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Thread: DIY: Retrofit E39 Side Blinds

  1. #1
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    DIY: Retrofit E39 Side Blinds

    Okay folks, as some of you know I retrofitted the side blinds recently. I've bought an all black doorcards set with the side blinds, and my existing doorcards are grey with light silver grey nappa leathers. So after researching on the net and asking several people who have done it, its obvious that I needed to merge the two doorcards together. Basically I needed the top trims of the donor doorcards and associated brackets etc and transfer it to my existing doorcard. I don't find this retrofit to be too hard, but it does take a bit of time to get completed.

    Here goes the steps:


    My big parcel came from UK. Due to size and weight, have to ship via sea and took a while to get here.


    No wonder its big and heavy, the seller over wrapped the items. There were lots and lots of newspaper, boxes and other stuff to fill the box.


    Everything unpacked. Unfortunately the seller forgot to include some trims, brackets and hooks. After I complained to him, he did found the trims and posted it to me, the rest of the brackets and hooks I bought myself from an online seller quite cheap since its just small items. For some reason the seller also included the exterior shadowline trim which I dont need since i already have it on my car.


    First thing is to remove the blind itself. Easy, 3 screws and pull it out.






    Then you will need to remove these 4 clips, 3 were plastic and one in the end is a metal clip. Two were glued on, and two were riveted.




    You will need to peel off the top foam/plastic part out from the wood backing. Its glued on with quite a strong adhesive. I used a pry tool to do it, and managed to separate the pieces without destroying any of its parts.


    The top trim and the brackets separated from the donor doorcard.


    This bit is different from the normal doorcard without the side blinds. Thats why you need to rip this part off the donor doorcard. I was quite lucky, as the side blinds are rare enough, and I found one with the black Shadowline interior trims in really good condition. Note that some of these doorcards come in chrome trims.


    Then you will need to peel off the top trim of your existing doorcard too.


    Compare the donor and recipient doorcards, and draw a line of where would you need to cut it.


    I used a Dremel tool with saw bit to do the cutting of the doorcard wood backing and it works well and quick.


    Doorcard wood backing cut as required.




    Then you will need to drill 7 holes on each doorcard for the screw and rivets to come through. Again compare it with the donor doorcard to get the exact locations.




    Glue the new top trim to your existing doorcards. I used 'Amazing Goop' automotive grade adhesive that I found in the local hardware shop, I guess you can use any strong adhesive that will stick wood to plastic/foam material.




    Rivet the two brackets to the wood backing.


    The other two brackets I glued back on using the 'Amazing Goop' above.






    Mount the new side blinds onto the doorcards using 3 screws and the 4 brackets just now.


    Tested the doorcard with the rest of the trims. Everything seems to go where it should.

  2. #2
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    Now do the other side






    Now these were the hooks and brackets that were not included by the seller and I had to buy them separately.




    The hooks mounted on the window trim.


    The new window trim with the hooks installed in the car. The remove the old one, there is one plastic plug towards the back of the trim and the rest just pulls out.


    Mount the doorcards in.




    Screw in the brackets for the small quarter blind, and the blind will just clip in.





    Now everything is installed nicely =)

    As you can from the last photo I have two kids normally seated in the back. Together with my newly installed rear electric blind they would be nicely seated in the shade now. Result!

  3. #3
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    Nice! I'd love to do this, but finding the sun shades for the touring is like finding hen's teeth.

    But I'm wondering if I could use a sedan door card, and just find the blinds. Hmmm, can you measure the length of the top of the door card?
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  4. #4
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    Nice!
    "My man did you simply get carried away with your dramatic gesture or were you pointing your water gun at me with lethal intentions ?"

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by sfgearhead View Post
    Nice! I'd love to do this, but finding the sun shades for the touring is like finding hen's teeth.

    But I'm wondering if I could use a sedan door card, and just find the blinds. Hmmm, can you measure the length of the top of the door card?
    Well, found one for you on the German ebay. Not sure about the top trim colour though, its in beige. I guess you could recolor them if you want to:

    http://www.ebay.de/itm/BMW-E39-5er-S...ht_4602wt_1396

    (Use Google Translate to view the page in English)
    Last edited by johnate; 02-09-2012 at 02:05 PM.

  6. #6
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    Nice work. Though it seems like a lot of work for something that you can achieve with cheapo suction cups and a generic shade.

    I'd love to have that and the electric rear curtain as an included extra, but retrofitting all that without anyone ever riding on the back seat would be insane. I see you have kids so that's obviously a very good reason to do it.
    Resident Third World Country Advisor

  7. #7
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    nice
    I am planning to do the same but my car interior is black so i guess i will just buy the same BLACK doors and just swap them
    Last edited by champaign777; 02-09-2012 at 02:46 PM.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by champaign777 View Post
    nice
    I am planning to do the same but my car interior is black so i guess i will just buy the same BLACK doors and just swap them
    That would be really easy then.

  9. #9
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    Nice work but looked like a lot For some Shades..
    2003 ///M5. ~ Jet Black/ Le Mans Blue


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  10. #10
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    You obviously don't have kids.

    My wife just this week strongly requested that I figure out how to shade our 4 month old daughter so she doesn't scream when the sun is blinding her. She's too young to do anything about it except scream. So she screams at my wife, and my wife comes in and screams at me. The management chain. Stupid me just removed the tint a few weeks ago cause it was too dark. Doh. Call me crazy for wanting to be able to see out at night.
    No current BMWs.
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  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by crdiscoverer View Post
    Nice work. Though it seems like a lot of work for something that you can achieve with cheapo suction cups and a generic shade.

