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Subject: Interior wood trim restoration project Author: davidc (moderator) : member since December, 2003 : 10552 posts Posted on: 2004-05-11 14:08:26

A combination of the old and new. The left side is the original wood trim as it was on the car. You can see how the surface is yellowed, rough and cracked. The right side shows that the damage is only on the surface in the manufacturer's finish. After sanding, staining and spraying with polyurethane, it looks new again.


A view of the finished product on top with the sanded, unfinished counterpart below.


The original center console trim. Note the chip along the left side.


The console trim after using 200 and 300 grit sandpaper to remove the old finish, exposing the wood veneer. Wood putty was used to fill in the chip along the left side.


The result after staining, three coats of polyurethane, sanding once more with 600 grit sandpaper, then one more final coat of polyurethane. The lighting doesn't do it justice. It looks like new again, without being overly reflective or plastic-looking. The chip in the wood along the left is barely noticable now. The spar urethane is an indoor/outdoor spray that will provide a smooth finish while protecting the wood from harmful sunlight and UV. It shouldn't crack or turn yellow over time as did the original finish.

TOOLS AND MATERIALS

Large and small philips screwdrivers.

One tube of general-purpose silicon adhesive.

200, 320 and 600 grit sandpaper.

Tack cloth.

ZAR teak wood stain.

Teak colored wood putty (for filling holes in the center console).

Minwax Spar Urethane semi-gloss spray, purchased at Lowe's. The satin finish was too dull and the gloss was too shiny. The semi-gloss is a very good match for the original interior.





DISASSEMBLY AND REMOVAL OF THE WOOD TRIM FROM THE DOORS



Start by removing the cap on the door handle to expose the screw that secures the door to the handle.


On the driver's side, you'll need to remove the mirror positioning controls and disconnect it from the wiring harness.


Remove the screw from the top of the door handle.




Remove the three screws from the bottom of the door handle.


The door handle can now be separated from the door.


Slide the cover out and away from the door lever.



Remove the two small screws at the bottom of the door panel.


The door panel is held in place by three plastic plugs, one on the left, one on the right and one in the middle along the bottom. Pull the edge of the door panel to pop out the plastic plugs, then lower the door panel out and away from the door frame.


A view of the door with the panel removed.


Remove the four screws from the metal plate below the wood trim.


And, finally, remove the black screw along the front edge of the plastic trim.


Remove the tweeter from the door by sliding it toward the back of the car. It helps to have the window rolled down. In this picture, you can see the metal knob on the back of the tweeter housing and the mating channel for it in the door frame.


Remove the door lock cap and pull the plastic window trim out a few inches. Lift up the end of the wood trim unit.


Continue lifting the unit up and out of the door. Be careful not to break the chrome trim piece.


Turn the wood trim unit over and pull up the insulation to expose the metal tabs which hold the wood trim in place.


Bend the metal tabs up so that they can be pushed through to release the wood trim. There are four such metal tabs securing the wood trim to the unit.


Once all four tabs have been release, the wood trim can be separated from the assembly.


A view of the back of the wood trim, showing the four metal tabs.

THE CENTER CONSOLE

In my case, the ashtray trim was in fine shape, so I only needed to refinish the wood trim around the shifter. It gets nearly as much sun exposure as the door trim, so it was fairly rough and yellowed, too.

You could disassemble the entire console, from back to front, but there's an easier way if you're brave. The wood trim around the shifter is held in place by two wooden blocks at the front which are simply glued to the trim, and by a series of metal tabs along the backside of the trim which secure it to the metal frame around the shifter. Gently reach in below the edge of the trim near the back of the shifter and pull up.

As you pull up, taking care to apply force to the entire width of the trim and not just the edge, you'll be able to separate the metal tabs from the underside of the trim. The trim is actually veneer on plywood, so it's pretty strong. Continue pulling up enough to get your hand beneath the entire lower edge so that you work your way closer to the front of the console.

Eventually, you'll have all of the metal tabs out of the wood so that only the two wooden blocks at the front remain in place. Continue applying pressue and the glue seam on the blocks will give way, freeing the trim entirely.


The console with the trim piece removed. Note the two wooden blocks at the top of the picture.

The procedure sounds awful, but it's really quite easy. I've done this on two cars now with no problems, and it's a LOT easier than going to the trouble of disassembling a large part of the car's interior. When we're done, we'll use the silicon adhesive to secure the refinished trim back into the console.

THE REFINISHING PROCESS

1. Carefully use 200 grit sandpaper to remove the old finish. You don't want to get into the wood.

2. Follow up with 300 grit sandpaper to remove any parts of the old finish that remain, and to expose the natural wood veneer. The veneer is very thin -- be careful not to sand too much or too heavily or you'll break through it.

3. Clean the wood using a tack cloth. Apply a light coat of stain using a soft towell. Let it dry for four hours. If you want a darker appearance, apply more stain after the first coat has dried.

4. Spray three thin coats of polyurethane onto the trim at two-hour intervals, then let the whole thing cure for 48-72 hours.

5. Using 600-grit sandpaper, gently sand out any rough spots on the surface to give it a smooth feel, but don't go through the polyurethane coating. Clean with a tack cloth again.

6. Apply one final coat of spray polyurethane and let dry for 48-72 hours.

David Cecil
'97 740iL, 120k miles
'86 735i, 92k miles
'77 320i, 140k miles

www.e38.org has links for everything about your BMW 7-series automobile

• Interior wood trim restoration project (pic) - davidc 2004-05-11 14:08:26 (12857 views)
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  • Re: Interior wood trim restoration project - pachakutek 2005-04-17 21:20:18 (550 views)