Fixing the ubiquitous BMW armrest tray design flaw

Are there any other well-tested options to fix the ubiquitous BMW armrest tray design flaw?

  1. No cost BMW armrest upgrade (functional & comfortable yet ugly):
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  2. Medium cost BMW arm rest upgrade (functional & comfortable & presentable):
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  3. High cost (for a simple armrest) BMW armrest upgrade (slightly more functional & just as comfortable & presentable):
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Reply to
Shaft Drive
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Buy a German BMW!

The German BMWs have the comfortable center arm rest without the uncomfortable phone tray placed in all American BMWs. Likewise with the cupholders. German BMW cupholders don't exist. The American BMW cupholders are acknowledged crap. Same with the outside arm rests. The German BMW doesn't have an outside arm rest to hurt your arm. The American BMW arm rest is garbage.

Basically it's your fault for buying an American BMW instead of the German BMW.

xxx

Reply to
Han. wls Wil

...and you can buy the center storage bin (don't forget the little rubber mats that go inside it) quite inexpensively to replace the cupholders, even from dealers in the USA. Unfortunately, you need the entire interior door panel to replace the door armrests.

JRE

Reply to
JRE

What kind of pricing would the high cost arm rest solutions be? I called a Dealer in Toronto who does not stock it, and said that they would source and sell it to me for $776.00 - that is a way high cost fix.

Reply to
George Johnston

Yes. 1988 BMW 535is. No armrest. No tray. No flaw.

Don't use big words like 'ubiquitous' unless they apply. ;^)

-- C.R. Krieger (In the old red BMW that just passed you.)

Reply to
C.R. Krieger

I have an armrest on my 1986 535i. Unfortunately the leather on it is falling apart... spent some outrageous amount of money ($105) to a mail-order BMW place for a German seat cover... unfortunately the seat cover was made in China, only the instructions were German, and it didn't cover the arms.

Any suggestions on a _decent_ seat cover, which actually covers the arms? It would be nice if I could get it in brick red also, but I'll take black. Anything has to be cheaper than re-upholstering.

What about 'reprehensible' and 'overpriced?'

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

535i and 535is do not have the same front seats.

I'd shop junkyards, ebay, or hit the good E28 sites.

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is about the best. Roadfly's E28 board is a close second.

That's *Cardinal*. If you're interested in a nice '87 'is interior (10-way power sport seats; *no* armrests!) in that color, buy my old car.

Those are OK, but definitely not French. /:^(

-- C.R. Krieger (Been there; drove that)

Reply to
C.R. Krieger

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