Installing Arm Rest in 8 Series BMW
I found a used Arm Rest out of an E36, 3 Series BMW (you can find a used one or order one from your Dealer). It was in good shape with two minor problems; it was black and vinyl. I can live with the vinyl part but needed to ‘dye’ it to match my interior.
Okay here’s how; Crimson (my Calypso Red E31) came with a phone in the center console and of course it is ‘useless’ because no one can activate it. I took the phone off of the plate that ‘pops’ into the frame that is bolted inside of the console, then found a block of wood and cut it about 8.5 inches long, 2.5 inches wide, and 3 inches high (I made it this high so I could still us the E-Brake, and it was a good height to rest my arm on….hey, maybe that’s why they call it an “Arm Rest”); found some material and glued/stapled it to the block of wood (you could just spray the wood if you want).
I then went to my local auto paint shop and had them find me a ‘dye’ that matched the “lighter” color of my interior (they had to come out and put a little ‘camera’ on the color and take a picture of it). I then took the ‘covered’ block of wood and, using long wood screws, screwed it to the bottom of the Arm Rest (being very careful not to go through the plastic bottom into the vinyl). Then I dyed all of it, doing this in very little coats of five each (just spray a little light coat, then let it dry for about an hour, then wipe with lint free rag, then do it again until you get the
color your looking for). Now the really good part (for me anyway) is how I can take the Arm Rest off if I need to. I took the plate, that ‘snaps’ into the frame that is bolted inside the console, and screwed it to the bottom of the covered block of wood. I did this for two reasons; one, so the Arm Rest will be very secured, and two so I could take it out if I needed to. Well, that’s it, if you have any questions just let me know.
Patrick Ford and Crimson
This is what the console looks like after the Phone has been removed. There is a medal frame that fits inside and a plastic piece that the Phone is attached to. I left the medal frame bolted inside and kept the plastic piece to screw the Arm Rest too.
This is the Arm Rest after I screwed it to the wooden block and plastic part. Note: the four medal pins, they will snap into the medal frame located inside the console.
Here is the dye I used for the Arm Rest. This is also a good picture of the plastic part.
This is a picture of the passengers side looking at the Arm Rest.
