Dark Burl Shifter Installed
 

Finally got around to installing the new shifter today. I was going to have the local BMW place do it, as I was a bit apprehensive to do it myself. That was until I was told it would take an hour to do, cost €60, and I would need to make an appointment for next week. So after I got home, it took about 10 minutes after studying the new one to figure it all out, here is the new one:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb168/rtzx5/015.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb168/rtzx5/010.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb168/rtzx5/025.jpg

:thumbup:

Looks Great, it really stands out compared to the stock one

Very cool! How much was the unit?

I prefer the stock stick myself.

Is it the entire shifter assembly, or is it a wood cover trim piece?

Thanks!

It's a trim piece...;)

I almost ordered one, but I think the stock one looks better.

Stock one was described in Road and Track as looking like a Nokia phone. Your wood one looks beautiful.

Very nice my friend. This makes me like the E70 a little more now. The stock one is not my taste.

Looks great, much better then stock :thumbup:

:iagree:Although it almost looks like wood rather than plastic !!!

Thanks for the feedback. I ordered it from Circle BMW for $156.

I like the stock one, but figured this one would look better. It breaks up all that silver in the center nicely.

It really should have come with the wood shift knob like the E53's shift knob which actually has a combination of wood and leather.

do they make a bamboo?

bring the aluminum trim to the US already! It will match the stock shifter. :D

Nope, not that I have seen. It appears they only make the dark burl and light poplar. Makes no sense why they don't offer bamboo as well... :rolleyes:

Too hard to make it look authentic in plastic ?

Unless I am mistaken, the shifter is wood, like all the other trim parts. Just like all the other trim, the backside is plastic and the wood portion is a very thin sheet applied over the plastic.

The reason they probably did not produce it, is due to the Bamboo pattern. All the other trim is pretty straight so the lined grain flows perfect, however not sure how it would look on the shifter due to all the bends.

I prefer the stock shifter. $156, too expensive!

Does anybody know the part numbers for the wood shifters (mine is light poplar trim). In Canada they can't find them on their system but they say if I get the part no. they can order it for me.

Here am I answering my own question.

61-31-0-417-307 - Dark burl
61-31-0-417-308 - Light poplar

RTZX5

I bought the wood trim and I'm looking for help in removing the brushed aluminum trim. Can you tell me how you did it? Thanks and I liked the wood trim. It makes the vehicle interior look more elegant!

Take a look at the new one, if I remeber correctly, there are three snap in points (2 on the right and 1 on the left). There is also an achor point at the bottom. Gently pry out the stock shifter from the right side in an out and to the up type fashion. Just be patient and study the back of the new one, it helps a lot in understanding how it fits.

Install is the reverse of above. I was able to du this without harming the orginal shifter cover or the black trim.

I am trying to remeber but I think I tried to use my fingenails to pry it off without any luck and was feeling to lazy to go in my garage a get tools, so I used a dime to pry the old one off.

Good luck!

Thanks! I'll try it out after work this afternoon.

Looks pretty good . . . Had anyone bought the AC Schz. Idrive wheels ?

Stock looks better IMO.

+1

When I see wood grain on/in a car I think back to my childhood, riding in the boat-iful Ford Country Squire wagon, complete with the vinyl faux wood exterior kit. So, just my opinion...adding more wood grain = not hot.....

Again just my opinion, other's tastes will obviously vary, I just can't figure it out though....

I think it looks great - just not $200 worth.

Do they make Carbon Fiber one?