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BMW 3-Series and 4-Series Forum (F30 / F32) | F30POST > 2012-2019 BMW 3 and 4-Series Forums > General F30 Sedan / F32 Coupe / F36 Gran Coupe Forum > Making F30 gearbox plastic surround a bit more fun.
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      05-21-2021, 07:42 PM   #1
CaptainLockdown
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Making F30 gearbox plastic surround a bit more fun.

Hi. Just wanted to share this little easy mod here. I decided to make a BMW F30 boring plastic panel surround around the gearbox shift handle a bit more fun with the intention to paint it matte black afterwards. But I kind of liked it as it is so it'll live like that for a while. I used some black PU leather and resin glue to make it stick to the edges better. Looks better than boring painted matte stuff IMHO. It’s a totally reversible mod BTW. No glue or scratches to the painted surface. Except, that chrome insert is so close to the inner hole that it was making the PU leather to bubble. I've had to glue it in which can be removed with methylated spirits or citron based degreaser. You can also paint it with leather paint if you wish. Carefully prying the plastic insert with plastic tools and using some painters tape is a must to prevent plastic damage.

Thin black tape surrounding the trim around the edges is a 4mm black tape to help keep the PU leather in its place.

The whole mod cost me like $8. Cheaper than a paint.

















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      05-21-2021, 09:43 PM   #2
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If you posted a picture it's not showing up for me. Here's mine, wrapped with 3M Di-Noc:


Last edited by Billfitz; 05-22-2021 at 08:09 AM..
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      05-22-2021, 12:32 AM   #3
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That's awesome! Thanks for sharing. I'm gonna give it a try this weekend with mine.
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      05-22-2021, 12:06 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Billfitz View Post
If you posted a picture it's not showing up for me. Here's mine, wrapped with 3M Di-Noc:

Great job on yours. Congrats!

In my case I wanted just to hide that matte plastic which looked too cheap. Then I decided that instead of just repainting that piece it could be more interesting to wrap it in a PU leather which I've had already. Besides, didn't want to buy a 300ml spray paint just for that. So it was a way cheaper option too. I really like the trim in general, it's just some small pieces look a bit too cheap for me.

I shared this on my FB page, it should have all pictures there: https://www.facebook.com/applepcnz/p...82205948618152
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      05-22-2021, 12:09 PM   #5
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I can see the pics on the FB page, looks good.
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      05-23-2021, 02:37 PM   #6
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Those both look good. I always wondered why they let the bean counters talk them out of finishing that piece of the console.
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      05-23-2021, 09:57 PM   #7
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I bet their reasoning is if one wants an attractive interior let them buy a five or six series.
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      05-24-2021, 08:33 AM   #8
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Very interesting. Both look great. I'd be interested in trying something like that myself, but I don't know if I trust my fine cutting skills that much.
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      05-24-2021, 08:50 AM   #9
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With vinyl wrap it literally wraps around the edges and tucks underneath the wrapped part, so there's no fine cutting involved, just a lot of patience.
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      05-25-2021, 12:33 PM   #10
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Can you post where u got the leather vinyl?
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      05-25-2021, 04:31 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainLockdown View Post
Hi. Just wanted to share this little easy mod here. I decided to make a BMW F30 boring plastic panel surround around the gearbox shift handle a bit more fun with the intention to paint it matte black afterwards. But I kind of liked it as it is so it'll live like that for a while. I used some black PU leather and resin glue to make it stick to the edges better. Looks better than boring painted matte stuff IMHO. It’s a totally reversible mod BTW. No glue or scratches to the painted surface. Except, that chrome insert is so close to the inner hole that it was making the PU leather to bubble. I've had to glue it in which can be removed with methylated spirits or citron based degreaser. You can also paint it with leather paint if you wish. Carefully prying the plastic insert with plastic tools and using some painters tape is a must to prevent plastic damage.

Thin black tape surrounding the trim around the edges is a 4mm black tape to help keep the PU leather in its place.

The whole mod cost me like $8. Cheaper than a paint.

















looks nice but why not real leather ?
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      05-25-2021, 04:37 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AllaVodka View Post
Can you post where u got the leather vinyl?
since you're going to work on it, why don't you just use a real leather. you can get one at Amazon for cheaper price.
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      05-30-2021, 03:10 AM   #13
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Never liked the looks of that plain plastic, so did both that piece, and shift boot in tri-stitch suede.
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