DMZ

OK folks, here they are! Though this installation was done on delivery day 2 Saturdays ago, today was the 1st chance I've had to take these pics.

I purchased the Basic kit from exoticwooddash.com, WD541E, $152+shipping. Decided to only use what I felt were the pieces that Acura left out; above the glovebox, the power window switches on all 4 doors, the sideview mirror switch, around the beverage holder on the console, and the overhead light/homelink. I thought adding the plood around the audio, the Nav, and the A/C vents might be a little too much with the Camel interior. Wanted to keep it subtle, yet appear to be factory to those not familiar with the car. Each of these flexible pieces peel right off a flat board and were surprisingly easy to install.

dougpt10

Wasn't there wood trim from the factory with camel interior??? Did you just add more than there was?? Doug

KrgTL04

The TL only comes with wood on the door panels and on the center console from the factory.

He added the wood around the overhead light, on the passenger side of the dash, and I think on the little panel surrounding the door lock/ power window switches, and around the mirror controls

dougpt10

It looks nice and not overdone :clown:

boltjames

Two questions:

Can you take an extreme closeup of one of the pieces from a perpendicular point of view? I'm interested in knowing how 'tall' they are when they puff out from the adhesion point.

Doesn't the strip on the passenger side dash (looks very nice BTW) interfere with the airbag deploy area?

BJ

KrgTL04

I think the airbag deploys from the top of the dash, not the front. That's the way it is in most cars, I would think the TL would be the same...don't quote me on that though

KrgTL04

BTW, nice camel!

I haven't had the opportunity to see the camel in person yet, but it definately looks good in pics

boltjames

Kyle:

Isn't your dad convincing your mom to buy a practical Kia or something? Why you hangin' here? I'll meet you in Manchester if you want to take a ride.

BJ

KrgTL04

A Kia...ha!...no

He took her to look at the Accord EX and she liked it, that was the only other car he showed her.

She decided she doesn't want it though...she wants the TL, and said she probably will get the nav also.


Didn't you read my other post?...lol

BTW...lemme borrow your car...i'll take it off your hands for a few ...j/k

Osteoman

That looks great. Just the right amount. I'm surprised because the only Camel I had seen prior to buying my car was much, much more orange then what you have there. I hated the orange look. Your camel looks much better like a deep tan. Nice car.

gregory28

The color in these pics doesn't represent the camel color accurately. It looks like the parchment interior- tan. This subject has been discussed extensively here: don't rely on the internet to provide true colors. The camel is orangy which some people like; please go see it in person before you buy.

DMZ, nice job with the addition of the plood! It looks very nice; I've got it in my interior- parchment.

Greg

04tlnbppar

am i blind or something? I see no pics here

04tlnbppar

sorry, my fault... now pics show up...

Xpditor

The color in the photo is precisely the same color as my Camel Interior which you can check on the link below. It IS an accurate photo. :o

XP

boltjames

I'll second that......the photo is a very accurate representation of the Camel color. There is no orange. Go see it in person.....you'll agree.

BJ

berlinrl

DMZ, your car looks wonderful!

Are you saying you were able to match the factory plood exactly with this
kit ?

IMO,you've added just the right amount.

Rachel

silverstarr

Are those added pieces wood or plastic?

Xpditor

Say again where you got them and which kit did you get? How many pieces? Did you use them all? Is it real wood? Does it match exactly? How does it stick on? Do you have to take the old ones off or does it sit on top? Is it guaranteed? Does it damage the original if you have to remove it?

Can God make a rock so heavy that even He can't lift it?

Inquiring minds want to know.

XP

TLGator

I "third" the comment about the Camel interior. The pics above are pretty accurate. But I also agree with the comment that no one should buy a TL (or any car for that matter) without seeing the exterior AND interior colors in person.

I also like the aftermarket "plood job" here. Very nice, not overdone. My only preference would have been to leave the overhead console alone. That's the one spot I think looks a little much. Just my opinion. Overall it looks more like what Acura should have done in the first place. Nice work!

Type S Lady

Wow, that is gorgeous and not overdone.

boltjames

The only challenge to this kit is the fact that it sits atop the existing rubberized surface which leads to:

1. It looking 'puffy' and inconsistent with the rest of the standard plood.

2. Dust eventually gets caught under it and so can hair and other fibers.

3. Any adhesive known to man that's stuck on a rubberized paint surface is going to give way eventually- especially in a car interior that can reach 125 degrees in certain climates.

4. Fading is likely a consideration over time, and at a different rate than the standard trim.

Look closely at the rubber area on the left of the dash below the vent where a nice piece of plood sits.....look at it in your car.......tell me how a stick-on piece is going to look natural there. Same for the window levers.

It's a tough call, but I'm going to take a pass as I think that a year from now all this plood is going to be hitting TL carpeting on a hot day and leave a disfigured goop on the rubberized painted dashboard surfaces.

BJ

TLGator

You've got this thing against puffy stuff. Were you traumatized as a kid by Puffy the Hairball Monster or something?

