Z3 UPGRADES AND ADDITIONS.

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Tue 26 Aug, 2014 11:55

Below are the various options I supply for the Z3's to improve appearance, comfort and durability..
1.
The seat belt guide fix / preventative. This item will prevent the seat belt guide from breaking and will also firmly hold a broken guide in it's unbroken position so that it does not require replacement. They are available in Silver and black, come with a guide for fitting. They cost £ 25 per set of 2 including postage.

2.
The seat lift. These are designed to raise the front end of the seat slides in a 100% secure manner. They are specific for the Z3 and are machined to fit into the OEM design of the car seat mountings. They will improve the general comfort of the seated position and reduce the tendency to slide forwards on the leather seats. Cost £ 36 per seat set including postage to UK / Eu.

3.
The clear headlight indicator lens. These are identical to the OEM amber lenses and are complete in all respects as per OEM. They come with a fitting guide which will make transplanting them easy enough for most people with minimal mechanical expertise. Cost £ 48 per set of 2 including postage.

4.
The center console armrest. There are 2 options here... a. the armrest which requires the fitting of the center OEM cupholder / storage unit and b. the version which doesn't require the OEM unit. In both instances, they do not require any alteration to the OEM finish of your car and are simple to install. The first version will require you to source an OEM cupholder / storage unit. These generally sell on eBay for around £ 80 in complete and good condition. The cost of this armrest which comes complete with hinge for fitting to the OEM cupholder and upholstered in real leather is £ 65 including postage. The second version comes complete with the same style armrest, but with the added fitting brackets which allows it to hinge up / down and allow full access to the OEM center storage box areas. It also has a fold-away cupholder located beneath the padded armrest. The cost of this version is £ 125 including postage.

5.
The door card elbow rests. These come upholstered in real leather and are designed to provide a more comfortable elbow rest on the door card. Cost is £ 60 per set including postage.

Please PM me if you wish any further info or place an order...

deni2s · Post by **deni2s** » Tue 26 Aug, 2014 13:41

I would say the prices are not very cheap. For example LeatherZ offers door armrests for 50$ ( http://leatherz.com/product/DoorArmrests.html ) which is cheaper even with importing from USA. And I got original clear indicator lenses for 50$ and these replicas are much more expensive.

But it's nice to see that these parts at least are available at any time. I would think about seat lift kit, but 72 GBP for 8 pieces for a car which is not status car or classic like Porsche or Ferrari - not for me. I got Storm shift knob, which also wasn't cheap, but it was really well thought and high quality item and I know that I can fit it to another bmw at any time.

So I hope that after some time the prices will go down or there will be some good discounts on Xmas or any other time

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Tue 26 Aug, 2014 13:59

.... I can see why their door card armrests are $50... they are almost almost flat and don't particularly fit well either... and since you can get clear lenses for $50, why not post a link and a pic of them... we can then compare apples with apples...

deni2s · Post by **deni2s** » Tue 26 Aug, 2014 14:44

Southernboy wrote:.... I can see why their door card armrests are $50... they are almost almost flat and don't particularly fit well either... and since you can get clear lenses for $50, why not post a link and a pic of them... we can then compare apples with apples...

Door armrests fit very well, I have them fitted on my car. They are more flat (I like that), but I believe that doesn't make the price difference. Clear lenses bought from other forum member, already installed in car.

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Tue 26 Aug, 2014 15:07

I don't think you can compare the two items... the door card armrests you have look like little scabs on the door card... they are too small... Also, I sell new lenses which are complete with the clips exactly like the OEM ones... I am aware of the other options, and they don't have the clips, which requires them to be glued into position.... Pity you don't have a picture to show what the ones you bought look like... and also, if they are available to anyone else who wants to buy some...??
Or...perhaps you can refer me to the "other forum member" and I'll ask him for some pics ???

deni2s · Post by **deni2s** » Tue 26 Aug, 2014 17:11

The ones I bought are genuine OEM with all clips from OEM facelift headlight. Actually they came together with that black thing they clip into. Of course there was only one pair for sale as it was private sale.

Ok, if there are buyers, then the price is ok, I'm just saying there could be more buyers with lowered price. But you can lower the price any time you will feel that there are no more buyers at this price.

