Write-Up: BD Trims and Sherwood Dash Kit Installation

skatterbrane wrote:

Yes, it LOOKs like that.  BTW, how do you get the factory trim off from around the shifter quadrant?

I didn't, I put it right on top.

I installed it. I do not think I would ever do this again. I was expecting semi-rigid, placard-like material. Heck you can roll this stuff up and the "wood" does not crack. It is SOLD as real wood laminate, but it seems like photo paper to me. I paid extra for one of the 3 or 4 "real wood" options. This stuff is like linoleum flooring.

Chalk another one up to experience.

Hahahahaha......

skatterbrane wrote:

I installed it.  I do not think I would ever do this again. I was expecting semi-rigid, placard-like material.  Heck you can roll this stuff up and the "wood" does not crack.  It is SOLD as real wood laminate, but it seems like photo paper to me. I paid extra for one of the 3 or 4 "real wood" options.   This stuff is like linoleum flooring.

Chalk another one up to experience.  

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I think the kit I installed is hands down the best looking kit on the market. I get compliments on it to this day.

It looks good. And it may be the best looking kit. But had I known it was like linoleum, I would not have bothered. I expected it to sound like a hard piece of wood or at least aluminum with wood laminate when dropped, not sounding like Howard Stern's famous bologna meat tossed on a woman's ass.

Okay my first kit was the Sherwood rosewood. My next kit was also on a 1996. But I tried B&I kit in olive ash burl. Either kit looks very good. I find the B&I kit to edge out the Sherwood in quality. The Sherwood edges rippled on me when pressing down to ensure adhesion. The B&I kit was effectively more rigid and when pressing down the edges it did not ripple, yet it did conform! Plus I like that the HVAC/Radio portion was all one piece ala' 1995 style. So there was not a separate thin linking piece between the two large dash flanks. But one has to remove the factory trim around the HVAC/Radio to install.

In either case I removed the dash panel anyway. I would NEVER attempt to install this dash kit with the dash panel still in the car!!

I visited my friend who owns my white 1996 in my avatar now. And after having installed my two kits I could easily see that his kit (which was already installed when i bought the car) is a B&I kit. If I ever buy another Riviera (not out of the question) I shall go with B&I again.

RP is a bit thin lately, so I expect 8th Gen Rivs are becoming less abundant.
That said, anyone who acquires one and is interested in a dash kit, whether simulating wood or something like carbon fiber, do yourself a favor and strike Sherwood Innovations from your list of sources.
Why?
I ordered a dash kit a couple months ago, eventually receiving the kit, but with no stenciling on the door pieces that would cover the factory button function labels.
I didn't order direct from Sherwood, but my middleman did his best to pursue the correct parts to no avail.
Then I tried. Forget it.
Sherwood may sell stuff, but service doesn't exist. Nor do you.
They will not return a call or email, ever.
Go elsewhere.

denim wrote:

RP is a bit thin lately, so I expect 8th Gen Rivs are becoming less abundant.
That said, anyone who acquires one and is interested in a dash kit, whether simulating wood or something like carbon fiber, do yourself a favor and strike Sherwood Innovations from your list of sources.
Why?
I ordered a dash kit a couple months ago, eventually receiving the kit, but with no stenciling on the door pieces that would cover the factory button function labels.
I didn't order direct from Sherwood, but my middleman did his best to pursue the correct parts to no avail.
Then I tried. Forget it.
Sherwood may sell stuff, but service doesn't exist. Nor do you.
They will not return a call or email, ever.
Go elsewhere.

That's really surprising to hear. I bought my Sherwood kit from Carid about 10 years ago. They must be slipping. The reason I went with Sherwood is because they had labeling functions when others did not. I was very pleased with the kit and it fit great. In fact, after I had installed it, I realized the passenger side door lock functions were reversed. I contacted Carid, and e mailed them a picture of that part of the kit installed. Sherwood acknowledged the mistake and replaced that part very quickly. I had to chisel the part off my door panel, but the replacement was perfect.

Nether my Sherwood nor my B&I kit had the stencil for the armrest controls.

The rest of the kit worked out very well, sans the armrest pieces.
Wish I had a better story, but it's clear that there's nobody home for service.
You'll hear this again and again if you look around.

They might as well have skipped sending the armrest applique.