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https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/i8/listing/5331562029 sweet baby Jesus - what have they created

Well yesterday and today I tackled a job I've long been putting off. Yesterday I took the headlining out of the car, and dropped it (along with the sunroof cover, etc) plus the BM-134 fabric off to a professional headliner upholsterer. The dude was a legend and had it ready for me to pick up this morning (think he was grateful that I'd done the hard work of taking it out of the car!). He was very complementary of the BM-134 fabric - he said it's a quality fabric with quality foam and was lovely to work with. I'll tackle pretty much any job on the car, but this is one of those few things I'm very happy to leave to a professional - the work is flawless and it looks incredible. For those wondering about the fabric match - I took some photos of the re-wrapped headliner against one of the interior trim pieces which has the original BMW fabric on it (non-foam-backed): It's a very close match and certainly once it's in the car you can't tell at all - the slight difference really only shows up in photos. Likewise it matches well against the new A/B/C pillar trim I bought (which fortunately all match each other as well - as that was a problem for a while): While the headliner was out I took the opportunity to pull out the wiring a PO had put in for a radar scanner - I removed the T-Tap connectors, insulated the wires and wrapped in Tessa tape: In order to remove the sunroof cover to retrim it I also had to remove the sunroof glass - I took the opportunity while it was out to give the frame a good clean and re-lubricate with graphite lubricant: I reinstalled the headliner and then got on to installing the new pillar trim - shiny new B-pillar covers: Then the C-pillars, along with the foam insulated clips: And lastly the A-pillar trims and inserts with the airbag logo on them. Notably the A pillar inserts are a significantly different shade to everything else. (which is hilarious given this is all new OE parts). If it annoys me too much I might order replacements and hope for a better match. I'm very happy to have this done - it's not a particularly fun job but very satisfying to have everything refreshed and like new. You can see the huge difference in shade between the new a-pillar and the insert 🙄.

Hi all, Bit of a shameless self promo here-I’m responsible for the “Buying a neglected M5” videos on the tube recently. I’ve just uploaded episode two where I get stuck into the rod bearing job, check it out here. https://youtu.be/GgoFUOo4YH4?si=5fJqrjDjsYPfMa_V I’m not a mechanic, I’ve just always fixed my own crappy cars over the years and when values for Japanese cars went a bit crazy I dipped my toes into the BMW world and now here we are. Started with a great e28 535i (malachite metallic) then an e34 535 5 speed followed by a fairly broken e39 540i 6 speed with AC kit. Anyway, I always wanted an e60 and couldn’t resist the challenge of reviving this one. Open to any comments, questions or criticisms! Cheers Jordan

Disclaimer - we own the grey car that is for sale on TradeMe. The Baur conversions were originally produced because BMW didn't have a convertible in their range. Coupe bodies were shipped from BMW manufacturing plants to the Baur Karosserie facility in either Germany or south Africa (depending original location of manufacture). There were slight differences in process - German cars were rust protected and suchlike before being shipped, were then modified and painted. SA cars were shipped in white, modified, then rust protected and similar. Baur are an extremely highly regarded organisation. Aside from work they have done - and do - with BMW (starting in the 1930s, and more recently on the 2002, E21, E30, E36, E46 conversions and others) they also did all the bodywork for the Porsche 959, conversions for Opel and Mercedes, and do prototype work for VAG and Ford. The Baur design for the E30 means the car uses coupe panels and parts (other than the roof). The convertibles BMW produced later use different body panels. The Baur retains the 3 seats in the rear (presumably for small people!) while the convertible has two seats. The Baur roof design means the structural strength of the coupe is retained, and offers several positions. Another benefit of the Baur is that the roof does not leak. My wife and I know this from experience - driving from wellington to Waikato we encountered a storm that meant we had to pull over - it was impossible to see the road. Not one drop of water got into the car. They're not to everyone's taste, but are extremely versatile and easy to look after.

Love a VOLVO! Great stuff, looks awesome. I often find myself checking trademe for V70R estates 🙂