Del · Post by **Del** » Tue 26 Aug, 2014 17:30

I don't understand the quibbling over a few pounds on this thread whilst people are prepared to pay ridiculous amounts of money for poorly fabricated spoilers and hard tops bearing the A C Schnitzer brand. If the spoiler is anything like the hard top a forum member purchased, it will be a poorly fabricated piece of unpainted fibreglass requiring a lot of fettling to get it to fit properly - like some budget pattern part. Seems to be a case of the "emperor's new clothes".

http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopi ... 32#p385032

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Tue 26 Aug, 2014 18:35

.. my thoughts exactly Del... I can't understand the negative attitude when of the 2 options of door card armrest aren't comparable, and in the other instance, we're talking about 2nd hand parts stripped out of an OEM headlight... Needless to say, the suggestion that one would first have to acquire face lift headlights... what would be the point of stripping out parts to change an amber headlight unit... just use the face lift headlight unit and be done... my pricing isn't a matter of making it affordable to buyers only, it's also about affording to make them in the first instance and reducing the price by a few £'s doesn't make doing it worthwhile for the effort and time put in. Mostly it allows Z3 owners the opportunity to source parts which are not commonly available at a reasonable price which are really well made and will provide an acceptable lifespan. If I were dependent on items sold to forum members for my income, I'd be in serious trouble...and more so if I supplied goods at less than it costs me...so Deni2s, don't hold your breath on my pricing.....

....anyhow, I'm glad to say that there are no $50 clear lenses generally available and no $50 door card armrests which fit over the Z3 door card armrest completely....and provide a proper finish.

Brian H · Post by **Brian H** » Tue 26 Aug, 2014 18:42

I recently noticed a set of the seat belt guide fix items fitted to a members car, they looked better in the flesh than on the photos, well done for making these

spurs fan in a coupe · Post by **spurs fan in a coupe** » Tue 26 Aug, 2014 18:53

I've dealt with Barry over a few years now and his passion for all things Zed related is staggering, he has fabricated high quality parts to meet his, and then others' needs. If his 'products' were not wanted/needed or of high quality he would be wasting his time, but clearly he is providing a service from over 5000 miles away that no one in the UK is currently doing.

If you don't want to buy his items then don't.

Commenting on the prices of his items on his thread is quite harsh in my opinion.

Tufarlian · Post by **Tufarlian** » Tue 26 Aug, 2014 19:43

I have one of Barry's armrests.

Not cheap I'll grant you but in my opinion worth every penny because it is so well designed, made and finished.

IMO, Much neater and better than the old way of sticking an armrest on the expensive and ugly cupholder.

Thanks again Barry.

Mark

sirius-c · Post by **sirius-c** » Tue 26 Aug, 2014 21:49

I have purchased everything here bar the lenses and only because I've got aftermarket Angel eye units fitted.

Barry's time spent designing, researching and sourcing etc to the final product landing on my door step is worth every penny IMO.
Sure we would all like things a bit cheaper, we all like a bargain but in this world you generally get what you pay for in terms of quality .....

the quality of Barry's products are exceptional, remember that he is after all a fellow zed owner and generally the things he creates are born from personal experiences and frustrations with his own zed,
He choses to creates a product or fix and is kind enough to share it with The rest of us so we can all benefit......
Hat off to you Barry, I've said it before and I'll say it again.....
You're a credit to this forum.

PS: I love my arm rest and door card arm rests, my metal elbows thank you kindly

Smartbear · Post by **Smartbear** » Wed 27 Aug, 2014 04:51

im new to this forum but it looks to me as though barry provides an invalueble service & we are lucky to have an inventive person helping with solutions to problems, ive bought a pair of his seat belt guide brackets and dont mind paying barrys price at all-whats the alternative?
cheers Barry

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Wed 27 Aug, 2014 05:57

Thanks all for the tributes to the products and kind words of support..... This post started out with the idea that I could put all the bits under one heading vs three or four posts... Hopefully it'll become that now...

deni2s · Post by **deni2s** » Wed 27 Aug, 2014 07:47

Just wanted to say that Barry in my eyes is the most valuable member of this forum, because he is the most active here knows a lot and has many ideas. It's really interesting to communicate with him. As I said before - if there are buyers, then the prices are ok, as demand commands the price. It is just my personal opinion that these things could be cheaper, as I also like design of leatherz door card armrests better. To each it's own. Barry, I am really sorry if I insulted you in any way, that wasn't my intention.

