Dash Trim Kit - Photo

[bryancos]

Dash Trim Kit - Photos!

I got a dash trim kit off ebay fairly cheap and after waiting over two weeks for it to arrive, I began to install it this evening. To my dismay the woodgrain did not run the same direction on corresponding pieces, and a couple of them were missing the 3M adhesive tape, which I hope the seller will remedy. The wood kit did not look right on the silver face of the center front console, so I took it back off... but here's a pic of the pass. side.. I'll post others in a separate message... <B>UPDATE: The trim is likely to all come off and replaced w/ one from a different manufacturer perhaps in a charcoal burlwood or carbon fiber... The 3M tape is a real PITA to take off, so it's still on the door window controls for now.</B>

 

[bryancos]

Yuck! The wood looks UGLY on the silver trim... (it didn't look like it belonged there) so OFF IT CAME!

 

[bryancos]

This is what I left in place after removing the stuff from the silver trim... note the trim in the lower console too...

 

[Guest]

Hmmm not sure what to think of it...
It looks pretty good on the passenger side with the wood grain on the light grey lower area but then the wood grain around the gauges on the driver's side doesn't seem to carry through. It seems like it should stay on the lower light grey area...

You're right, the wood on the silver looks bad.


No wood for the little compartment door? Or is that the part with non-matching grain you are sorting out with the seller?

Do you have a full-interior shot showing everything at once?

edit-
now that I look at the first pic again, it doesn't look that bad... I don't know :dunno:

How do you feel about it?

 

[bryancos]

<I>No wood for the little compartment door? Or is that the part with non-matching grain you are sorting out with the seller?</i>

<B>It runs the wrong direction and it looked a bit much since there would be a part below the buttons that wasn't covered, so I just won't use it.</B>


<I>How do you feel about it?</I>

<B>I like it for the most part. I installed the driver side (around the gauges) the keep continuity w/ the vent piece on the passenger side... but I'll see how it goes... I can always remove it, but that 3M tape is a real PITA to take off! I ended up breaking the piece I took off the silver center console... good thing I didn't want to keep it.</B>

 

[bryancos]

<B>YOU DON'T WANT A KIT -- SAVE YOUR MONEY!</B>Just showing a pic to show what other pieces were in the kit. They're just laying on here.. THEY ARE NOT INSTALLED. It looked like a cheap jigsaw puzzle... BLECH

 

[bryancos]

<B>JUST SAY NO!</B> Example shot of MORE UNUSED PIECES... note the woodgrain pattern mismatch...(vertical vs. horizontal) Caveat emptor... glad I didn't want to use it anyhow, or I'd be upset.

 

[the_josh]

im sorry man but it all looks horrible. just cut your losses and rip it all out!!!

 

[bryancos]

I have REMOVED the pieces around the gauges and passenger vent, and the piece around the A/C controls. I will probably just leave it on the window controls and glove box and take everything else off. Grey/Wood doesn't seem to match well at all. At least I only paid a 1/4th of retail for it... My end observation... just leave your money in your wallet... at least others won't make my mistake now.

 

[rando]

Hmmm...maybe a bit too bling bling gone wrong for my tastes. I saw that kit on ebay too. Try a nice aluminum trim kit ... that might match a bit better. Who knows.

Thanks for posting the pics. At least future buyers will know what they're getting.

 

[bryancos]

Yeah, at least an aluminum kit would better match the factory trim... I'll write this off as a cheap experiment...

 

[sharp4runr]

Just sell it and try to recoup some of your lost. I think Linhsy has the aluminum version on his SR5 and it looks pretty good. he's got a link to his picture site on his sig.

july

 

[partsrep]

:bugeye: I would have sent that kit back as soon as I opened it.

The woodgrain looks so fake and runs the wrong way almost everywhere. The grain should run the length of the pieces not the width for a more natural look.

 

[krosno3]

I was about to do the same thing You did. Since I've had wood accents in my old Grand Cherokee I wanted to have it in 4Runner too but after closer look to your pics and compering interiors of GC and 4Runner I thing that gray interior doesn't look good with wood kit. Maybe if carpet finish was darker than it would be different story. It is good You posted those pics. I saved some time and $$$$.Thanks

 

[timber725]

That is about the ugliest thing I have ever seen. I remember the last time I seen that it was on my grandfather's 1980 buick station wagon. All you need is to get some custom wood trimming on the side of your 4runner, and you got yourself a phat ride!!!!

 

[partsrep]

My 2004 Sport has the gray interior with the darker seat covers and it would probably look nice with some carbon fiber. I started a thread on this months ago but nobody posted any pics.

 

[bryancos]

Resell it? What? and stick some other poor soul with this junk? Not a chance... this is what happens when you buy closeout crap on Ebay... Buyer beware. Have submitted request for RMA, but I won't keep my hopes up... the ebay ad DID say "AS IS". Oh well... not out a whole bunch and if I saved some of you from making the same mistake, it was worth it. One of us had to be the guinea pig!

RE: the wood panelling on the side ... I saw one of the mid 90's Grand Cherokees w/ the wood panelling... EWWW... not sure if they were trying to make it look like the old Grand Wagoneer or what, but it looked like it belonged on <I>That 70's Show</I>.

<B>UPDATE: I've been contacted by the seller to initiate some type of RMA Return or Exchange. (Not sure how I'll be able to return some pieces that will likely be damaged when they're removed.) I provided a lengthy description of the problem along with photographs and diagrams showing that the kit that was sent gave less than satisfactory results and looked like it was made out of spare pieces... details to come.</B>

 

[Jason B]

What happened? Did you get to send it back?

I can't belive they would let that kit go out with the grain MISMATCHED like that. I would never let this happen with my kits. The grain should always be going the same way. It looks like they cut the kit from different sheets of wood to save money, rather than use one long big piece to keep the grain going the same way.

 

[bryancos]

Nope. All attempts to resolve the issue through mediation via ebay's SQUARE TRADE network failed... Mediator did not receive a response to my counter offer within the seven day limit and the dispute went unresolved. They also failed to respond to the Attorney letter that was sent to them. The matter is now being investigated by the New York BBB and they'll make a (fruitless) attempt to get it resolved. The ebay userid is no longer registered, so this may have been a fly by night operation that dumped it's inventory, took the money, and ran.

 

[bryancos]

FOLLOWUP - PARTIAL REFUND FINALLY RECEIVED!

After attempts failed in having my attorney's office send a demand letter to the vendor for a refund, and all attempts to resolve this issue though Ebay's Square Trade Network for mediation were ignored by the vendor (for which the idiot paid for, and then didn't respond -- costing him more money out of pocket) I filed a lengthy, well-documented complaint with the New York Better Business Bureau in late August requesting a partial refund for this transaction.

It must have worked, because yesterday, November 4th, almost FIVE MONTHs after the item was ordered, and FOUR MONTHS after item was finally received, I got a check in the mail for $30 from the crooked vendor. No letter of explanation or apology... just a check in an envelope. I better run to the bank and deposit it to see if it bounces! It wasn't the money as much as it was the principle.. and I feel vindicated knowing that I cost them time, effort, and additional revenue/loss of business well above what it would have cost them to just send the flippin' refund to begin with.