Operation Time Capsule

[RonP]

Not your bro. The people that their opinions mattered to me, responded favorably. So if you read through here, the haters are a minority and probably some 20 something troll that think their opinion matters. It is a stock Porsche color and may be a little out of the box for a car this old, but I chose it and like it.

[cddallara]

For the record, my dislike of the interior color is not meant as "hate", simply a difference of opinion.

As long as you like it (and whoever buys it I guess), it really doesn't matter what any of us think of it, for or against.

Ah, to be 20 something again...

[snakebrain]

There will always be haters, so I am not offended, but 16" BBS gangsta? Really? Now that is a first to me. What I find tasteless is anyone on this forum slamming another members car, we all have different tastes, but share one common denominator...e28s. Ridiculing somone elses e28 is tasteless, rude, and shows no class what so ever!

I apologise if you feel I was excessively forthright. I don't think I ridiculed the car though - you'll see I also commented positively on the exceptional condition and, for what it's worth, the Euro bumper conversion has also transformed the car.

Re: wheels and leather; personally I'd have preferred the wheels in a more stock colour, though I agree they are great wheels for an E28. The leather; I don't know, maybe the photos don't do it justice but my immediate reaction was that the shade seems a bit bright.

I think realistically you have to be aware that you're liable to receive criticism when you put something like this online. I'm sorry if you feel that my expressing my views constitutes 'hating'. I wouldn't have given a damn if this had been done to some old wreck of an E28, so in a sense it's only the quality of the rest of the car that inspires the passion in my sentiments about the interior/wheels. Again, I apologise for the way I expressed that and hope you get a great deal of pleasure from it during your ownership.

[RonP]

Snakebrain,

I guess I was a little taken back at your comments about the finished product as I was really inspired by your original comments earlier in the thread. When I first picked out the color, I was really in an artsy mood. The next day I called the upholsterer and told her that I wanted to tone it down a bit, where she said it was too late and she had already ordered the lobster red. So, at that point I figured I would just have to live with my crazy decision. Thank you for your explanation. I really do like the color now and it looks so much better in person. Now, please help me with the stripe!!!! I liked it a lot when I temporarily had my Hartge wheels on it, but just don't know if I like it now. Opinions?

[wkohler]

If the stripe were straight and wasn't full of air bubbles, I'd say leave it, but at this point, it's best to pull it off. Car looks much better with the RSs than it did with the Hartges. Sadly, those wheels don't really fit anything but E34s.

I won't make a comment on the interior.

I think it's a neat car but since there's really not much original left on the car, the "time capsule" moniker doesn't really fit it in my opinion.

Either way, I hope you get a strong result for it.

[snakebrain]

If the stripe's not perfect, then it has to go on this car! The options then, I suppose, are no stripe, pinstripe, or the 2 part stripe like it has now. I think E28s benefit from something to accentuate the line along the body, but might be inclined to go pinstripe - is it silver/black on a white car?

Re: red leather, this is rather nice! I'm going to assume everyone can tell what the car is..

[wkohler]

Dodge Colt Vista

[snakebrain]

Dodge Colt Vista

Close, but no carrot!!

[Dinan e28]

I personally, love red Interiors. But I don't think, I would have done a thing to the original, if it looked as good at it did in the picture.
I love the wheels, they would work in any color in that car.
Maybe a hand painted red stripe, would work well on it.

[Kyle in NO]

I think it's a neat car but since there's really not much original left on the car, the "time capsule" moniker doesn't really fit it in my opinion.

I have to agree with this 100%. It's a shame that most of the low-mile originality is now gone. The car is rather less appealing now than when it was acquired IMO, since it's only original once. Maybe doing just the bumpers and a set of wheels would have been spot-on, but this just seems a bit gaudy with the flamboyant interior color and seats. Past RonP efforts have always been pure class, but this one leaves me scratching my head.

Shame this wasn't done with a more average car for the same result. Sorry, just my take.

[Dinan e28]

Do not like. The interior is crass, the wheels are gangsta and the look is cheap'n'nasty. A potentially great car ruined.