deni2s · Post by **deni2s** » Wed 27 Aug, 2014 07:57

Del wrote:I don't understand the quibbling over a few pounds on this thread whilst people are prepared to pay ridiculous amounts of money for poorly fabricated spoilers and hard tops bearing the A C Schnitzer brand. If the spoiler is anything like the hard top a forum member purchased, it will be a poorly fabricated piece of unpainted fibreglass requiring a lot of fettling to get it to fit properly - like some budget pattern part. Seems to be a case of the "emperor's new clothes".

http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopi ... 32#p385032

Can you provide some link to ACS hardtop you are mentioning? I had never seen ACS hardtop on z3, would be interesting. As I know ACS parts are very high quality items (I have wheels, roll hoops, mirrors and steering wheel) and because of that ACS was one of a few tuning companies whose add-ons were not breaking BMW warranty. I am quite sure that that bumper (that is not spoiler) fits great as any other ACS parts I had seen before, but I have to agree that design of that bumper is very questionable and it is overpriced, but looks like the seller is open to offers.

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Wed 27 Aug, 2014 09:03

I think the reference was to the Hamann roof option... it's a nice looking roof, but as one member found, it needed some considerable work to get it to fit correctly.

OXO · Post by **OXO** » Wed 27 Aug, 2014 09:52

Southernboy wrote:Below are the various options I supply for the Z3's to improve appearance, comfort and durability..
1.
The seat belt guide fix / preventative. This item will prevent the seat belt guide from breaking and will also firmly hold a broken guide in it's unbroken position so that it does not require replacement. They are available in Silver and black, come with a guide for fitting. They cost £.25 per set of 2 including postage.

I'll have some black ones at that price. Honestly, some of the cheapskates on here complaining about the cost!

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Wed 27 Aug, 2014 10:16

Thanks mate...PM sent

OXO · Post by **OXO** » Wed 27 Aug, 2014 10:20

Read it again Barry.. the price is £.25

25p ?

Of course if that't the correct price, I'll take 10 sets.

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Wed 27 Aug, 2014 10:23

... it says £.25 per set...

OXO · Post by **OXO** » Wed 27 Aug, 2014 10:39

Southernboy wrote:... it says £.25 per set...

OK, I will paypal you the £2.50 for 10 sets.

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Wed 27 Aug, 2014 10:44

.... that's not .25 it's 25........as in £ 25 .... I'll edit out all the .'s just in case Deni2s gets confused....

deni2s · Post by **deni2s** » Wed 27 Aug, 2014 10:51

Southernboy wrote:I think the reference was to the Hamann roof option... it's a nice looking roof, but as one member found, it needed some considerable work to get it to fit correctly.

I can agree with that - Hamann parts usually need some work.

janijoeli · Post by **janijoeli** » Wed 27 Aug, 2014 11:16

IMHO, for high quality, hand made products serving a very niche market, these are very appropriately priced. Going cheaper would mean a) industrial production in large quantities, which is not really possible considering the high initial cost and small market, or b) inferior quality and finish.

People who haven't tried ordering small batches of seemingly cheap products don't always realise how different the manufacturing process is compared to mass-production, how much actual effort even a small batch requires, and how this translates to price per unit. For Barry's prices, I'm sure not a single manufacturer e.g. here in Finland would even say hello.

Let's take the clear indicator lenses as an example. In mass-production, after setting up a factory line for plastic injection moulding, the PPU would be pennies. However, the cost of setting up the factory line would be tens of thousands, if not over a hundred. This massive initial cost would need to be recovered in unit price, and all units would need to be sold to actually make some money... Not to mention that Barry would need to invest tens of thousands of his pocket money before seeing a single lens.

What Barry is doing is more like prototyping than manufacturing:
http://www.protomold.co.uk/ProtoQuote.aspx
Using the calculator, a batch of 100 lenses (cheaper clear acrylic of the two, 600 grit paper sanded finish on back, polished front) would be around £69 a piece - and this is for 100 LH or RH lenses. So 100 pairs of lenses would be £138 a pop. And again, Barry would need to invest almost 14 grand of his own money before seeing any lenses.

