April 2, 2000
By: Ed Bansch

DISCLAIMER: The writer of this article assumes no responsibility what-so-ever for this armrest. It is given to you as a do- it- yourself project and you and you alone assume ALL responsibility for it's construction, installation and any possible damage to your vehicle in connection with it. Also note that it may be unwise or illegal to obstruct the hand/emergency brake. Again you and you alone bear full responsibility. READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS THOROUGHLY BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH THIS PROJECT.

First if your OEM arm rest has no metal rod in back for the rear lid, has only little rubber bumpers without plastic surrounding them and a rubber mat in storage compartment instead of nice soft material you have the "old style", pre-1997, and I would highly recommend you use the new cupholder for this job. For everyone else why not use the new cupholder anyway since it's unscratched and not in the car. Yes, you will have to remove the cupholder assembly in the car and replace with the hinged one you'll make. I see no way to drill, align and rivet on the assembly while still in the car. It's only one screw or one nut and bolt.

OK, Let's begin to make YOUR Z3 dual arm rest.

If you are going to dip or paint the bumper stop DO IT NOW! Screw in 1 1/2"x 10-24 machine screw through bumper until it's recessed under the opening and flush with bumper base. Bumper is not threaded so this will require a little force. Give bumper 2 coats of dip or paint. Try to keep dip off threads. Let dry overnight. Take lids off new assembly (un-hook o-rings). The lids in your car now will replace these on this side of cupholder assembly LATER. Remove with either a hacksaw or razor knife the lid latch tabs on both lids. Cutoff flush with lid side.

PUTTING ON HINGES
Pull the pin out of one of the hinges. Get some seperation using putty knife then use wide blade screwdriver to pry out. Align 2 barrel half with the back edge of assembly, get it lined up with lid and even with top edge. Mark holes and drill 3/16" holes. Clean off any drilled material. Note: Line up back lid (SMALLER ONE WITH BOTH CORNERS CUT OUT) with outside edge of assembly. This gives a nice space between old and new lids. Line up hinge on lid and back of assembly. Make sure edge of hinge is even with both lid edge and assembly edge. This is very important to understand, pay close attention to this picture. First visualize that the back lid is on the top left hand side of the assembly (where I made the pen marking.) You need to line up the lid with that side in order to get space between the two armrests. Now you also need to align the hinge halfs. One on back lid and one on assembly. Take note that this hinge half is NOT centered in that assembly space so we can create that needed spacing BUT it will be centered to the matching other half of hinge. We do that by holding up the FULL hinge with lid on assembly and marking sides of top and bottom hinge. Now one more thing. When you get set to mark holes you line up hinge half with edge of assembly (this case) or in next case edge of lid. This is the model you follow for each hinge. VERY IMPORTANT!

Get rivet gun loaded with 3/16 rivet, place hinge over holes and rivet. Keep it level and flush (both assembly edge and hinge edge are flush.) **Please note these rivets touch the inside wall of the assembly when first inserted, pushing the rivet head away from hinge. With a light squeeze take up on the rivet so that it gets flush with hinge and only then finish snapping rivet. Take other 1 barrel half of that hinge and do the same to the back (2 arched cut outs) of rear (smaller) lid. Be careful to line up hinges and keep hinge and lid edges level and flush with each other

Follow the same proceedure. Remove pin from second hinge and use the 1 barrel half for the front (non arched cut out side) of rear (smaller) lid . Continue on by putting the 2 barrel half on the back (non sloped end) of the forward lid. Again be careful to line up hinges with each other and have hinge edge with lid edge and keep centered. Remember to clean off any excess drilling material. *SMALLER BACK LID SHOULD NOW HAVE A 1 BARREL HALF OF HINGE ON BOTH SIDES.

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