Removing all the wood

Hey guys, I need to remove all the wood from my 3.0CS. I am ashamed to say I don't know what year the car is haha, I was offered a 3.0 project car at the right price and didn't ask any questions. I will start a full build thread later, but there is nothing to show you right now. Just a Blue/Beige 3.0CS with a blown motor. Ordered my new used motor a month ago... still isn't here.

So my wood is bad in my car, and I read the vaneer how to here, but I need to get the wood out of my car.

One how to I found online said the windshield has to come out to get the dash out? Tell me there is another way!?

Also, what types of vaneer were factory? I am not doing a concours resto by any stretch of the imagination, but I want similar to original wood.

Thanks, Paul.

Hey guys, I need to remove all the wood from my 3.0CS. I am ashamed to say I don't know what year the car is haha, I was offered a 3.0 project car at the right price and didn't ask any questions. I will start a full build thread later, but there is nothing to show you right now. Just a Blue/Beige 3.0CS with a blown motor. Ordered my new used motor a month ago... still isn't here.

So my wood is bad in my car, and I read the vaneer how to here, but I need to get the wood out of my car.

One how to I found online said the windshield has to come out to get the dash out? Tell me there is another way!?

Also, what types of vaneer were factory? I am not doing a concours resto by any stretch of the imagination, but I want similar to original wood.

Thanks, Paul.

It seems as though you always garner more support when you post some pictures of you coupe and project, so let's see some pictures

ALthough it is possible to remove the dash without removing the windshield, I highly recommend removing the windshield.

The time spend cursing and breaking plastic parts if you don't remove the window is easily 4x longer than if you remove the windshield. Also, there is a good chance you could end up cracking the windshield anyway when you have to fight with the top piece of the dash during the re-installation.

CS Registry has a few bulletins on dash removal, here is one: http://www.bmwcsregistry.org/Technical/dash_removal.html

I don't know of any technical articles on the actual veneering process. It would be incredibly difficult to articulate on paper and is just as much art and science. If you don'y have experience with wood working, then I would not attempt it.

Re-veneering the wood is an ambitious project. I had some wood experience, but am not "expert" and re-veneered mine with good success.
http://www.e9coupe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4525 It was very time consuming and if your time is valuable, send it out to have it professionally done for roughly $2,500.

Also check your VIN agains the CS Registry to see what year your car may be. ALthough that may not coincide with what year it has been "titled" as.

Good luck

It seems as though you always garner more support when you post some pictures of you coupe and project, so let's see some pictures

ALthough it is possible to remove the dash without removing the windshield, I highly recommend removing the windshield.

The time spend cursing and breaking plastic parts if you don't remove the window is easily 4x longer than if you remove the windshield. Also, there is a good chance you could end up cracking the windshield anyway when you have to fight with the top piece of the dash during the re-installation.

CS Registry has a few bulletins on dash removal, here is one: http://www.bmwcsregistry.org/Technical/dash_removal.html

I don't know of any technical articles on the actual veneering process. It would be incredibly difficult to articulate on paper and is just as much art and science. If you don'y have experience with wood working, then I would not attempt it.

Re-veneering the wood is an ambitious project. I had some wood experience, but am not "expert" and re-veneered mine with good success.
http://www.e9coupe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4525 It was very time consuming and if your time is valuable, send it out to have it professionally done for roughly $2,500.

Also check your VIN agains the CS Registry to see what year your car may be. ALthough that may not coincide with what year it has been "titled" as.

Good luck

Paul
Acat2002 is correct that removing the windshield makes the dash removal much easier. But not impossible.
There are plastic vents that are in the top of the dash that need to be removed, very carefully. These are NLA and almost never found in good condition for sale.
This removal of the dash is not for the faint of heart or skills. Make a DETAILED drawing of wire placement with color. Remember the removal sequence and reverse for install. Cs registry has very informative write-up for the removal.
I performed this task last year, and venerred the dash and side panels myself.
The original was european walnut.
It took me 8 hours to remove and 3 days to install. Seat removal will also be in order, front and rear.
Good luck and be patient.
steve

Paul
Acat2002 is correct that removing the windshield makes the dash removal much easier. But not impossible.
There are plastic vents that are in the top of the dash that need to be removed, very carefully. These are NLA and almost never found in good condition for sale.
This removal of the dash is not for the faint of heart or skills. Make a DETAILED drawing of wire placement with color. Remember the removal sequence and reverse for install. Cs registry has very informative write-up for the removal.
I performed this task last year, and venerred the dash and side panels myself.
The original was european walnut.
It took me 8 hours to remove and 3 days to install. Seat removal will also be in order, front and rear.
Good luck and be patient.
steve

I am at work right now so I don't have my favorites. I have a good link saved for a vaneer supplier. Who did you guys use?

What about the door wood?

I am at work right now so I don't have my favorites. I have a good link saved for a vaneer supplier. Who did you guys use?

What about the door wood?

I am just finishing R&R'ing my dash, so let me add in my 2 cents worth:

- The job of removing your windshield is about 5% of the total project - you would be foolish to avoid it and believe you were saving time / money. Just find a reputable windshield guy, have him come to your house, and 15 minutes later your windshield will be sitting on the ground. It will cost $50 - $75 to remove and a similar amount to replace. Just make SURE the guy knows how to deal with gasketed windshields - most car glass has been glued in over the past 30 or so years, so unless the installer has some grey hair, be sure to ask.