Tell us what you really think?

Well, it's also clean as hell and I'm sure it's in immaculate mechanical condition and so on, but imo it's crossed the line between OEM+ and tasteless modification.

Yours looks great, just enough to make it look mean without going into boy racer terrain..

As for personal taste, it's a customers choice. I would if it were my car, possibly went with sport seats in black or keep the seats stock.
I would love a dark red, or Taurus red interior.
I'm probably going to dye the M5 interior parts I have black, to match my black sport interior. When I get a M5 center console that is my plan.

[bsegalis]

I was looking at the finished product and my initial reaction was that I didn't like it, but then I tried to figure out what it is that I didn't like. I think I figured it out. I respect your choice of the interior set-up, but I think what gives people the wrong taste on their taste buds is that the interior and exterior do not work well together. Separately, it all works, but together does not. There is too much color that may not match. I think if you take off the stripe and replace the wheels with something that is plain silver or polished, or perhaps even gray, and you might get a different result. Just try it and post pic on the board. Or perhaps you have a set of open lug Alpinas to try on. I've been following your cars on BAT and this board and have enormous respect for your work. I figured I post a recommendation, though, since I feel like all the parts a great, but doing a bit of a solo instead of being a band.

[Kyle in NO]

I think if you take off the stripe and replace the wheels with something that is plain silver or polished, or perhaps even gay, and you might get a different result.

I'm personally not a fan of gay wheels.

[Dinan e28]

BMW Individual original interior full leather.





The red looks looks brighter in a white car.
And its more lipstick, then cherry.


I think that a different stripe will fix everything, if not lighter platinum or silver factory BBS colors on the RS's.

[BDK]

Ron, your attention to detail is just insane.
OCD Much??!!??

Those Recaro's are ultra rare and a great choice.

Rock on with your bad self!!!!!

[stuartinmn]

Snakebrain, Now, please help me with the stripe!!!! I liked it a lot when I temporarily had my Hartge wheels on it, but just don't know if I like it now. Opinions?

I like the interior, but I'm not too crazy about the stripe...it's a little too busy, I think.

Here's a question for you about Alpine white cars: I recently bought a minty Alpine 325ix that's in great shape overall, but it appears the paint inside the engine compartment has yellowed a little. I haven't taken delivery of the car yet so I haven't examined this closely - it may just need to be cleaned, but I'm wondering if it's something that happens to white cars because of engine heat over time. I've never owned a white car before so I don't have any experience in this area.

[tschultz]

Snakebrain, Now, please help me with the stripe!!!! I liked it a lot when I temporarily had my Hartge wheels on it, but just don't know if I like it now. Opinions?

I like the interior, but I'm not too crazy about the stripe...it's a little too busy, I think.

Here's a question for you about Alpine white cars: I recently bought a minty Alpine 325ix that's in great shape overall, but it appears the paint inside the engine compartment has yellowed a little. I haven't taken delivery of the car yet so I haven't examined this closely - it may just need to be cleaned, but I'm wondering if it's something that happens to white cars because of engine heat over time. I've never owned a white car before so I don't have any experience in this area.

^^ Same things happened on my brothers alpine 325iX. Remember the 325ix has a unique/modified engine bay/ front strut setup. I think that has something to do with it.


Some photos outside would give a better picture of the interor color. It looks very bright, but could be due to the flash of the camera. The seats look great. I am not convinced yet if I like or dislike it. I do think some photos outdoors will help give a better perspective, though.

[mooseheadm5]

The yellowing is often from the cosmoline applied to the engine compartments before they were shipped. It can be removed by dissolving it or steaming it off. A friend of mine cleaned all the cosmoline off of the inside of a Passat engine bay by soaking it with diesel soaked rags (lay them on the area to be cleaned and leave them there for a while.)

[Tammer in Philly]

I also don't love the interior, and I know why. It's the same reason I typically dislike red interiors in Porsches (though I love them in most BMWs).

If you order your 911 with a red interior, you get red:
dash
steering wheel
lower dash
console
seats
carpet
door panels

It's RED. EVERYWHERE.

