Sun Visor Reupholstery

[bran.stum]

Hey everyone!

I'm currently having my slicktop headliner, pillars, and parcel shelf reupholstered in Alcantara. I am wanting to have the sun visors done as well, but the shop I went to let me know that they most likely wouldn't be able to make them look factory and retain functionality of the mirrors. My goal is to have everything look factory, so I had him skip those while I figure out a solution. Most options that I've seen online (euroconnex, bmwrestoredseats, etc.) seem to work around this by deleting and filling in the mirrors, which is something I would like avoid as much as possible.

For those of you who have had yours reupholstered, how did you deal with this? Was your shop/person able to wrap them in a way that looked factory and retained the mirrors? Or are there factory Alcantara/leather sun visor options from other models (e39, e60, e63, etc.) that are interchangeable with the e46?

Or am I choosing a weird hill to die on and should just go the easy route and delete the mirrors?

Thanks in advance!

[TexaZ3]

How about this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/126849015028?_skw=bmw+e46+leather+sunvisors&itmmeta=01JJTR47HV6DYYN6EA5M288C8P&hash=item1d88ca5cf4:g:5QYAAOSwSAtna7K9&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA8HoV3kP08IDx%2BKZ9MfhVJKklSq%2F9nOaMHTGqs%2FP3Th6NxDNJ4SuHIy8ZXPFmq2KIOLYT7f5rT0tUejjIXWLWZV5OEMWKPy%2Fnccz4YqcF%2BXlTkcGhLudeDWrFIyJ0b3Aco5K6Qonvtp3KQ4nGEd%2FrwoyZArBMSrpQfYT5k3Zm2%2BS%2FtpaKFQJQMjToXSxbEoBa%2BsxzZ7oUU81x5nQAQYmjU7NhPITKKwZr%2BgWHxHg%2FI616cmXH0g9%2BWVZUQ4vmhobN6%2Bf01aw58zAPfRxfJc72RoWNEcyGKQyI%2Foq7mEZKn28sbXXa6FVNvFyWEWjJuzah6Q%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6L5kNiWZQ

[George Hill]

bran.stum My upholstery shop said the same thing.

TexaZ3 those are vinyl.

[ugaexploder]

another vote for having an upholstery shop say they would have to cover the mirrors. i guess this is a tougher decision for those wanting to go with 9002 since it's more gray. i think 9002 looks better but i went with 9040 so it made it easier for me to just paint the visors

[Nate047]

You could buy some junk yard visors, cut them open, figure out how they work, try to have them upholstered, etc etc etc... You could spend a ton of time and effort on something super minor with pretty much zero return. Having done that kind of thing myself plenty, I would tend to say just leave well enough alone and put your energy elsewhere.

[PetrolM3]

How about this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/12684901502...Bk9SR6L5kNiWZQ

I like this suggestion. While it won't match the Alcantara headliner any better than the stock material, it will at least match the rest of the interior well enough (black leather and dashboard/door panel texture).

[George Hill]

You could buy some junk yard visors, cut them open, figure out how they work, try to have them upholstered, etc etc etc... You could spend a ton of time and effort on something super minor with pretty much zero return. Having done that kind of thing myself plenty, I would tend to say just leave well enough alone and put your energy elsewhere.

The problem is there is no good way to make the edges around the mirror glass. Factory its melted/crimped together, can't really do that with most aftermarket material.

[Nate047]

The problem is there is no good way to make the edges around the mirror glass. Factory its melted/crimped together, can't really do that with most aftermarket material.

Yea that's kinda what I'm getting at, it would take so much time and effort to make it look right, if it's even doable, all for a part of the car you pretty much never look at anyway. Just my $0.02

[bran.stum]

How about this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/126849015028?_skw=bmw+e46+leather+sunvisors&itmmet a=01JJTR47HV6DYYN6EA5M288C8P&hash=item1d88ca5cf4:g :5QYAAOSwSAtna7K9&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA8HoV3kP08ID x%2BKZ9MfhVJKklSq%2F9nOaMHTGqs%2FP3Th6NxDNJ4SuHIy8 ZXPFmq2KIOLYT7f5rT0tUejjIXWLWZV5OEMWKPy%2Fnccz4Yqc F%2BXlTkcGhLudeDWrFIyJ0b3Aco5K6Qonvtp3KQ4nGEd%2Frw oyZArBMSrpQfYT5k3Zm2%2BS%2FtpaKFQJQMjToXSxbEoBa%2B sxzZ7oUU81x5nQAQYmjU7NhPITKKwZr%2BgWHxHg%2FI616cmX H0g9%2BWVZUQ4vmhobN6%2Bf01aw58zAPfRxfJc72RoWNEcyGK QyI%2Foq7mEZKn28sbXXa6FVNvFyWEWjJuzah6Q%3D%3D%7Ctk p%3ABk9SR6L5kNiWZQ

Not a terrible idea. There are a few verts at my local junkyards, and with pricing being $15~ each I wouldn't be out of pocket much if I changed my mind.

Yea that's kinda what I'm getting at, it would take so much time and effort to make it look right, if it's even doable, all for a part of the car you pretty much never look at anyway. Just my $0.02

That's completely fair. I just didn't like the idea of making my car slightly less functional purely for aesthetics. Though you are correct, I've used the mirror maybe a handful of times in the past year or so.

[bran.stum]

The problem is there is no good way to make the edges around the mirror glass. Factory its melted/crimped together, can't really do that with most aftermarket material.

Exactly what my guy said. In my search I've only seen a shop attempt it once and it did not look well done. Then again there was only one actual picture from 1-2 feet away.

[TexaZ3]

bran.stum My upholstery shop said the same thing.

TexaZ3 those are vinyl.

Yeah, I know these are vinyl. But there are no factory visors in alcantara, and its better to have these in black vinyl with alcantara, than the stock M3 cloth. Gives you stock look, functionality, and does not clash with alcantara. Plus, it won't fade, and can be dyed. That's what I would do anyway.

[fattycharged]

most people have a really amazing mirror they carry around with them 24/7, use that

[Obioban]

I just left my mirrors stock (though removed the stickers) when wrapping my pillars and headliner in alcantara.

That said, food for thought, the e39 M5 has alcantara headliner/pillars stock-- and its mirrors are leather.

[George Hill]

I just pulled a vert apart today and it reminded me the sun visors on those cars are Vinyl, yes, but they don't have the switch for the vanity light. So with those you get the mirror but loose the light, just an FYI.

Actually I just checked and they are additionally smaller than coupe/sedan as well as shorter so they will not be a straight bolt on even if you dont mind losing the light switch.

If someone wants these pay for shipping and they are yours.

[bran.stum]

I just left my mirrors stock (though removed the stickers) when wrapping my pillars and headliner in alcantara.

That said, food for thought, the e39 M5 has alcantara headliner/pillars stock-- and its mirrors are leather.

I put mine up against my headliner and it didn't stick out that much. Though I would like everything to match. All leather e39 sun visors are slick, I wish e46 got the same thing.

I just pulled a vert apart today and it reminded me the sun visors on those cars are Vinyl, yes, but they don't have the switch for the vanity light. So with those you get the mirror but loose the light, just an FYI.

Actually I just checked and they are additionally smaller than coupe/sedan as well as shorter so they will not be a straight bolt on even if you dont mind losing the light switch.

If someone wants these pay for shipping and they are yours.

I know the mirrors are smaller, didn't realize the dimensions of the visors themselves differ. Losing the light would be kind of dumb anyway.