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July 13, 1998
By: Carter Lee
I know there's a BMW first-aid kit (51-47-8-163-269) but a few things about it didn't suit me right. Without any dedicated place in my trunk for it, it'd likely make itself known rolling around back there every time I'd find some corners to attack. It also looked a bit bulkier than I liked. Oh, I'm sure it's probably outfitted with damn near everything short of a defibrillator..and a nice lawyer-approved Roundel embossed on the leather case...but I'm just looking for something that'll hold the occasionalBand-Aidd and alcohol wipes for minor scrapes and cuts. Anything more serious and I'll warm up the PPO medical card.
I filed away a mysterious part number that's supposed to be a bracket (51-47-8-398-906) for the first-aid kit, but never went to check if this was for the Z3 and if so, where it would take up trunk space. Since manufacturer information was typically sparse and suggested dealer prices are high, I wasn't about to reward the behavior with a purchase. I struck out to add a practical boo-boo kit to the Z3 — my way...
For this kit I'd suggest obtaining the following items:
- Compact first-aid kit. The one I found at Target measures 4" × 6" and might've cost around $6. It contains a light smattering of adhesive bandages, sponge dressing pads, knuckle bandage, alcohol pads,antisepticc pads, sting relief, iodine packet, adhesive tape roll, gauze, latex gloves and aspirin tablets — all in a sturdy plastic case with better hinges than most kits in this category. I've enhanced this kit with some junk-mail samples of PepcidAC, Tylenol and allergy tablets. I'd like to round this out with a quality pair of fold-up metal scissors and some zip-loc bags (medical waste).
- Someone told me to look for a liquid bandage. Sounded neat. I found something called New-Skin — antiseptic liquid bandages. These were sold as a box of ten small individual 1.0ml packets. I replaced five of the first-aid kit's old-tecBand-Aidsds with the New-Skin packets. The New-Skin liquid is supposed to congeal to form a protective barrier against further infection. This appeals to me because traditional Band-Aids would take up 3 inches to protect a 1 inch spot and wouldn't always stay put.
- A package containing 30 inches of each side of Velcro®. (Generically known as Hook & Loop fastener) Look for the sew-on plain-back version. Don't get the peel-off adhesive-backed version.
- And lastly a needle, some thread to match the Velcro and a pair of scissors.
Up on the top right corner of the trunk (behind the driver's rear wheelwell hump) is a spot begging to be used. I dare say the trunk molding is such that it was meant for something. I'm not sure what the three cut-out ovals are for, but it was a primo opportunity for a fastening point.
I fished a piece of Velcro® through the two middle slats successfully. This tells me I found a suitable mounting point. My first-aid kit was light enough where it'd never cause any weight-related damage to the spot. Now to fashion a Velcro harness. This would secure the kit onto the slats in a manner that allowed quick and easy access. The Shortcut Crowd is probably wondering: 'Why go through the pain and just simply try to Velcro® the kit to the semi-fuzzy carpeting?' If you somehow find that to work, congratulations. I, however, don't consider that secure enough. A few bounces & corners and the carpeting will likely release.
The Velcro® harness I've made looks like a sideways "T" when laid flat. It requires stitching together two areas — three if you want to get fancy.
The pieces overlap and get stitched in the manner shown. The "Hook" strip feels harder to the touch. The "Loop" strip is softer and fuzzy. Both strips have a useful and useless side. Pay attention to the orientation of each strip. It would help to look ahead in this article to see how each piece serves it's purpose. This should allow you to cut the appropriate-length piece. Once you finish the first two critical stitches, that's it! The project now only needs to be mounted. Start by wrapping the cross-arms of the "T" over and under the boo-boo kit. These tips should overlap and Velcro together.
The long body stem of the "T" simply goes around the box, fishes itself behind those carpeting slats, and comes back around the other side of the box. Tighten up any slack here before Velcro'ing the Hook surface over the fuzzy cross-intersection. The third fancy stitch can be done to the very end of this "T" stem. Fold a half inch of the very end back under itself to cover a bit of the Hook surface. Stitch this closed. This creates a grip tab to start pulling from.
So there you have it; a useful, compact, sturdy boo-boo kit personallized to your needs and occupying a spot in the trunk you'd otherwise never use. If it weren't for the $5 box of liquid bandage packets, total project cost would be $7.50.
Don't plan on taking up razor blade juggling? No problem, you can probably find other things to keep in this re-claimed trunk space...emergency CD wallet? snack box? ammo? ant farm? Hey, it's your space.
Notice: The author assumes no liability nor offers any guarantees your project will go as smoothly or result in the same improvement or usability. Attend a qualified first-aid and CPR class to ensure you administer proper aid to yourself or others. All known issues have been laid down in the clearest manner possible. Despite this, the amount of redundant e-mail sent to the author is expected to be substantial. Not all questions will be answered...some might even get laughed at.
