"In this Series about Interior Program for E46 M3, I document my complete interior restoration along with upgrades to CSL specifications and bespoke interior parts and Recaro seats. 

On this first entry, I tear off the bandaid and showcase the decaying state of The Phoenix's interior."
-Matt

Out of "storage".

Technically, I stored the car at the paint shop this Winter, ehm, the paint shop's snowbank. I wasn't too bothered. I did this knowing very well Spring 2022 would bring back the start of a complete restoration project. 

Spring did its thing and melted away the snow bank.

It's a vintage experience [...] for the wrong kinds of reason.

Driving this car again immediately made me smile, nervously. I nearly lost it coming off the highway: China made 255 tires, freezing rain and a VF420 will do that. Not withstanding the poor mechanical condition, it paled next to the decaying interior.

The silver trims' paint is lifting and the armrests are squeaking. 

The windshield mirror is leaking. The fluid is the secret sauce to the auto dimming functions. 

A & C pillars have peeled. The fabric was poorly glued and eventually lets go over time.  

The rear shelf's black fabric has discoloured to a navy blue color due to UV exposure. 

All the black plastic on the center ashtrays and console are scratched. The driver side window switch is loose and the pedals are worn. 

The steering wheel's leather is past redemption. The Nappa leather had cracked and was torn in various places. 

Worst of all, the OEM M-Texture seats were reupholstered in a non OEM matching, perforated leatherette. 

Last but not least, the aftermarket Racing Dynamics were worn, and the rivets rusted. 

It was all a bit disheartening to witness the state of the interior. 

We had our work cut out.