[ckegg]

I am talking about this one under dash circled in picture, not in armrest box or around center console

because.... mine 11 335 idrive doesn't have, and I look at my friends 07 328 doesn't have it either

[jackson29]

idrive... it looks like a 08 and before...

is that an euro thing?

[BobsM3Coupe]

US cars don't get that thing.

[Deltari09]

Oh! I totally remember having that on my old 850i, although it ended up breaking off -,- That would be so nice if I had it on my '11.

[ceb]

US crash laws (knee protection) generally don't allow those. You'll find those on some Japanese and US cars that are built around US standards but you'll find that on few (if any) European cars in the US.

Why? The bracket that holds the coin holder in place has reinforcements to keep the dash from flexing. That makes the area around the holder very stiff and not easily deformably if your knee whacks it.

On US versions of Euro cars those two brackets are replaced by a straight metal brace that keeps the dash from flexing yet will deform easily.

Domestic and Japanese cars use a very flimsy holder that'll flex away easily if impacted.

[wrickem]

I am kind of surprized that nobody has done a DIY to add this to a US car (well, not that I've come across anyway).

[Kevin Harney]

Originally Posted by wrickem

I am kind of surprized that nobody has done a DIY to add this to a US car (well, not that I've come across anyway).

I was just thinking that it would be a good DIY also !!

[taibanl]

1 for DIY!

[FVM3]

DIY!!!!

[Amlethae]

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...12&hg=51&fg=30



Looks like Part #1 on this diagram. Around $57. I can't tell if other trim pieces need to be replaced to have it. Does anyone have this on their car and could share pictures? I'd be willing to order it and DIY it if I could get a sense of all the parts involved.

[Kevin Harney]

Originally Posted by Amlethae

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...12&hg=51&fg=30



Looks like Part #1 on this diagram. Around $57. I can't tell if other trim pieces need to be replaced to have it. Does anyone have this on their car and could share pictures? I'd be willing to order it and DIY it if I could get a sense of all the parts involved.

There has to be at least one dash piece to replace. One that has a hole for the drawer. Hopefully that piece will have the mounting brackets needed for the drawer as well.

[Amlethae]

Originally Posted by Kevin Harney

There has to be at least one dash piece to replace. One that has a hole for the drawer. Hopefully that piece will have the mounting brackets needed for the drawer as well.

I guess it depends on what's in that spot already. Sometimes parts come with the proper mounting hardware for retrofit (hopefully). I'm not near my at all today, if someone wants to go out and take a look at what's there already... maybe even remove what's there and take pictures, that'd be awesome.

[Kevin Harney]

Originally Posted by Amlethae

I guess it depends on what's in that spot already. Sometimes parts come with the proper mounting hardware for retrofit (hopefully). I'm not near my at all today, if someone wants to go out and take a look at what's there already... maybe even remove what's there and take pictures, that'd be awesome.

Even if the bracket is already there you still need at least a dash piece with a hole in it for the drawer.

[ceb]

Why doesn't someone compare this to the US dash drawing. I'd be very surprised if it didn't involve lots of modification and perhaps even a complete dash assembly.

Do US dasboards have that hole in the dash (not the trim - you'll need new trim) under the lightswitch opening? Is there a brace there?

[Amlethae]

Looks like it's part #2 in this diagram w/ Storage Compartment Package (JAPAN only) ... probably around $500+... not worth it for a coin holder ;-)

[Kevin Harney]

OK. I did some snooping around my car. But I did not take it apart. It looks to me like there is a lower trim piece that goes from the right side of the drivers area to the left side under the steering wheel. It seems to me that that is the piece that you will have to get with the hole in it for the drawer. Now to actually FIND the part LOL.

[ceb]

Originally Posted by Kevin Harney

OK. I did some snooping around my car. But I did not take it apart. It looks to me like there is a lower trim piece that goes from the right side of the drivers area to the left side under the steering wheel. It seems to me that that is the piece that you will have to get with the hole in it for the drawer. Now to actually FIND the part LOL.

Right, but is there space behind that trim piece for the cubby?

[ENINTY]

If the part is not a US part, I doubt you'd be able to get it. BMW stopped sales on all non-US spec parts.

[Kevin Harney]

Originally Posted by ceb

Right, but is there space behind that trim piece for the cubby?

Yes but the cubby need a hole to mount through. And it screws on. So while there is empty space behind it to allow for the cubby the cubby must mount to something that has a hole in it to allow the back to pass through and the front to be flush with the surface.

[Kevin Harney]

I also found THIS that might help. But I am pretty sure they are wrong when they say you need to replace the whole dashboard. I am 99% sure that my trim piece down there is a separate smaller piece.

[ckegg]

I found some pictures that may help
There is a chunk of styrofoam at drawer area
pictures found in Booster4075's i-drive retrofit guide

[VTECaddict]

The dash is one single piece as you can see from the picture above. unless you want to cut a hole in yours, you would need to import an entire euro dash.