The $2k Imola/Nat Brown 6MT "Beater" Transformation

[cjulian]

Hi all, I’ve been lurking around here for some time and besides chiming in on a few posts, I’ve mostly just been using this site as a *super valuable* resource as I’ve dug into my ZHP project car. I thought some of you might find the progress interesting so I decided to start a project thread.

A little about my car:
Late 2004 build, MY 2005 330i Sedan
6MT
Imola Red over Natural Brown
1 Owner car, bought and exclusively serviced at local BMW Center in Austin, TX until 2018
165k miles, 2k are mine
Car has sat parked and completely unattended for the last 2.5 years
Nearly every plastic piece in the interior was cracked, steering wheel was ripped to shreds, both front seats were torn/dry/ripped
Clear coat was failing on most of the car
Car was not running when I purchased

Paid $2k and here’s how she looked when I picked her up... stay tuned for progress.

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[JETSET303]

Welcome. Love that color combo. Looking forward to following your restoration.


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[fredo]

+1. This car has lots of potential.

[Pilot05]

Did somebody swap the cluster at some point? White needles on gauges?

[johnrando]

Welcome to 'official' status.

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[PdZHP]

Did somebody swap the cluster at some point? White needles on gauges?

Needles look sun burned/ faded.

[ZHPizza]

Needles look sun burned/ faded.Yeah my car came from Florida with no tint so I got them pastel orange needles


Good luck OP - we'll help you along the way to saving this thing

[t.er]

Nice pickup for the price! At least with a sedan you can just replace the headlight lenses, unlike the coupes

[Pilot05]

Needles look sun burned/ faded.

Yes, on closer look they DO look faded and formerly red....well, there is plenty of sun in Austin.

[cjulian]

Yes, on closer look they DO look faded and formerly red....well, there is plenty of sun in Austin.


Yeah, they're definitely a light, pastel orange/red, compliments of the previous owner who left the car un-garaged for 16 years in the Texas sun and heat. You can also imagine the condition of pretty much every interior plastic piece. :help

[GeorgeH]

Nice find, where was it listed? I try to keep an eye out for these cars and never saw it online.

[MINIz guy]

Nice pick up! I'm doing my own refresh on my $2k ZHP too.

[fredo]

Nice find, where was it listed? I try to keep an eye out for these cars and never saw it online.

He bought the car from a friend, I don't think it was listed.

[Will]

Nice pick up, OP! Keep us posted with progress!

[cjulian]

He bought the car from a friend, I don't think it was listed.


That's correct -- I've "known" the car for 10 years and have been courting it for at least the last 4-5!

[cjulian]

Update! So obviously the first order of business was to get the car running. The previous owner said the last time he started the car, it seemed to hesitate and he saw a small amount of white smoke under the hood. Here's what my mechanic and I figured out in 2 different visits:

-New battery
-A/C compressor was intermittently seizing - causing the "smoke" so replaced the compressor and drive belt and recharged the A/C
-New front brakes
-Fluid and filter changes
-Full suspension rebuild front and rear (everything appeared to be original)

At the time that this service was done, my mechanic didn't see any other obvious issues and did a full inspection on cooling system, VANOS and all hoses, belts, etc. Once I got the car running, I decided to focus on cosmetic items starting with interior.

At this point, I've done the following on the interior:

-Re-wrapped both front seats with genuine BMW natural brown leather
-Replaced entire center console and all attached parts like armrest, etc.
-Fresh Coby Wheel, shift boot and knob
-Avant Avant 4 headunit and BavSound complete speaker replacement
-Relocated climate control and added USB ports for CarPlay support
-New center vents
-BMW all weather floor mats

Still planning to replace headliner which is sagging in some places, fix faded gauge cluster needles and replace all interior lights with LEDs. Then I'll be done with interior work. :) Here's a quick before and after for some instant gratification:

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[az3579]

So now I need to know... how many mortgages did getting new leather seat covers for the front cost you? I'm dying to know how many years I'll need to save up! lol

[cjulian]

So now I need to know... how many mortgages did getting new leather seat covers for the front cost you? I'm dying to know how many years I'll need to save up! lol

Lol -- really not *that* bad. You just have to ask around until you find a solid (but slightly off the beaten path) local upholsterer who has the ability to get BMW upholstery and has good attention to detail. The shop I used in North Austin charged me $1,000 for the whole job and had it done in 2 days. They are also going to do the headliner for me, including all pillars for $700.

[az3579]

Lol -- really not *that* bad. You just have to ask around until you find a solid (but slightly off the beaten path) local upholsterer who has the ability to get BMW upholstery and has good attention to detail. The shop I used in North Austin charged me $1,000 for the whole job and had it done in 2 days. They are also going to do the headliner for me, including all pillars for $700.Whaaaaaaaattt???? That leather from BMW is known to be at least $600+ just for a bottom or top half, so about $1200 per seat just for the material... And they definitely used seat covers from straight from BMW? Damn, almost sounds too good to be true.

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[t.er]

Hooooooly chit that before/after is so satisfying :wub

[Will]

Wow, what a transformation!

