[///Mark_D]

Awesome thread, you're making some really fast progress. I saw your post on facebook when you got the car, and I can't believe you're almost done with getting the manual in there.

 

[///Mark_D]

Thanks! Your build thread was one of the main reason's I purchased a red touring to be honest. Sadly I have clear coat pealing in a few spots, but it's still red!

That's so cool, I'm glad I could be a source of inspiration. I've owned mine for like 4 years now and have hardly made a dent in my to-do list for the car. I'll have to live vicariously through your thread until I can get back to working on mine

I've got some clear peeling as well, it seems to be really common on red E46's from what I can tell. On my wagon it's worst on the hatch just below the glass on that lip.

On my sedan it started on the hood (which I replaced with a hood from a salvage car) and it's getting bad now on the roof and rear truck lid as well. And the tops of the door handles. Pretty much any horizontal surface really. Gotta keep it extra protected with polish or a ceramic coating.

 

[///Mark_D]

I can see this thread being an extremely helpful resource to anyone doing a manual swap in the future.

 

[///Mark_D]

This is the worst spot of clear coat peal. I've thought it over quite a bit, I'll have the windshield removed so the roof will receive a "glass out" repaint.

I've got quite a bit of work a head of me.. I need to remove door handles, trim pieces, glass, roof rails.. Many items so the paint work comes out excellent.

I feel your pain with the clear coat peel. It's an issue on both my Japanrot E46's. On my sedan it started on the hood, then the top of the roof like you've got, then the tops of the door handles, and finally the trunk lid. My wagon just has it mostly on the rear hatch, and a few small spots on the roof (for now) It seems to be a really common issue with this color. All the red E46s I see at the salvage yard have clear peeling somewhere too.

 

[///Mark_D]

I'm jealous that you've got such nice weather in CA that you can do this in the middle of December. I'm going to be doing the same black dash/carpet swap, and I've reluctantly admitted to myself that I'll need to wait until spring. This would not be a fun job to do when temps are in the teens.

The pictures you've posted will be helpful though. I've stripped a few cars down to remove the carpets, but never fully removed the HVAC box. I'm leaving the A/C lines connected on my car, so my plan is just to loosen it up and raise it up enough to slip in the new carpet from below.

 

[///Mark_D]

I don't think that is going to work, the studs are so long you'll have to pull the box from the firewall and I don't think you'll have enough give with the lines.

I pull the heater boxes when changing carpets MOST of the time. BUT the BMW repair instructions actually say to cut around the box and leave it in place, with that said though I looked quickly through TIS and now can't find the instructions. lol

I was able to get the carpet out from the donor car this way, but getting it back into mine will be the tricky part. Worst case, I guess I'll have to disconnect the lines if it puts up a fight.

All the more reason to not attempt until spring

 

[///Mark_D]

It's so awesome to see this come together. Great work and keep posting on the progress! My car will have it's day eventually, but until then I can live vicariously through this thread