          Yeah - while everything was in pieces, got a comprehensive alarm installed - the ASC button has been rewired so that it plays a part in the alarm system. Wanted a convenient postion but a factory look hence adapting an ASC switch.

          I also mucked around with the foglight switch - installed the double switch out of a Z3 and had the connectors wired ready to install foglights in the front - not 100% sure if I will but wanted to give myself the option (have a Hamann front bumper with fogs that I might install):



          Originally posted by ian View Post
          Did you move the heated rear window switch? Mines between the seats with a blank where yours is located.
          Hi Ian, I think the front console location is standard on the S50s? Could be wrong. So no, didn't have to move it.
          2000 Dakar MC
          1999 Cosmos Z3 2.8
          2004 545i Sport

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          • #6
            When you wrote about fitting an instrument pod, I thought 'My God, this is going to be horrific'. But it looks really good, a very professional job, especially with the sympathetic curved lines.
            Strongstrut CL front brace-Yellowstuff pads/Castrol SRF race brake fluid-Rogue top mounts/Rear support bushes-H&R ARBs-Whiteline droplinks-Bilstein Sport shockers-H&R Springs-Black Halo Angel Eye headlight units-Sachs lightweight flywheel/matching clutch-Supersprint exhaust/race catalysers-BBS RSGTs with Falkens-K&N High Flow Air Filter-Recaro Pole Position seats - Exdos mod - ACS flippers

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            • #7
              Originally posted by ian View Post
              Looks really good.

              Car should have had an oil pressure and amp/volt meter as standard.

              Did you move the heated rear window switch? Mines between the seats with a blank where yours is located.
              have you got a pic of yours?

              Click here to email me

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by coupe fan View Post
                When you wrote about fitting an instrument pod, I thought 'My God, this is going to be horrific'.
                That made me laugh - because it's so true - there has been some truly horrific gauge pod installs ...
                2000 Dakar MC
                1999 Cosmos Z3 2.8
                2004 545i Sport

                Comment


                • #9
                  Looks great kiwi, I've got a VDO vision oil pressure gauge too and I can't get the colour and brightness right. Can you please let me know how you managed to get it to look spot on, mine is currently a dim yellow and it makes me sad

                  Ta,

                  Paul

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    This looks really good! I would personally try a black centre vent as it might look more balanced?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Wav View Post
                      Looks great kiwi, I've got a VDO vision oil pressure gauge too and I can't get the colour and brightness right. Can you please let me know how you managed to get it to look spot on, mine is currently a dim yellow and it makes me sad

                      Ta,

                      Paul
                      Hey Paul - I'm embarrassed to say, I'm not 100% sure on what lighting combination I finally used - it was a long late night when finally got it right.

                      I think it was orange bulb sleeves (purchased from LeatherZ in the US) instead of the VDO supplied red ones, plus higher wattage bulbs - maybe 3 or 5 watt (given bulbs are dimmer once the sleeve is on, and OEM ones are 2 watts), and possibly also used amber indicator-style bulbs.

                      I had tried a stack of different variables in different combinations (2, 3, 5 watt bulbs, red or orange sleeves or both together, amber indicator bulbs or plain). Good luck with yours - and sorry not to be definitive.

                      Originally posted by c_w View Post
                      This looks really good! I would personally try a black centre vent as it might look more balanced?
                      Thanks c_w - that is a very good suggestion which I hadn't thought of. Need to think whether it will unbalance the gray sides.

                      Would appreciate your help with a question re sidelights - will post a new topic on it - cheers.
                      2000 Dakar MC
                      1999 Cosmos Z3 2.8
                      2004 545i Sport

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Kiwi View Post
                        Hey Paul - I'm embarrassed to say, I'm not 100% sure on what lighting combination I finally used - it was a long late night when finally got it right.

                        I think it was orange bulb sleeves (purchased from LeatherZ in the US) instead of the VDO supplied red ones, plus higher wattage bulbs - maybe 3 or 5 watt (given bulbs are dimmer once the sleeve is on, and OEM ones are 2 watts), and possibly also used amber indicator-style bulbs.

                        I had tried a stack of different variables in different combinations (2, 3, 5 watt bulbs, red or orange sleeves or both together, amber indicator bulbs or plain). Good luck with yours - and sorry not to be definitive.
                        Ok, I'll try amber bulb covers on 5w bulbs to start with. The standard bulb is very dim, even without a sleeve.

                        Cheers,

                        Paul

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          HTR, some pictures of another gauge install,



                          http://www.flickr.com/photos/rocknro...7614487649450/

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                          • #14
                            I love this idea, but fall at the first hurdle - anyone know where to buy VDO oil presure/amp/volt gauges with a grey background to match s54 ones? Have searched for a long time with no success.
                            S54 Titan Silver metallic. Black leather, most factory options including sunroof, Becker Cascade and Becker Silverstone changer.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by ian View Post
                              I love this idea, but fall at the first hurdle - anyone know where to buy VDO oil presure/amp/volt gauges with a grey background to match s54 ones? Have searched for a long time with no success.
                              Someone's done it,

                              http://www.flickr.com/photos/rocknro...7619422329901/

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