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Managed to obtain a ///m coupe centre console to retrofit in to my zed have to say i'm pleased with the results.
I'm just waiting for two vdo senders to arrive to get the additional gauges working but the wiring of the pre facelift to facelift switches went well thanks to Kiwi and the information in his thread regarding the asc switch thanks.....
So from this..


Always annoyed me the fact that someone had screwed a phone cradle in to the side of the console One of the reasons i wanted to swap it along with the fact the plastic coating on the console had lifted in places and made it look shabby.

To this





Going to try and get some grey leather handbrake and shift boots to match but if i carn't i may get the centre of the console painted to match the seat grey but otherwise an easy swap and a far more attractive finish to the console and the zeds interior

Looks good; well done

Looks nice, I think the grey/black looks really nice (it's what my Coupe is ). I wouldn't bother painting the console grey as it'd probably scratch off easily and I would prefer mine to be black anyway!

Yes, Nice job! Well done - pleased you're pleased with it too.

Please pardon my ignorance but am just curious to know what the 3 dials are, which are sited just below the heater dials in the central console if you don't mind explaining, as I've only got a clock there in my Z3...

Cheers,

B

The three dials are clock, oil temp and external air temp.The three fitted as standard to the Zm.
Saying that any gauges of the same size will fit if you wanted something different.
As for the painting i'd base and lacquer it so it should stay with out much issue of scratching but changing the leather is the easiest point of call if i can get it matched.

Hi F99

I see! ...Thanks for letting me know!

When you say that "any gauges of the same size will fit" what other gauges are there I could choose from then?

B

A selection can be found HERE
There are more and in different styles it's up to you really
Search under VDO in google and you'll find loads

Thanks again for that - very interesting.. I'll take a closer look...

Looking nice Ant... especially when lit up at night time

Looks good mate.

Looks awesome bud, I was very tempted to buy this set up recently on fleabay mostly for the leather stitched centre partition that came with it. I wasn't sure whether it'd all mate up with the facelift dash though!

Yalden, i imagine it will be easier for you than it was for me as your already facelift. Your switching will already be ok. The console was from a 2000 coupe mine being a 97 so carn't see you having any issues

Nice job.
With your inside color scheme I would try out a white LED interior bulb. It will bring the beauty out of the console.

Will look into a led bulb for the interior as the light is quite yellow and dim. Just an update, the sensors for the other gauges arrived today i have fitted the outside air temp sensor and can say it works the gauge perfectly,the oil temp will replace the sump nut and may do this at oil change.
I imagine the sensor will work just as well but will update when i fit it. For those that have done the retrofit the sensors are from ETB instruments both sensors where about £18 each and i have part numbers if anyone wants them

Looks great - really transforms the interior. No disrespect to the pre-facelift Zed owners, but I really hated the centre console - the M one looks so much better and obviously more functional. Also, my Zed has the extended leather and so fitting the leather stitched M centre console just finished it off perfectly.

Think my next interior mod for your car would be the M steering wheel (or just the M sport version as fitted to Z3's) with a set of the gray leather tabs from LeatherZ (these ones http://leatherz.com/Merchant5/merchant. ... xt_Leather) - would tie the wheel nicely together with the seats and door cards.

Do need to do something with the wheel but unsure what,the wheel is the same as the early e36 ///m a friend has the same in his evo and it wasn't badged.
Need to find the right wheel and airbag as i think mine will be single stage and the wheel at some point was fitted with the dual stage air bag.
i'm going to look in to having it reupholstered, the local trimmers excellent so will get a price if it's cheaper to trim i may just go with that

Fitted an led bulb and have to say the difference is great far brighter still retains it's slow fade etc on locking and unlocking for £1.99 is an effective addition.

I hope this isnt a stupid question. But is there any way to replace the standard orange bulbs behind the oil temp, outside temp and clock with other colours. Also including the light behind the speedo. It would be a nice addition to my car as been as my entire interior is blue. Thanks.

I imagine so but would take some work the bulbs are all clear and the gauges are white so i would imagine they probably use orange filters similar to indicators.You could possibly remove them and change the bulb colour but would be quite fiddly but more than likely possible.

Cool, thanks for that.

I shall miss the "Fonz" in your signature.
Much more amusing that the run of the mill pic.
Cheers for everything

Just missing the glowing gearknob

Although that alu one looks pretty smart.

The ally knob is an acs one to match the pedals and the handbrake the original knob was really worn so decided to swap it

AntMan wrote:Managed to obtain a ///m coupe centre console to retrofit in to my zed have to say i'm pleased with the results.

Did you have to cut in to your original wiring harness or were the switches compatible. I know you will have added connections for the extra gauges but was wondering about the existing switch gear. Cheers.

Asc switch was rewired to fit new switch but the heated seats and the roof switch are exactly the same just a switch change.

AntMan wrote:For those that have done the retrofit the sensors are from ETB instruments both sensors where about £18 each and i have part numbers if anyone wants them

Could you please send me the part numbers for the two sensors please

I'll look out the receipt if not i'll get them from the web site and let you have them

Good man that will be a great help.

AntMan wrote:I'll look out the receipt if not i'll get them from the web site and let you have them

I have spoken to ETB. They need to know the thread size and diameter of the original sump plug. Any info will be a great help.

I think a few none M owners would like to make this modification but suspect Z3M center consoles are like hens teeth.

Is it possible to modify the existing unit at all?...or can a Z3M console be made then maybe leather covered etc?...

Modifying won't work, unfortunately. I think 3D printing could be the way forward. There's a chap in the USA developing a printed console:

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showt ... sole-piece

Thanks for the link, that looks interesting!

Just to add, I have seen consoles where people have cut the switch holes out in the non M top part to make the additional dial holes and then filled in the gaps at the corners of the switches but it wasnt the neatest job to be fair.

The bottom part also changed with a different shaped hole for the gear gaitor - however, southernboy has made an M gear surround for the non M cars which looks the part so that bit at least you could get away with.

http://zroadster.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=44344