So, for £24 a lens, £48 a pair, including international delivery, what Barry is offering is a miracle.

Just my 2p...

alec.m · Post by **alec.m** » Wed 27 Aug, 2014 13:48

2p from me Barry. Love my arm rest with cup holder - quality

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Wed 27 Aug, 2014 16:42

You're right about the costs Jani... I haven't recovered a bit of the costs of molds yet... and who knows, I may not do so for a year or more... anyhow, they're here and available, and as you said, the cost per set is very cheap even if compared to finding a set of complete headlight units with clear lenses.
... thanks for the compliments chaps...truly appreciated after the effort invested in getting a good result...

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Wed 27 Aug, 2014 17:56

.... Lenses now listed on eBay $65.00 excl postage...

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Tue 02 Sep, 2014 10:20

Just a quick update on the lenses... it may be that in future, these lenses will only be available as part of complete headlight units. ie. you will be asked to send your current headlights to a member in the UK who will do the fitting for you. Obviously he will be charging for his time plus the cost of the lenses. Anyone wanting lenses before then and willing / capable of doing the de-tango themselves should consider buying a set now...even if it means you will then only pay the fitting charge if you do not want to de-tango yourself...

All the other items, armrests, seat lifts and seat belt guide mods are available as usual...

deni2s · Post by **deni2s** » Tue 02 Sep, 2014 10:29

Southernboy wrote:you will be asked to send your current headlights

Doesn't sound good. That means you can't drive your car a few days, also sending is another risk to damage the headlights (and additional postage expenses). I think if someone is able to remove the headlights from the car, there is no rocket science for that person to change the indicators with proper instructions, which you can provide printed with clear indicators.

I think you should consider providing this service as an option, not mandatory.

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Tue 02 Sep, 2014 10:41

.... Everything you have suggested I already provide, including instructions... I think the major issue here is the ability / willingness of members to risk a DIY situation. As you say, it's not rocket science to de-tango the headlight unit, but that comment is based on the premise that all people have the same level of ability to undertake the task. It is easy enough for me, but then I can completely re-build a car from nuts and bolts to a functioning vehicle... some people struggle with changing a plug... so, a gap exists for someone in the UK to do this for them at a very reasonable cost compared to finding original headlights and paying the price they go for. It will still be aproximately half the price of 2 headlights with clear lenses - based on the asking price for these on eBay, and because they are scarce and sought after, they invariably fetch the asking price or there-about.
If you think you might be interested in undertaking the service to the Z3 owners in your country / area, perhaps you should consider the opportunity seriously as a service to those less capable of DIY ??

Also, there is no law that says you can't drive a car without headlights - except at night... during the daytime, headlights are not a requirement... only indicators, and that only requires the bulbs to be taped into position so they will be usable and functional. Lastly, most UK owners do not drive their Z3's through the winter, which means it's an ideal opprtunity to do the modification without inconvenience...

deni2s · Post by **deni2s** » Tue 02 Sep, 2014 12:22

Ok, I got your point. In Latvia there should always be daylight on.

I agree, psychologically it is quite scary to put the headlight in the oven (I did it once and now I am very confident, because nothing bad happened even to LaminX protection film which covered the headlights against chips), but for me personally that would be less scary, than to put my great condition headlights out of my own control and send them away. From my experience I can say that putting headlights in the oven is much less risk, than trying to polish them (I overheated one set when tried to polish). Everything else is piece of cake - just work with screwdriver, which is even easier than removing headlights from the car.

There was another set of headlights which I opened with hair dryer, not trusting the oven, but that took much more time and effort than heating in oven, and I believe in oven result was much more cleaner.

deni2s · Post by **deni2s** » Tue 02 Sep, 2014 12:48

Southernboy wrote:If you think you might be interested in undertaking the service to the Z3 owners in your country / area, perhaps you should consider the opportunity seriously as a service to those less capable of DIY ??

