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Used a hacksaw and cut off ~5mm off the shifter location:
I then shaved another 1mm or so off the bottom as it was grinding against the u-joint adapter using a finger sander. The DDM short shifter and adapter also came in, so other than a shift knob, that's all done!
I also figured I'd remove the pano sunroof now instead of later:
It's about 64lbs of awkward weight if you get bored, too. Also note that the divider and oh shit handle brackets are in the way and need to be removed, too. If you're by yourself and worried about it dropping on you/can't hold up the weight, raise up all four of the headrests and it'll give you some cushion.
I'm most likely going to start with strictly fiberglass for practice and if I'm ok enough, do carbon fiber at a later date. Since it's such a large area (you really get an idea once it's out of the wagon), I'll be doing either 2mm or 3mm balsa wood core. I'm also wanting to keep it on the frame so I can then capture all of the mounting points except for the sole bolt in the rear by the rear motor. Seriously, it's just the one. So weird. Anyways, I'll also need to figure out how to block off the tracks; I'm assuming using strips of foam board and then fill-it clay to secure it, but no idea yet.
It's about 64lbs of awkward weight if you get bored, too. Also note that the divider and oh shit handle brackets are in the way and need to be removed, too. If you're by yourself and worried about it dropping on you/can't hold up the weight, raise up all four of the headrests and it'll give you some cushion.
I'm most likely going to start with strictly fiberglass for practice and if I'm ok enough, do carbon fiber at a later date. Since it's such a large area (you really get an idea once it's out of the wagon), I'll be doing either 2mm or 3mm balsa wood core. I'm also wanting to keep it on the frame so I can then capture all of the mounting points except for the sole bolt in the rear by the rear motor. Seriously, it's just the one. So weird. Anyways, I'll also need to figure out how to block off the tracks; I'm assuming using strips of foam board and then fill-it clay to secure it, but no idea yet.
That's a pro-move using the headrests for the pano roof install, I did the same on mine.
One of my long-term goals is to delete the pano roof on my E61 to reduce the weight up top and also to recover a inch or two of headroom (I'm 6'8"). Ideally I want the OEM roof panel/headliner but that would require international shipping which make me cringe just thinking about it. I have brought the project of a CFR pano roof delete up with Steve at Nelson Racing Wheels and he showed a sliver of potential interest in taking it on but he is super busy and I understand the low-demand for something like an E61 pano-delete especially considering the scope of the project. At any rate if you persue this project, please keep me in mind as I would be interested as well if there is a cost-effective solution. My E61 has shed hundreds of pounds (down to 3,950) with a manual swap and rull RWD conversion amongst other things and pano roof delete would be icing on the cake!
This is one of my favorite build threads going right now, super creative and budget minded. Keep up the excellent work!
Evan
That's a pro-move using the headrests for the pano roof install, I did the same on mine.
One of my long-term goals is to delete the pano roof on my E61 to reduce the weight up top and also to recover a inch or two of headroom (I'm 6'8"). Ideally I want the OEM roof panel/headliner but that would require international shipping which make me cringe just thinking about it. I have brought the project of a CFR pano roof delete up with Steve at Nelson Racing Wheels and he showed a sliver of potential interest in taking it on but he is super busy and I understand the low-demand for something like an E61 pano-delete especially considering the scope of the project. At any rate if you persue this project, please keep me in mind as I would be interested as well if there is a cost-effective solution. My E61 has shed hundreds of pounds (down to 3,950) with a manual swap and rull RWD conversion amongst other things and pano roof delete would be icing on the cake!
This is one of my favorite build threads going right now, super creative and budget minded. Keep up the excellent work!
Evan
Seemed like the easiest and quickest thing to do and to keep my head from getting crushed haha.
Other than you, I've yet to really see anyone else show any interest in getting rid of the pano and I'm not surprised there's yet to be a plug created. Hell, only now is a company doing swap mounts for the E60. Wish these got more attention than the E9x, but it is what it is!
