Tag: custom

Missing Cow Catcher

#e30 has a little different presence without the #cowcatcher in tact. Off to get some #hardware for an upcoming video. Bet you can’t guess what it’s about :))

E46 power window lever

E46 power window lever

We love the E30! At least enough to name our startup after it. But we understand that not everyone is fortunate enough to drive God’s Chariot! And that’s OK! Because there are a few other great BMWs rollin’ around, like, the E46.

One thing is for sure, the power window buttons in the E30 are virtually indestructible. The E36’s buttons looked similar, but were actually rocker action switches which were fairly reliable if not quite as durable as the E30’s dead-simple, press-button hardware.

However for the E46 power window lever, BMW went full-on “planned obsolescence” with this three-mechanical-level, dual-action design. They’re just an absolute masterpiece of crap engineering! The design itself is actually somewhat sophisticated in a minimalist way, and admittedly they’re quite enjoyable to use. However these things are simply complete junk, and always breaking off!

They’re made of barely over 1mm thin translucent white plastic, which becomes very brittle after 15-20 years. They can still be purchased “new”, but it’s not like they just popped out of the mold; they’ve been sitting on a warehouse shelf somewhere for a decade or two… getting crispy. And of course you have to buy the whole assembly. Or you can get them used…. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

So we decided to fix that. We reverse-engineered the E46 power window lever, and added some extra material for strength – where we could (there’s just not a lot of room to play with in there). And to install, they simply snap in!

Going places!

While the E30 will always be our true love, the E46 is a pretty great car too! We have a couple more things coming for the Gen4 3er… and maybe even the E36! So get on the email list, or “like & subscribe” to know when we get the latest part up.  

If your E46 power window levers are starting to break loose – or are completely gone, get the E30 Update E46 power window levers. It’s much better than getting used parts, and they’ve been re-engineered for extra strength. Made with new, durable PETG plastic so they haven’t been dry-rotting for 20 years, and you don’t have to buy and install a whole new switch assembly.

Question of the Week!

E30 missing plate holder

I had an idea for a new part a while back, and then a few weeks later I noticed a few people looking for that exact part on various social media platforms. So I decided to go ahead and make it. I knew it was going to be a bit on the expensive side, but when I got the quote back, I knew it would be a hard sell to the E30 community.

While it’s a cool idea, it’s apparently not that cool according to the poll results on the E30 Reddit.

My 1987 BMW 325es missing the USA plate bracket for measuring replacement design.
My 1987 BMW 325es missing the USA plate bracket for measuring replacement design.

In the 70s and 80s, US crash protection regulations began throwing car manufacturers into a proverbial spin to design around the new impact safety requirements. As a short-term result, hideous, giant bumpers began growing out of the front and rear ends of almost all products of the era, and BMW wasn’t immune to this phenomenon. They did the best they could, but the “Diving Board” bumpers are still considered an inferior design compared to the European version of the same models.

In addition to the less than elegant bumper design, many US states require a license plate to be mounted on the front of the car. The way BMW designed the plastic front license plate bracket, is rather than making it a separate part that mounted over the trim, it simply replaced that section of trim. As happens with many old car parts, over time they become old, brittle, break, get lost and leave an unsightly gap in the bumper – as can be seen in the image above. Not that having the plate bracket on looks that much better. ​But not all states require a front plate.

For the “Series 2” E30s introduced in 1899, BMW had a more elegant solution for the bumpers; a more modern, “integrated” bumper with an ABS plastic shell. One nice thing about the updated bumper clip was that it accommodated both US, and Euro plate designs. So many enthusiasts living in states that don’t demand a legal front plate will opt to affix a euro front plate for th “cool factor” – like I did on my previous E30. And if you didn’t want or have a plate to put there, the black strip continued cleanly across the front of the bumper. 

So as you have probably already guessed, the idea is to design a replacement strip for the pre-update, “Diving Board” bumpers that will accommodate the Euro spec plates (and US too with longer screws). The design is completed and quoted, and now I’m just trying to figure out if anyone would actually buy one.

What do you think? Reply in the comments, or if you see this before the Reddit poll closes go put your vote in! Maybe it will be in the shop soon! Remember, if you become a 325es patron, you’ll get to see WIP updates and get discounts on your purchase! Give a like and subscribe to the little YouTube channel while you’re at it!

NOTE 04/03/23: the Patreon page has been closed for now. We have had a couple requests to put it back up, so if we get a little more interest for Patreon we will definitely consider getting it back online. We’re definitely not going to turn down cash flow which would definitely help us get more parts online faster! Please let us know if you are interested in contributing!