Thinking about that. There are not a lot z3 in my country (maybe 20 total, personally I know 3 owners), so it's not worth it. And most of them are not so fanatic about their cars to change a lot of things. But I could be the link "between West and East" as I have connection with many z3 owners from Russia and other ex-USSR countries, and it's not easy for them to get parts, because of language barrier and delivery issues. So sometimes I am helping to source some parts for them from UK or suggesting the parts from this forum. Like today I directed one guy to Simota CAI listed on this forum, after he told me that it could be impossible to source that kit for him

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Fri 05 Sep, 2014 09:35

......... eBay sales to USA doing very nicely !!!!!

alec.m · Post by **alec.m** » Fri 05 Sep, 2014 10:36

That`s great news for you Barry, some payback for your outlay and R&D. A

is required. Alec.

sirius-c · Post by **sirius-c** » Fri 05 Sep, 2014 10:37

Southernboy wrote:......... eBay sales to USA doing very nicely !!!!!

spurs fan in a coupe · Post by **spurs fan in a coupe** » Fri 05 Sep, 2014 11:51

sirius-c wrote:
Southernboy wrote:......... eBay sales to USA doing very nicely !!!!!

Mmmmmmmm donut flavour z3 headlights!

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Fri 05 Sep, 2014 12:11

........ thanks guys...It's quite encouraging indeed... and who cares about the donut flavour.... I'll settle for sushi,wurst or kangaroo...

sirius-c · Post by **sirius-c** » Fri 05 Sep, 2014 18:24

I spotted a user called Zebra on the bimmer forums a while back....I thought it was you

sirius-c · Post by **sirius-c** » Sun 07 Sep, 2014 18:40

I fitted my seat lifters today Barry.....I thought they wouldn't do much but after just driving 60 miles I've got out of the zed with no back ache or aching knee caps....thank you kindly

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Sun 07 Sep, 2014 19:34

Cheers Stephen.. they don't seem like they could make such a difference, but once fitted it becomes very obvious that sitting is a lot more comfortable.

deni2s · Post by **deni2s** » Mon 08 Sep, 2014 08:38

Southernboy, if you made the clear turn indicators possible, have you thought about clear third brake light for pre-facelift cars? Could be piece of cake after indicators. As I know there are no options to get them, I had seen only one picture with such thing and I believe it was self made.

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Mon 08 Sep, 2014 09:24

The 3rd brake light lens is a very different beast. The issues already experienced with sealing against water and that with OEM parts discourages me from even going there. I could neither prove or disprove that any leaks was not a result of my copy being less than 100% fit. I don't believe it's in anyone's interest to go down that route.

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Sat 13 Sep, 2014 10:22

After much consideration, about a "WINTER SPECIAL" on all the bits I make up for the Z3's....
So...

Seat lift mods...... £36 / seat
Seat belt guide fixes £25 / per car
Clear side headlight indicator lenses £48 / set of 2.
Center armrest £125 / for the "new" version and £65 for the OEM cup holder version.

WTF you might say...same price

Yes.... but same good quality... and as for the "winter special"..I did give it consideration, and concluded that those of you who put your cars to bed for the duration would enjoy some "alone time" with your Z3 and treat it to one of my winter specials...

Cal1000 · Post by **Cal1000** » Sun 14 Sep, 2014 17:30

Received the seat lift mod yesterday, fitted today. Vast improvement

thanks Barry.

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Sun 14 Sep, 2014 18:07

Thanks for letting me know. The local PO strike here has been somewhat nasty from time to time, and one is never sure if the packages have actually left the country or not...

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Fri 26 Sep, 2014 12:33

Seat lift kits are back in stock as are the clear lenses and Z brackets for the seat belt guides....

All the details of these and other Z3 mods are at the top of this post.

SeattleZ3 · Post by **SeattleZ3** » Wed 22 Oct, 2014 21:40

I bought the clear lenses from Barry and I can vouch they are going to be awesome! Ill post a pic of our Z3 as soon as they are installed

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Thu 13 Nov, 2014 08:05

Update for anyone wishing to order any of the above items....
Since the SA post office is pretty much dysfunctional in spite of the strike being "mostly over" (whatever that means)... I have decided the best method of getting stuff to people is by courier. Unfortunately this is a more expensive way of sending, but it is guaranteed and takes aprox 3 - 4 days to the UK, . 5-7 days for USA and Europe , Middle East and Far East. The extra cost of the courier is around £.12.00 per parcel, so please consider that before ordering.

Southernboy · Post by **Southernboy** » Thu 20 Nov, 2014 15:19

Special order for a cream and red interior Z3...............