Write-Up: BD Trims and Sherwood Dash Kit Installation

ewolfe0050 wrote:

Has anyone had problems with the other manufacturer's kits as far as scratching, delamination, etc...?

I got mine from Sherwood, it has been in the car for almost eight years and no problems at all. The fit was almost perfect, a little off here and there but very minor, and no problems with shipping. But I gave an arm and a leg for it too.

Jack the R wrote:

There are other manufacturers, but really it's still a crap shoot. Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances. I'd suggest the real wood kits, but that wood's got to be so thin - I'd be terrified of cracking it. Absolutely terrified.

The real wood kit I got from Sherwood has a paper thin piece of Burlwood, most of the thickness is the finish and the 3M tape on the back. When I installed mine I removed all of the parts that it was going to be installed on so it would be more workable. I just laid the pieces of the kit in the sun for a few minutes and it got soft enough I could have rolled it up if I wanted to.

Should I do flat-aluminum, brushed aluminum, or a light colored wood with my jade interior? Anyone?

You have a jade interior in a silver car? Got pics? I can hardly believe GM made that combination. Usually they put a grey interior anywhere they can possibly put a grey interior.

I'm doubtful about the brushed aluminum. Get them to send samples of the finishes you're considering.

Here's the regular aluminum on a C4 Vette, I like how it looks:
http://www.bdtrims.com/images/expls/index.php?directory=CVL¤tPic=9

And here's the page with the finishes I can get:
http://www.dashtrims.com/availableFinishes.html

I like the look of the aluminum, and I'm not considering brushed aluminum and definitely not chrome. So it's flat-aluminum or a light wood, except that I don't like the wood with the Jade interior.

Here's my car, by the way. It's Adriatic Blue Metallic with a Jade interior. Not silver, just very light blue.

So you are thinking about this right?

Why not try one of the real carbon fiber kits like these?

i think the CF would look sweet in blue

Yeah, that's what I'm considering. I don't think the CF is suited to a car like the Riviera though. Maybe something like a Corvette, but it even makes that look cheapo. Colored CF? That's pretty bad, imo. The aluminum I think would look nice because it's a dark interior that needs a bit of brightness. Aluminum has a nice, expensive, classy look to it, and fits right in here. Instead of a light interior and dark trim, I have to deal with a dark interior, so I'll go with light trim. Should look pretty good.

I also figure that the aluminum kit would be easier to install, seeing as it is real aluminum. It should bend easily and hold its form without peeling or cracking, but that's not to say I won't be careful about installing it.

Sounds like you have your mind made up on aluminum. It probably would go good with the outside/interior color combo you have........
You've got my vote..I really like the wood look myself, but you've got to please you.....We all make our cars to reflect are own taste.

I guess it does go with the exterior too. Silver to light blue to dark blue, I got quite a blue car, don't I?

As long as it don't make ya blue, my brother.

Not at all, the way she drives! I named my car Alexandra because I know a lot of Alex's, and one of them in particular is a really fun girl to hang out with. Once I get my lisence and my parking spot next year in high school, I might even be driving Alex around in Alex. I'll be rollin' wit Alex...enough corniness for now.

I'll put in an order after "thinking" it over one last time. I'll contact the seller and take the money out of my $4,400 gas fund to cover the $200 dash kit, as soon as I fix my master brake cylinder...scary as hell when that thing goes on you.

I always thought jade was a green color.

I'd still get a sample from BD Trims before ordering. If the aluminum has the gloss coating on it, it might be more than you want. It's quite powerful.

Alright, but do they give samples? I guess I'll call them up later.

*EDIT*

I just emailed them, and they have an office right down in Brooklyn, so if they can't send it(I hope they can) then I will at least be able to go see for myself.

They offered to send me samples before I bought, but there was only one material I was interested in so I just ordered the full kit. The only thing I was disappointed in was the fit and, when everything was in, the somewhat overwhelming gloss.

Be extra careful not to get any air bubbles trapped under the pieces, especially that big piece in front of the passenger's seat. I really really really wish they'd put in a warning in the instructions about that.

Is it horribly glossy? Like if you're driving North or South at dawn or dusk does the sun's reflection off the side panels go into your eye? If it's going to be affecting my vision while driving then it may not be good. I'll find out when the sample gets here.

By the way, our hotel happens to have free high speed wi-fi.

It's not going to blind you, but the gloss is higher than it should be IMO. It does border on trashy. You won't be able to tell from one little piece. When I only had the center console and the door pieces on, I loved the gloss, but when I put it on the dash it suddenly became too much.

My samples came from BD Trims after emailing them about my consideration, but I've come across warnings about the fit of their pieces. I have a 1995 Riviera with the dark jade interior, and no factory wood trim anywhere.

I'm considering finishes from the following companies:

Brushed Aluminum from Sherwood Dash

Brushed Silver or Black Cherry from AutoMyWay

And Brushed Aluminum from BD Trims

BD Trims gives you more pieces for less money, so I'd have the trim running all the way through the back armrests, but it sounds like a case of 'you get what you pay for.' $200 after shipping is a lot as is, but I think it may be worth it to spend the extra $50 to get a kit from a different company. Problem is that Sherwood and AutoMyWay don't have nearly as many pieces, and don't have the small strip that goes between the ashtray and CD player.

This is a big decision, so problems covering factory wood trim aside since I have none, what's the better buy? Should I avoid BD Trims and spend the extra for Sherwood, which seems like a high quality manufacturer? I'm also liking the Black Cherry from AutoMyWay.

I've got no reply from BD Trims to my last two emails, the last of which was a question about warranty coverage on the delaminating piece. IIRC BD Trims has a 1 year warranty, so my dash should still have about 6 months of coverage on it. Apparently they don't feel the need to honor that since I am a "difficult customer."

Since I had loads of trouble with pieces coming scratched, with dirt trapped under the epoxy layer, or surface damage to the epoxy layer (other than scratching); my epoxy layer is peeling off on one piece, and BD Trims won't talk to me about warranty coverage, I recommend avoiding them at all cost.

Don't worry about not having the arm rest pieces. I thought they looked bad and left them off. I like having the little piece across the top of the center console but it shouldn't keep you from buying a better dash kit. Sherwood may also sell trim strips seperately that would fit there.

i personally like the black cherry. i think it would look nice on ur car

Alright. I noticed those dirt particles trapped in the samples they sent me, too. I think I'll go with the Black Cherry, which is also by Sherwood by the way, or the brushed aluminum. I'll email Sherwood and ask them to send me a couple of samples. The dark wood does look nice on most things though, since it's a neutral color.

I think since you have a blue interior I would get the brushed aluminum .

I emailed Sherwood Dash requesting a sample of simulated Black Cherry and simulated Brushed Aluminum. Hopefully I'll get something in the mail in the next week or so. We'll see from there!

IBx1 wrote:

Alright. I noticed those dirt particles trapped in the samples they sent me, too.

Well I think we've got BD Trims number now.

I'll update my write up. No stars for you BD Trims!

BTW you're being really smart by getting samples. I know it's tempting to rush in.

Well, I'm not buying it now anyway. One, because it's too cold out to properly install it, and two, because I'm going to save up the money until it's warm enough so I don't deplete my gas funds. Big funds, and I'm not doing anything else to the car aesthetically, but they can go fast if anything goes wrong with the car.

I babysit next door every other week or so, and usually make $40 doing it. Just made $20 for a quick 2 1/2 hours Saturday night, and they want me from 5-9:30 on Wednesday. I only charge $8 an hour for two kids, they usually round up to the $10 for me.

By the time it's warm enough, I'll have plenty of money to buy a $250 Sherwood Dash Kit.