It's gonna get fiberglass/CF one way or another. I absolutely refuse to throw that behemoth of a roof back up there haha. I'll be sure to keep posting on here along with the FB group. It looks like, sans core material and any fiberglass/CF, initial cost is roughly $160 for the poly resin/gel coat/PVA/wax/fill-it clay; about $50 of that is solely in shipping. Yay being in Kansas.
I've been looking at buying the correct headliner for awhile now, too, and our options are limited/poor. Schmiedmann in the Netherlands is willing to ship their $500+ set, but for $400. There's a guy in Spain that's willing to ship, but he's also overcharging and wants over $700 to ship. I find plenty of UK guys in the UK FB group who are willing to ship, but want me to find shipping and never send me dimensions...I did find one on eBay, but I'm waiting for him to update his listing so I can actually buy it. UPS wasn't going to charge me both arms and a leg, surprisingly. Just need him to update the damn listing...
Haha thanks man. Yours still takes the cake in regards to build quality and just how in-depth it is.
I really enjoy this thread, but gotta say, really like my pano roof! That said, I don't really care much about performance, I like more of the luxury mods. On the forums I feel pretty alone enjoying mine as so many people seem to want to get rid of the pano or their roof racks, maybe I'm the only one with 3 little kids in the back?
I really enjoy this thread, but gotta say, really like my pano roof! That said, I don't really care much about performance, I like more of the luxury mods. On the forums I feel pretty alone enjoying mine as so many people seem to want to get rid of the pano or their roof racks, maybe I'm the only one with 3 little kids in the back?
Oh, my daughter absolutely loves the pano roof, but she always wants it open during the summer when it's blistering hot haha. I'm not going with an all out performance wagon, just something more fun that I can't get in the States compared to Europe or Australia. Think bastardized Holden Commodore wagon.
I flip-flop on the roof racks, especially now with the easy access, but I feel like this particular wagon needs them. I've seen the occasional picture of one without and it just doesn't look right to me. I would prefer if we had an option that was similar to the F11 or G31 and the very low profile racks they have:
Maybe if I get REALLY good at fiberglass, that can be my next project haha. Doubtful. But I may get bored enough.
I flip-flop on the roof racks, especially now with the easy access, but I feel like this particular wagon needs them. I've seen the occasional picture of one without and it just doesn't look right to me. I would prefer if we had an option that was similar to the F11 or G31 and the very low profile racks they have:
Something to keep in mind with the flush roof rails is they are obviously sleeker than their slightly raised counterparts (such as the OEM rails on the E61) but if you are actually going to be mounting cross bars and racks to them and you want a tidy package then the raised rails are the way to go. The raised rails allow for low profile cross bars such as the Yakima Whispbars to fit where the flush mount rails require cross bars which usually have bulky mounting feet and cross bars which sit multiple inches above the rails so it kind of defeats the purpose IF you plan on actually using a roof rack of some sort.
IMO you can get a much cleaner roof setup with the raised rails but to each their own.
I flip-flop on the roof racks, especially now with the easy access, but I feel like this particular wagon needs them. I've seen the occasional picture of one without and it just doesn't look right to me. I would prefer if we had an option that was similar to the F11 or G31 and the very low profile racks they have:
The E91s in 2011 switched to the Aero style from the older style like we have. Getting a set of those and modifying might be the easiest and im sure they are the most similar.
Something to keep in mind with the flush roof rails is they are obviously sleeker than their slightly raised counterparts (such as the OEM rails on the E61) but if you are actually going to be mounting cross bars and racks to them and you want a tidy package then the raised rails are the way to go. The raised rails allow for low profile cross bars such as the Yakima Whispbars to fit where the flush mount rails require cross bars which usually have bulky mounting feet and cross bars which sit multiple inches above the rails so it kind of defeats the purpose IF you plan on actually using a roof rack of some sort.
IMO you can get a much cleaner roof setup with the raised rails but to each their own.
I've yet to ever use mine and now that I have the truck, I likely won't ever need to.