[GeorgeH]

That's correct -- I've "known" the car for 10 years and have been courting it for at least the last 4-5!

Very nice score!


Whaaaaaaaattt???? That leather from BMW is known to be at least $600+ just for a bottom or top half, so about $1200 per seat just for the material... And they definitely used seat covers from straight from BMW? Damn, almost sounds too good to be true.

Yes, I'm curious about this too and what shop did you use? That is a very reasonable rate for what seems like a nice job.

[cjulian]

Whaaaaaaaattt???? That leather from BMW is known to be at least $600+ just for a bottom or top half, so about $1200 per seat just for the material... And they definitely used seat covers from straight from BMW? Damn, almost sounds too good to be true.

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So what he told me was that he's partnered with a vendor in CA who keeps leathers from different manufacturers in stock. He had a sample ring of leather swatches labeled BMW and this one actually didn't look like a perfect match originally but he said it's because my seats were so dry/faded and cracked that it wasn't recognizable. Code was N6NG so I know it was the right product. He recovered the seats in his shop. He was able to salvage the top section of the passenger seat (above the mid-back seam), all headrests and the entire rear seat with conditioner and dye. Overall I'm 10/10 satisfied with the work.

[az3579]

Does this person sell the seat covers directly or so you HAVE to get the work done there to get the seat covers?

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[GeorgeH]

Who did the work? I'm always looking for a good upholstery guy in Austin.

[cjulian]

He has the bulk leather material and does all the work in his shop. This is the guy:

Cardenas Upholstery - Santiago Cardenas
Humble shop offering custom upholstery work for furniture, cars, motorcycles & boats.
Located in: Century Automotive
Address: 5220 Jim Hogg Ave, Austin, TX 78756
Hours: Open 9AM ⋅ Closes 6PM Phone: (512) 323-0342

[cody_94]

Wow! You don't mess around. Looks great.

[GeorgeH]

He has the bulk leather material and does all the work in his shop. This is the guy:

Cardenas Upholstery - Santiago Cardenas
Humble shop offering custom upholstery work for furniture, cars, motorcycles & boats.
Located in: Century Automotive
Address: 5220 Jim Hogg Ave, Austin, TX 78756
Hours: Open 9AM ⋅ Closes 6PM Phone: (512) 323-0342

Thanks, I'll check them out.

[Vas]

Any updates?

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[BH93]

Shade looks a little off on the seats compared to the door cards, maybe it's because of the lighting, but can you provide another picture comparing the door card natural brown and the seat natural brown?

[az3579]

Shade looks a little off on the seats compared to the door cards, maybe it's because of the lighting, but can you provide another picture comparing the door card natural brown and the seat natural brown?It's because the door cards are old with nearly 20 year old leather. The seats are exactly how the door cards looked when they were new.

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[cjulian]

Well between an insane work schedule and the projects I've undertaken with the ZHP, it's been a while but the car is in a really great place now after nearly 6 months of projects.

Since my last post, I've done the following exterior work:
-Extensive bodywork restoration including PDR to remove 42 hail dents, refinish and repaint all areas that show clear coat damage or are fading (hood, roof, door handles, trunk lid), refinished front and rear bumpers, full ceramic coating
-Euro light swap
-Black kidney grilles and black badges (now regretting the B&W BMW roundel... will likely go back to OEM)
-Replaced ZKW headlights with AL units, added angel eyes and morimoto bulbs + HELLA amber fog light bulbs
-Tinted all windows
-New windshield

Interior
-Replaced headliner
-Replaced all HK speakers with Bavsound
-Probably replaced 40 additional parts that I've now forgotten about. If it's worn out or looking rough, I've replaced it.

Mechanically:
-Complete cooling system rebuild
-New steering rack and tie rods
-Suspension rebuild with new front and rear control arms, bushings and bilstein struts

Here are some recent pics.

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[cjulian]

Shade looks a little off on the seats compared to the door cards, maybe it's because of the lighting, but can you provide another picture comparing the door card natural brown and the seat natural brown?

It is a *little* off but would be fairly impossible to match ~17 year old leather. It's pretty damn close and even I sometimes can't find the line between old and new. See most recent interior pic that I posted today and you can compare door cards to seats.

[JETSET303]

Very nice. How are you liking the bavs?


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[cjulian]

Very nice. How are you liking the bavs?



I really like them. Sound is great -- leaps and bounds better than the factory HKs which were mostly shot. Only issue is the Bavs have created new problems with rattling due to the increased bass. I used dynamat in the doors and some silicon around the speaker grilles and solved the problem there. Need to figure out how to fix the rattling behind the rear seat in the "parcel shelf." I know there are some tutorials out there but haven't gotten around to it yet..

[BADCLOWN]

massive change, that turned out great. amazing what a little TLC can do to a car. between your car and Charlie bringing his oriental blue one back to life: props to you guys for saving them

[mikebmooney]

Looks amazing…..it is a totally different car since you bought it….thanks for saving it

[cody_94]

From worn and neglected to better than new! Looks great!

