Plasti Dip was a nice option for covering my decorative interior trim but it was time to switch back over to a vinyl wrap. 3M 1080 "Brushed Aluminum" was the obvious choice for my interior as it would match the other aluminum bits I have like the pedals and e-brake handle.

The color of the Plasti Dip "True Metallic Aluminum" and 3M "Brushed Aluminum" are extremely similar but the brushed look of the vinyl really offers the look I was going for. Oem aluminum trim goes for an arm and a leg, even 2nd hand, so this vinyl was a great value.

Evan

Removing the Plasti Dip, always fun.


The differences are subtle but here is the Plasti Dip before.


...and after with the vinyl


Thats a wrap


Although the vinyl is an accommodating product, some areas of the trim were still challenging to cover.

 

awkward boner....that looks beautiful. I had an E60 M5, thanks to all of these pictures I am ready to pull the trigger on an E61 535xi. Soooo money

 

yes. join us.

 

These are not the drones you are looking for but this is the vehicle you have been looking for. *hand gesture*

 

I've been looking at those motive mod kits for a while. But i swore to the wife that this is a daily and wouldn't touch it lol

Amazing work you have done on this, really shows the hard and dedication and most of all orginally. Keep it up.

 

I still have mine and I *still* want one.

 

Such a fantastic build! I've enjoyed reading where you've taken the car from and the variety of small projects you've tackled.

I'm curious about your experience with the M5 front end i.e., bumper, fenders and mirrors--what was the process like for completing that swap? You mentioned some massaging required, I'm curious about a similar setup and would appreciate any insight before getting to ahead of myself. Many thanks and great work.

 

I had a shop handle the install of those parts (I didn't have a garage at the time) and IIRC the process is fairly straight forward but some of the misc trim and supports required creative mounting solutions since the N54 engine and M5 parts were not intended to work perfectly together. If you are an average DIYer or have a capable shop I wouldn't be too worried about it.

Glad you like the build, it has been a lot of fun learning as I go.

Evan

 

I accidently broke one of my dynamic headlight sensors when I was removing my blown coilover, snagged a used one off eBay to replace it, easy swap.

I use a cheapo Android tablet to flash between backend flashes and recently downloaded the JB4 Mobile app. It is pretty cool since it has real-time data displayed in gauges and can also facilitate logging, checking codes, and user adjustments. A proper mounting solution is in the mail.

Evan

 

Your car and this thread is nothing but win, Evan .

- Antti -