BMW typically does red seat leather and door panel inserts, with anthracite or black carpet and console/dash. The result is far more muted and, IMO, tasteful.

I'm also pretty strongly anti-pinstripe, though I know it is "period." Otherwise, very nice.

-tammer

[GaAlpinaOwner]

Geez for goodness sakes folks the car is a Ron P Cali Special....you know how these Left Coasters are right...

I applaud the efffort to make this car anything but Stock E28 boring, ...The red interior sticks out like a Way Too Hot Curvey Blonde in heat! Ron went for wild, not typical E28 mild.......get the #@$#@ over it. There are plenty of stock wheels and interiors to put it back to plain original and plain BORING!

To hell with it...sell me the damn red interior and I will swap it out in my 88 M5..I am sure this will make some of your heads spin right off ....

[Sarc]

A potentially great car ruined.

That's a bit much don't you think? I never understood why people actually take the time to write such criticism on the internet. I have enough trouble as it is getting the motivation to log on and write something positive. Such is the life of a lurker I guess. But you know what they say about opinions....so here's mine.

I think it's turning out to be (as expected) a well well executed project by someone who has a well established track record kicking these cars out. Are there things I would do differently? Absolutely. But my vision is different and tends towards the more understated side of things. Though lobster red is not as vibrant in person as the photos suggest (my uncle purchased a charcoal/lobster 911SC new back in the day) its still pretty strong and not to everyone's liking...but I would hardly call the project ruined.
Many would agree that benchmark for the E28 is the combination of Euro bumpers and silver style 5s. It's the Lennon/McCartney (or Jagger/Richards if you like) of setups.The standard for which all other is measured. In my opinion, it doesn't get any better than the Johnny Miller M5. But you can't churn out the same thing everyday. And everyone has a different vision of what their perfect E28 is, which is why we have the stanceworkers of the world or the people that still insist on putting tupperware on their rockers. Kudos to RP for listening to his "artsy vibe" and seeing where this takes him. As they say in the car business, "there's an ass for every seat". So I'm sure this car will have no problem finding its way out of the shop.

Well done Ron!

[AT8M5]

To hell with it...sell me the damn red interior and I will swap it out in my 88 M5..I am sure this will make some of your heads spin right off ....

Easy there David! Did you made sure RCBMW has a LIFE ALERT handy before you posted?

Sarc, very well stated. The pictures don't do the interior justice, it's nowhere as bright as it appears in them. In person it looked stunning imo. It's a little brighter than Cardinal, and not as muted as Taurus, which again imo is a good thing. And those seats (especially the fronts) are buttery soft and just plain sexy as hell for lack of a better explanation. I feel for ya Ron, if you had left the original comforts in there, someone would have bitched it didn't have sports.

As for the stripes,I thought they looked perfect with the Hartges mounted, they set off the body lines nicely. Funny how changing something as simple as the wheels can change the compatability of the end product.

Karl

[grahamular]

Those seats look pretty amazing! Only thing I'd change is to go with silver centers and caps on the RSs.

Graham

[GaAlpinaOwner]

To hell with it...sell me the damn red interior and I will swap it out in my 88 M5..I am sure this will make some of your heads spin right off ....

Easy there David! Did you made sure RCBMW has a LIFE ALERT handy before you posted?

Karl

Karl that is funny as hell and he knows me all too well to see my sarcasm....but it would sexy on a M5 Black painted car...or a Red one....

[RonP]

Update:

Car sold for well over $30,000 and it has been delivered to it's new owner in the PNW. He loves the car just as it was built, red interior and all. Happy Trails!

[Eddie in TO]

Congratulations to you and the new owner. I bet he'll love every moment with his new toy.

[bsegalis]

It looks like you deleted the stripe and swapped wheels. Some of us really liked the different pieces, just said they didn't match. With the stripe gone and wheels swapped, the look is completely different. Or simply more awesome.

[RonP]

I really thought the stripe was going to look great combined with the BBS wheels, but I hated it! Didn't like the wheels either.