- Madera Concepts in Goleta California can re-veneer old wood, or re-make water-damaged pieces. They are easy to find on the web. If your base wood is OK, a local furniture restorer can just re-veneer it; however, if you need replacement pieces, Madera is the way to go. The original material was French Walnut with a satin finish.

I am just finishing R&R'ing my dash, so let me add in my 2 cents worth:

- The job of removing your windshield is about 5% of the total project - you would be foolish to avoid it and believe you were saving time / money. Just find a reputable windshield guy, have him come to your house, and 15 minutes later your windshield will be sitting on the ground. It will cost $50 - $75 to remove and a similar amount to replace. Just make SURE the guy knows how to deal with gasketed windshields - most car glass has been glued in over the past 30 or so years, so unless the installer has some grey hair, be sure to ask.

- Madera Concepts in Goleta California can re-veneer old wood, or re-make water-damaged pieces. They are easy to find on the web. If your base wood is OK, a local furniture restorer can just re-veneer it; however, if you need replacement pieces, Madera is the way to go. The original material was French Walnut with a satin finish.

I used Woodcraft for my veneer. I picked up some amazing Australian lacewood. Those who have seen it will attest to how nice the grain looks; a bit orangish but a perfect match to the Nardi wheel.

I also did my own veneer work. For the side strip I used a stiff foam base on a 1x4 and clamped the strips into it. The left and right pieces are more difficult, I use a thin sheet of spring-steel and about 50 clamps. The center piece is the worst. I had to pre-form the complex corners with steam and then glue / clamp several times while going back each time with a razor blade to get it lay down over the rounded corners.

I pulled and replaced my dash with the glass in. I also did not re-install the bolt under in the bottom center above the temperature selector on the console because it was not a task for a human. In the process I did break the defog vents as stated earlier. I was lucky and found a replacement set from a kind board member. This process is about as fun as a visit to your friendly proctologist; but unless you do it you'll never truly know your coupe. :shock:

I used Woodcraft for my veneer. I picked up some amazing Australian lacewood. Those who have seen it will attest to how nice the grain looks; a bit orangish but a perfect match to the Nardi wheel.

I also did my own veneer work. For the side strip I used a stiff foam base on a 1x4 and clamped the strips into it. The left and right pieces are more difficult, I use a thin sheet of spring-steel and about 50 clamps. The center piece is the worst. I had to pre-form the complex corners with steam and then glue / clamp several times while going back each time with a razor blade to get it lay down over the rounded corners.

I pulled and replaced my dash with the glass in. I also did not re-install the bolt under in the bottom center above the temperature selector on the console because it was not a task for a human. In the process I did break the defog vents as stated earlier. I was lucky and found a replacement set from a kind board member. This process is about as fun as a visit to your friendly proctologist; but unless you do it you'll never truly know your coupe. :shock:

Well it has to happen, my dash looks terrible and nothing bugs me more than little things here and there on old cars that look like crap and people go "unh its too hard to fix, or uhh that happens" like my buddy's Benzes, the wood vaneer cracks and the seat bottoms collapse, no one ever fixes them. Its probably not a terrible idea to pull the dash and door panels to make sure no rust is sprouting up.

Hopefully I can snag some pics today.

Well it has to happen, my dash looks terrible and nothing bugs me more than little things here and there on old cars that look like crap and people go "unh its too hard to fix, or uhh that happens" like my buddy's Benzes, the wood vaneer cracks and the seat bottoms collapse, no one ever fixes them. Its probably not a terrible idea to pull the dash and door panels to make sure no rust is sprouting up.

Hopefully I can snag some pics today.

Go for it!
I did my veneer myself (European Walnut, MacBeath Harwoods, SF, CA) with the glass in and although a major PITA, veneer is relatively cheap and the results look like a million $$. Very much worth the hassle.

Of course while your in there, check all the wiring for cracks and clean up all the gauge and switch connectors.

Good luck!
-shanon

Go for it!
I did my veneer myself (European Walnut, MacBeath Harwoods, SF, CA) with the glass in and although a major PITA, veneer is relatively cheap and the results look like a million $$. Very much worth the hassle.

Of course while your in there, check all the wiring for cracks and clean up all the gauge and switch connectors.

Good luck!
-shanon

Its probably not a terrible idea to pull the dash and door panels to make sure no rust is sprouting up.

Click to expand...

Checking for rust, that's funny! Welcome to the board, even the plastic parts of E9's rust! Also, every time you post something here a rust bubble will sprout and every time to think about posting and don't two rust bubbles will sprout! 8)

Its probably not a terrible idea to pull the dash and door panels to make sure no rust is sprouting up.

Click to expand...

Checking for rust, that's funny! Welcome to the board, even the plastic parts of E9's rust! Also, every time you post something here a rust bubble will sprout and every time to think about posting and don't two rust bubbles will sprout! 8)

I can't tell which end of sarcasm that came from. Do they rust a lot or no? I tore into the car for the first time ever today, didn't see anything major.

Here is the wood, the Nardi is immaculate, or at least I did not notice anything, I was surprised. The wood is in pretty good shape, definitely needs new vaneer, but the substrate is in good shape except for the leading edge of one of the doors.





I like custom stereo's, I dislike jackassery

I can't tell which end of sarcasm that came from. Do they rust a lot or no? I tore into the car for the first time ever today, didn't see anything major.

Here is the wood, the Nardi is immaculate, or at least I did not notice anything, I was surprised. The wood is in pretty good shape, definitely needs new vaneer, but the substrate is in good shape except for the leading edge of one of the doors.





I like custom stereo's, I dislike jackassery