Arm Rest Parts

[Epic]

Hey Guys.

My left hand arm rest (passenger side in Australia) has failed.

I'm unsure what pieces I have here and what I need. I think someone has had a go at 'fixing' it previously as seen with the metal fabricated piece below.

It is a different assembly to the drivers (right) side and the left ones on a search appear to be a different style for a left hand drive car.

Any tips appreciated.

Thanks

 

[dlacey]

Hey Epic, yes the left door armrest is a mirror-image of the RH door on RHD cars only, for LHD the Left Hand armrest is a shorter flat shelf with the handle portion integrated, the RH door is same worldwide LHD/RHD.

 

 

Edited January 5, 2021 by dlacey

[John_in_VA]

Maybe those with 3D printing skills can duplicate your broken plastic pieces.

Another option would be to check the classified sections on this forum for parts for sale or place a "parts wanted" ad.

Jaymic in UK might have parts available - https://www.jaymic.com/

Good luck!

[Mike Self]

I had that plastic piece break on my '69 driver's side door from too many years of enthusiastic door closing.  I took a piece of soft aluminum sheet (a scrap piece of aluminum house siding, IIRC) and dollied it out so it matched the curve of the broken piece, then trimmed to fit and glued it to the back side of the broken plastic.  It's still holding, and I think I did that at least 25 years ago...it's worth a try.

 

mike

[Epic]

Thanks all. So the plastic piece that I have is incomplete and broken? And the metal piece is someone else’s handiwork?

@Mike Selfid love to see a photo of yours. I still can’t understand how they mount to the doors. The shape is identical but this left hand piece doesn’t have a screw hole from the smaller piece back into the door. It must mount differently?

[Mike Self]

3 hours ago, Epic said:

d love to see a photo of yours. I still can’t understand how they mount to the doors. The shape is identical but this left hand piece doesn’t have a screw hole from the smaller piece back into the door. It must mount differently?

Mine isn't nearby, unfortunately but will take a picture and post on this thread when I get back to the car.  The pieces you show look kinda like the driver's side armrest on a LHD car, but without one to compare in my hot little hand, I'm just not sure.  Could you post a picture of yours as reassembled (not on the door) as you can?  I'm presuming all those plastic pieces were once one, but it's hard to tell.  It's the similar curved piece on my car that I reinforced with aluminum and glued back together.  For the aluminum backing, you can also us a piece of offset litho plate--much thinner aluminum and easier to shape.  Print shops will usually give you a few; they're great for making patterns and little reinforcing jobs like this.

 

mike

 

 

[jimk]

12 hours ago, Epic said:

The shape is identical but this left hand piece doesn’t have a screw hole from the smaller piece back into the door. It must mount differently?

Remove the door card and locate the upper mounting hole.  

[Epic]

If I know what is missing or how it should attach, I can get a 3D piece made up. But as it stands, I cannot figure out what I am missing.

 

The smaller part of the arm rest does not have a hole for the screw. The drivers (RHD) side does. Hence the correct assembly is a mystery to me.

 

[2002iii]

Looks to me like someone  recovered that part and didn't make a hole for the screw. It looks like there's a whole for a screw on the back side, I would stick a small needle through that hole and see if it comes through were the hole should be. Check out the pictures in this thread for reference.

[Mike Self]

My guess as to how the broken plastic piece fits into the back side of the armrest...

 

 

RHD armrest.pptx

[02Les]

Don't know what year your '02 is, but the arm rest in question is, I believe, from an early RHD car. The metal plate, that has broken into pieces bolted to the arm rest and to the door, and, I think, the vinyl cover piece was a push-on type location on the metal plate. Can be seen on page 51/57 in the BMW parts book, or RealOem?.

Your driver side arm rest, with the screw, is the later type and as per the pics below and what I have on my Nov '73 build Touring. The BMW parts book does not (for some reason) show a picture of this type, but does give a different part no. from the earlier one.

 

If all else fails, you could post a want ad in the UK 2002 Forum.

http://www.02forum.co.uk/

 

[Epic]

On 1/7/2021 at 11:43 AM, Mike Self said:

My guess as to how the broken plastic piece fits into the back side of the armrest...

 

 

RHD armrest.pptx 691.96 kB · 11 downloads

Thanks Mike. Legend.

The piece marked metal/plastic? is in fact plastic and was once a part of the plastic piece that is un labeled on your file.

The unlabelled bit is the bit that was screwed into the door like a bracket. This was then placed under the metal piece and it was all sandwiched together - poorly - and screwed/rivited together.

@02Les it is a 1968 RHD Australian Delivered car. VIN 1650555.

[Epic]

@2002iii I'm not sure that this would be strong enough by itself. An additional metal piece may be the answer though, bringing it all together and attaching it like the opposite side arm rest.

 

Thanks

 

[dlacey]

I have probably got an RHD part I can send over (just postage costs)...but only black/blue...dont think I have Tan

[Epic]

17 hours ago, dlacey said:

I have probably got an RHD part I can send over (just postage costs)...but only black/blue...dont think I have Tan

@dlacey Mate that would be awesome. Can i grab a photo? And i'll PM you and we can sort something out.

Cheers

Scott