[GeorgeH]

Well done!

[cakM3]

Love seeing people take neglected worn ZHPs and bring them back like this :cool Well done!


massive change, that turned out great. amazing what a little TLC can do to a car. between your car and Charlie bringing his mystic blue one back to life: props to you guys for saving them

fixed ;)

Thanks Jacob! :thumbsup


Until I looked over these "finished" pictures above, I forgot just now sexy a very clean and polished Imola ZHP looks. OP really did a fantastic job restoring his ZHP!

[fredo]

Amazing results. I bet the PO would like to buy the car back.

[johnrando]

Heck of a list, nice werk!

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[t.er]

Amazing! Mind if I ask roughly what you're into it for?

[akoshok]

I have Bavsound, good kit. I had the same issue as you with with the parcel shelf. New subwoofers fixed it for me.

I have the Dynavin N7-E46 PRO - how do you like your Avant?

[cjulian]

Love seeing people take neglected worn ZHPs and bring them back like this :cool Well done!



fixed ;)

Thanks Jacob! :thumbsup


Until I looked over these "finished" pictures above, I forgot just now sexy a very clean and polished Imola ZHP looks. OP really did a fantastic job restoring his ZHP!

Thank you and same to you on both of your projects!

[cjulian]

Thank you all for the kind words. I know this car's fate was likely a scrapyard / chop shop somewhere and I just couldn't allow that to happen. It's been fun to work on and ultra rewarding for me to see the progress and to get the compliments here and IRL in the wild.


Amazing! Mind if I ask roughly what you're into it for?

I don't mind sharing but it's getting beyond justifiable and shifting more towards an expensive hobby / passion project... ;) I'm in it around $20k. Here's a quick breakdown of what I've spent to date with some approximations:

-$2,000 purchase price
-$6,200 on mechanical repairs or preventative replacements w/ local, ind. mechanic (cooling, steering, suspension, brakes, a/c compressor)
-$6,500 (ouch) on body work
-$3,000 on interior trim parts
-$2,100 on interior seat and headliner replacements/repairs
-$1,100 on upgrades (Avant HU, Bavsound, angel eyes, etc)

My biggest takeaway from this project has been that bodywork is the most difficult and expensive. If I didn't have to respray most of the car, I'd be sitting pretty with my investment but that put me over the edge. I still would do all this again and have no regrets as I LOVE the car!

[cjulian]

I should also say that re: body work, I paid a hefty premium to have everything done right with an ultra-reputable shop that works on high end cars all day. This was *not* a MAACO situation...

[GeorgeH]

I should also say that re: body work, I paid a hefty premium to have everything done right with an ultra-reputable shop that works on high end cars all day. This was *not* a MAACO situation...

What shop? And would you use them again?

[t.er]

Yup, bodywork is insanely labour intensive and not really something you can DIY if you want quality. Definitely requires some prerequisite experience and tools, compared to turning wrenches.

But hey, seems like you'll have pretty much a new car after this. And mad props for saving one from presumably being parted out!

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[fredo]

I should also say that re: body work, I paid a hefty premium to have everything done right with an ultra-reputable shop that works on high end cars all day. This was *not* a MAACO situation...

Did you go to Berli's for the body work ?

[cjulian]

What shop? And would you use them again?


Did you go to Berli's for the body work ?

I had Berli's, Whitakers and Master Repairs bid on it. I was the happiest with Master Repairs quote and timeline -- I also just liked that they were a smaller more independent biz. They're a family owned shop and were fast and honest. The only complaint I have is that I asked them to only use BMW parts and they put a non-BMW windshield on the car to keep me in budget. Not ideal but also not a huge deal. All in all, it was a good experience and I'd recommend them to others.

@Fredo -- Berli's wanted nearly $10k and was over a month out for a start date!

[GeorgeH]

I had Berli's, Whitakers and Master Repairs bid on it. I was the happiest with Master Repairs quote and timeline -- I also just liked that they were a smaller more independent biz. They're a family owned shop and were fast and honest. The only complaint I have is that I asked them to only use BMW parts and they put a non-BMW windshield on the car to keep me in budget. Not ideal but also not a huge deal. All in all, it was a good experience and I'd recommend them to others.

@Fredo -- Berli's wanted nearly $10k and was over a month out for a start date!

Good to know, finding a solid body shop in town here can be a task. I'm surprised Berli's even quoted this job, they've seemed to be come more narrow on their focus.

[zhp4life]

awesome transformation and great Job@cjulian, thanks Fredo for sharing this post. I will say the journey that you had to restore this car and finding the right shop/ppl to do the Job is priceless. The Natural brown seat transformation is one of the best I have seen, I will need to do mine at some point. Let's plan a meetup if you ever cross Dallas/plano or when I visit Austin.

[zhp4life]

@cjulian can you share the shop who redid the leather seats ?

[fredo]

@cjulian can you share the shop who redid the leather seats ?

He posted the info here:

https://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?23810-The-2k-Imola-Nat-Brown-6MT-quot-Beater-quot-Transformation&p=608435#post608435