    I'd love to have that and the electric rear curtain as an included extra, but retrofitting all that without anyone ever riding on the back seat would be insane. I see you have kids so that's obviously a very good reason to do it.
    True, but it does not look as clean or function as elegantly.

    Quote Originally Posted by sfgearhead View Post
    You obviously don't have kids.

    My wife just this week strongly requested that I figure out how to shade our 4 month old daughter so she doesn't scream when the sun is blinding her. She's too young to do anything about it except scream. So she screams at my wife, and my wife comes in and screams at me. The management chain. Stupid me just removed the tint a few weeks ago cause it was too dark. Doh. Call me crazy for wanting to be able to see out at night.
    Yeah that management chain sounds rough on your years.

    OP great awesome up! Yeah its a lot of work, but if you have kids or it you just think its cool then I think its worth it. Personally it took me a year to find my car in part because it had the manual side shades and the power rear shade.
    E39 2003 530i: SP, CWP, PP, Manual, Sunshades, Split folding rear seats, 17" Style 42s|
    UUC SSK & DSSR, Eibach sway bars, Powerflex bushings, Angel Ibright V3, ZHP illuminated shift knob, e38 Euro Armrest, Dice Media Bridge, spec.dock, OEM Mtech F&R bumpers, Hella Bi-Xenon (EVOX-R)

    E28 1987 535is: Manual, Bilstein HDs, 16" Style 5v2 (from e38) [Sold]

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by crdiscoverer View Post
    Nice work. Though it seems like a lot of work for something that you can achieve with cheapo suction cups and a generic shade.

    I'd love to have that and the electric rear curtain as an included extra, but retrofitting all that without anyone ever riding on the back seat would be insane. I see you have kids so that's obviously a very good reason to do it.
    I had the suction cup shades all these while and hated every second of it. Been looking for the side blinds for a while and just lucked out and find a set recently. Together with rear electric blind I've just retrofitted last month, it works great under the harsh tropical sun we have here in Malaysia.

  13. #13
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    Could I buy the old 4 door trim tops that you removed? The black ones?!?!

    PM me if possible!

    I want to fit them to my cream/sandbeige e39
    Quote Originally Posted by hakhawk
    I know first hand that owning a bmw isnt what made hozy the way he is, its just his charm
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    HoZY is good guy and has proven it many times by being a longtime participant in this community.


  14. #14
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    Could I buy the old 4 door trim tops that you removed? The black ones?!?!

    PM me if possible!

    I want to fit them to my cream/sandbeige e39
    Quote Originally Posted by hakhawk
    I know first hand that owning a bmw isnt what made hozy the way he is, its just his charm
    Quote Originally Posted by geargrinder
    HoZY is good guy and has proven it many times by being a longtime participant in this community.


  15. #15
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    Though it seems like a lot of work for something that you can achieve with cheapo suction cups and a generic shade.


  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by HoZy View Post
    Could I buy the old 4 door trim tops that you removed? The black ones?!?!

    PM me if possible!

    I want to fit them to my cream/sandbeige e39
    I dont mind letting them go, however I only have the two rear door's top trims. The front ones stays in my car since they weren't changed. Another issue is I'm in Malaysia mate, its postage halfway round the world and I bet it wouldnt be cheap.
    Last edited by johnate; 02-10-2012 at 04:58 AM.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by FinfordHenn
    Though it seems like a lot of work for something that you can achieve with cheapo suction cups and a generic shade.
    I thought the same thing, that or a dark tint. But then I thought about how few people can say they have retractable shades in their doors.

  18. #18
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    Given how difficult it is to find used touring shades, and since I don't want dark tint on all the time, I'm looking into these instead:

    http://www.upshadeauto.com/

    Anybody used them?
    No current BMWs.
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  19. #19
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    Mine are f****d
    Where can i buy just the shades?

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by sfgearhead View Post
    Given how difficult it is to find used touring shades, and since I don't want dark tint on all the time, I'm looking into these instead:

    http://www.upshadeauto.com/

    Anybody used them?
    So I take it the rear doors on a touring are different than the rear doors on the sedans? I figured they were the same.

    Quote Originally Posted by bErio View Post
    Mine are f****d
    Where can i buy just the shades?
    If the mesh is torn or ripped you probably need new ones. But if you are having issues with your shades not retracting there are DIY ways to repair them. You should be able to find them on here with some searching.
    E39 2003 530i: SP, CWP, PP, Manual, Sunshades, Split folding rear seats, 17" Style 42s|
    UUC SSK & DSSR, Eibach sway bars, Powerflex bushings, Angel Ibright V3, ZHP illuminated shift knob, e38 Euro Armrest, Dice Media Bridge, spec.dock, OEM Mtech F&R bumpers, Hella Bi-Xenon (EVOX-R)

    E28 1987 535is: Manual, Bilstein HDs, 16" Style 5v2 (from e38) [Sold]

  21. #21
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    Nice write up!

    I have to disassemble one of mine on my touring as it doesn't retract.

    Likely kids have a lego or "something" else in there.

    These are great for the tourings (different shape than the sedan). Use them all the time with the kids / passengers.
    Jason

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  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by bErio View Post
    Mine are f****d
    Where can i buy just the shades?
    if you find some before me ill be pissed.
    2003 ///M5. ~ Jet Black/ Le Mans Blue


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  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by bErio View Post
    Mine are f****d
    Where can i buy just the shades?
    eBay or a breakers yard. Prices are crazy though for what they are..

    Theres a few selling now.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by johnate View Post
    eBay or a breakers yard. Prices are crazy though for what they are..

    Theres a few selling now.
    I saw that
    What the freaking reason for that?
    This stuff cant be that expensive to make!

  25. #25
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    You know they are rare.

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