The $5000 BMW M3 - Page 2

Quality Leather · 06-08-09, 11:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.J.

I would leatherique the interior and see what you end-up with. Leatherique is amazing stuff. You might find that color very rewarding. Some BMW enthusiast worship that interior.

If you are doing a full restoration, I would strip the interior and start over with new carpet and wrap the seats in new leather. If you are looking for a fun beater. I would stick with leatherique and save the money for maintenance repairs (RTABs, Suspension components, Cooling system components, FLuids, and gaskets) all of which are prone to wear and tear on the E36 M3.

Great car, Fun project. I have to admit, I'm envious. Looks like alot of fun. GL

JJ

Leatherique isn't going to repair that hole in the bolster and it is not going to fill in the cracks in the leather.

Were the seats refinished at any time? The door panel looks like it might have been sprayed.

HappyWax · 06-08-09, 12:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quality Leather

Were the seats refinished at any time? The door panel looks like it might have been sprayed.

No, I took the strip of leather off of the door and from what i can tell, it is just how the wear and tear shaped up over the years.

As far as changing the color, I am going to keep it original- The more I think of it, if I went to black, it would look like a Halloween interior...

I'm not sure I want to sink $1200+ and recover the entire interior. I don't think it will ad that much to the resale.

Would you spend 6700 on a 1996 M3 with 129K and PERFECT leather or $5500 with decent, but not perfect leather. ?? Plus I would rather have the exterior rock chips touched up.

Quality Leather · 06-08-09, 12:45

Is that what it costs for new covers? I thought it was around $700.

If you want to repair it and do it cheap, then take the cover off the driver seat. You can then take it to an upholsterer and get him to sew in a new panel for you. It shouldn't cost more than $100. If you are going to refinish the seats, then tell them to use any color leather and it will be even cheaper.

Domas · 06-08-09, 12:48

Btw, how are the rear seats looking? They often look like new compared to front ones, so you could just re-wrap the front seats and safe half the cost

That's what I'm planning to do with my old '98 Volvo seats, I'll just get the bottom parts (where your butt sits

) of front seats re-wrapped, 'couse the rest of the leather is perfect, and this'll help to save lot's of cash

Or you could try finding good condition front seats from the scrapyard.
This BMW may be old, but it's M3, and you've just bought it, I think it has some value, and it would definitely be nice to have a good-looking interior in it, while you posess the car

Five_Star · 06-08-09, 12:48

I would consider going with all new leather for the interior. The leather you have now seems beyond repair as dying would not help it. It's def. worth the money to go that route.

Accumulator · 06-08-09, 05:01

Happy Wax- Glad the mechanicals are OK...that's what I was really worried about.. I too think you oughta pull the seat cover off and get it repaired by some local shop.

I replaced the padding in the driver's seat of mine, and I had one bolster repaired while it was apart. Can't remember what it cost, but it wasn't much or I *would* remember.

artm3 · 06-08-09, 05:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRL

I'd say keep it the factory original color. If you dye the door leather and seats, the carpet, and trim pieces will look weird. I actually like the color of the interior, it would look better if the car itself was black...

I agree, the tan and green look good

the e36 is bullet proof, mine went 200k and wasrunning strong...
when I traded it in, the chief mechanic bought it for his son!

you got a good deal, as long as compression and leak-down are good, and little oil consumption, you're golden

HappyWax · 06-08-09, 07:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by artm3

I agree, the tan and green look good

the e36 is bullet proof, mine went 200k and was running strong...
when I traded it in, the chief mechanic bought it for his son!

you got a good deal, as long as compression and leak-down are good, and little oil consumption, you're golden

Yeah, my Black M3 was a 95 and it had about 180K on it- the funny thing is I had to replace the instrument cluster with one that read 70k -everyone that drove it the car said it the car ran great for 70K miles...
ha

Longevity is not the problem with BMW.

HappyWax · 06-10-09, 07:28

Just had to post pics of the hood -it was sunny...

Ctowner · 06-12-09, 07:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappyWax

Would you spend 6700 on a 1996 M3 with 129K and PERFECT leather or $5500 with decent, but not perfect leather. ?? Plus I would rather have the exterior rock chips touched up.

Either way is great. E36 M3 prices have really gone up. I was looking to get one over the past several months, and it seems now that any decent one is in the 10k plus range. The '97-99s that I have been looking for get up into the low teens. You got yours super cheap assuming the mechanicals and chassis are in fact sound, so it's not a big deal to put a little money in it.

Accumulator · 06-12-09, 08:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ctowner

.. E36 M3 prices have really gone up..

Gee, I hope so! (Regulars here know why

)

HappyWax · 06-23-09, 09:12

Leatherique application (no after pics yet):