But thanks for bringing the mounting height of the racks up; I didn't even think about that if I were to ever need the cargo box.
Originally Posted by neilv
The E91s in 2011 switched to the Aero style from the older style like we have. Getting a set of those and modifying might be the easiest and im sure they are the most similar.
I took a side off last night to get a better idea of them and thinking, "If I shave here, here, and here down, would that still work?" at the three mounting points and tbh, it's not looking like it'd be feasible. The size of the actual bar isn't thick enough in my mind if everything was shaved to be flush. If I could get my hands on a set of the E91s you mentioned or shipping over the F11/G31 set, I could maybe figure out a way to either get those to work or make a mold to do fiberglassing, but I've yet to even try the pano yet so who knows just how bad I am at that lol.
Just getting back into this forum since I picked up a '10 535xit that will end up with an S85 drivetrain... but read your thread - I'm a sucker for V8s! Love it
For what it's worth, I did the full 2WD conversion on my 07 530iT 6MT, even had ISCs on it. Wrote about it here. Happy to help with what stuff worked in that conversion.
I'm also torn on the roof rails - my buddy deleted the rails on his E46 wagon. It looks super clean but the body lines are more rounded than the E61. The aero versions of the E91 look good, but as Evan notes seem to be mostly worthless. I'm a hitch guy myself, so I guess I have a little more freedom. I'm going to be gutting the interior during the S85 swap to help with the wiring so I figured that would be the ideal time to drop the headliner and pull the rails to see how it looks.
I could do without the pano but I don't dislike it enough to spend any money on removing it.
I'm intrigued how the electronics are going to play together once the DME is out of the picture - things like ABS, traction control, windows, locks, etc. Maybe the Dominator will have some kind of datalink comms that allows the rest of the car to get the info it needs but that seems like BMW would not want any such talk of that. You're a ways away from that so perhaps someone will have figured that out by then.
Just getting back into this forum since I picked up a '10 535xit that will end up with an S85 drivetrain... but read your thread - I'm a sucker for V8s! Love it
For what it's worth, I did the full 2WD conversion on my 07 530iT 6MT, even had ISCs on it. Wrote about it here. Happy to help with what stuff worked in that conversion.
I'm also torn on the roof rails - my buddy deleted the rails on his E46 wagon. It looks super clean but the body lines are more rounded than the E61. The aero versions of the E91 look good, but as Evan notes seem to be mostly worthless. I'm a hitch guy myself, so I guess I have a little more freedom. I'm going to be gutting the interior during the S85 swap to help with the wiring so I figured that would be the ideal time to drop the headliner and pull the rails to see how it looks.
I could do without the pano but I don't dislike it enough to spend any money on removing it.
I'm intrigued how the electronics are going to play together once the DME is out of the picture - things like ABS, traction control, windows, locks, etc. Maybe the Dominator will have some kind of datalink comms that allows the rest of the car to get the info it needs but that seems like BMW would not want any such talk of that. You're a ways away from that so perhaps someone will have figured that out by then.
Andy
More swaps, the better! No one really does anything with the E6x, so I'm always happy to see people do something fun or interesting. Plan on doing a thread to cover the S85 swap? I'm sure there's plenty who'd love to see that!
I might also pull the other roof rail to get a better idea, but then I'd need to figure out a way to fill the gaps if I do end up liking it. Would be an extra ~10lbs from the top if I go with the classic plastic plug....If I could also figure out a way to make it more accessible to take them off and on with the headliner on, that would be perfect.
From what I gathered in the 'Kick the CAN' thread on LS1tech in the conversion forum, everything still works. Same with watching the LSE9x videos on Youtube and in the E9x LS swap FB group. If for some reason it all turns to shit and nothing works but what I can get the Terminator to say work, full blown race wagon it is.
Can't believe I never read your RWD conversion thread. How much have you liked it after nearly 3 years? Was the weight difference noticeable at all?
Last edited by FuzzyWuzzy; 02-24-2021 at 05:37 PM.
02-22-2021, 07:38 AM