Your points are well taken. I wonder what DMZ has to say in response. Or others who've used these kits. I would also like to see the close-up pics you mentioned, BJ, but for that kind of detail a high quality camera and a close-up lens are probably required.

lakeman

I like what DMZ has done. Not too much - just right - looks good to me. I just finished a Full kit on my wife's 4Runner which was very bland and now looks like a Lexus. I did notice that some pieces have a little of the "add on" look when you look closely, but in general the overall is very nice. Some of the pieces fit perfectly but some are just a little off in dimensions and cause it to look a little misplaced. I am still considering the dark burl addition to my carbon fiber, but I am still not sure if it will do what I want. Has anyone done this??

brucedeb1

First DMZ it looks real good. I like the Camel with the Green. I know you are very happy with your results.
Second to respond to BJ... I have the full kit on my TL. It actually blends nicely with no puffiness that you refer to. I have had kits in both my wife's CL and my Honda Civic. Over ten years in the Honda and no sign of either fading or loss of adhesiveness. I expect the same performance with this kit. It also has a lifetime warranty for quality. This will cover potential fading as well as adhesion. There are no air gaps in my installation. There will be nothing getting under the pieces. Everyone can purchase these kits with confidence.
Bruce

boltjames

I find this hard to believe.....unless these pieces are as thin as a postage stamp (possible....never saw one of these in person) there's got to be some puffing going on, right?

Can you take a side-view photo of that piece of trim under the driver's air vent on the dash? Should be easy to show that as you can just open the driver's door and get really tight.

Thanks!

BJ

boltjames

Please, don't make me talk about it.





BJ

DMZ

Thanks to all of you for your nice and encouraging comments.


To give you an idea how thin these pieces are:


The leftovers from the basic kit I didn't use:



Are they all 1000% perfect perfect perfect fitting? Of course not, but certainly close enough to raise the look and classiness of the interior to new heights. Once properly installed, I can't see why anyone would want to remove it. Three other new camel and parchment TL owners saw this on delivery day and immediately wanted (1 demanded actually) to know where they could get this add-on too.

Go to exoticwooddash.com, click on Flat Dashes, pick year, make, then select TL. They have a 10% off sale going on till Memorial Day. Right now, this same kit, WD541E, is only $137! They've added full kits in Dark Burlwood which would look great with the Quartz, and now, all Aluminum to go with Quartz or Ebony.

From the ordering page:
B&I’s new dash is setting even higher standards for excellence
Far Thinner for a genuine factory installed look.
Far more Flexible providing greater coverage and easier installation.
"Promoteless" Installation using 3M's new primerless acrylic adhesive.
No backing to remove. Simply "Lift and Apply".
The pieces are temporarily "Repositionable" to insure proper installation.
Do not install unless you are absolutely sure that this is the item you need and the correct position of the pieces.
Protected with B&I's high gloss Gem-Flex™ Poly, the next-generation finish that eliminates yellowing, peeling, cracking and fading.


Happy Plooding !

:p



Hey Bruce, Deb's finally got ya convinced, huh?

BJ: Brucedeb1 speaks for both of us.

TLGator: Did the overhead console cause I thought it would balance top/bottom with the center console. You look at it infrequently anyway.

berlinrl: Yes it's a match, about 98-99%.

Mr. Team Camel President: Well......what are you waiting for ???

.

Novice

DMZ:

Not only you did an excellent job with your project, now I am convinced that the camel interior is a great color (the color in your photos looked even better than parchment).

Xpditor

$137.00
.
.

boltjames

Thanks for the pics!

Why didn't you tell me it featured Gem-Flex™ Poly. That makes a huge difference!

BJ

DMZ

You did say "Inquiring Minds Want to Know", didn't you?

brucedeb1

Hey Bruce, Deb's finally got ya convinced, huh?

NOT! I still prefer my combo of the Anthracite/Quartz. But it would be a good second choice. Maybe Deb will get one. I doubt it though as her CL has only 26K miles on it. And that is original since April of 96. It is like a brand new car still.

Regards,
Bruce

hokietl

Thx for the pics and info...very nice w/o being overwhelm. Does the kit come with the instrument panel (speedometer) overlay. It wasn't clear from the
exoticwooddash site. Thx!!!


============
Deep Green Pearl, 5AT, no nav

DMZ

Thanx!

You'll have to call them for the speedo piece.

hokietl

DMZ, ordered and installed the basic kit in my car yesterday. This morning I took it by the dealership to buy some oil filter, all the saleman eyes lit up ...$$$$ for markup. Some of the pieces were a little smaller than the dash surface. Overall , looks great....thinking about getting the speedo pc. Thx for the info.


===========
Deep Green Pearl/Parch, 5AT, No Navi

grudax

It looks great. I just ordered it and it will be interesting to see if I have the courage to actually try it. Dang Az 10.55 tax.

synoil

DMZ,
Were you able to purchase just the pieces you wanted or had to go and buy the whole kit?
I have a WDP/Parchment and would like to do exactly what you have done.

I added the Wood shift knob from Acura but I think will get a MOMO f16EVO wood shift knob to replace it. It's a pretty cool knob but the wood color is a little darker.
Craig

DMZ

Craig,

You're a man of good taste. :facelick:

To answer your question, you have to buy the at least the basic kit like I did. Just use the pieces you want. Exoticwooddash.com has it on sale for $137 through Memorial Day. Kit# WD541E.

As for the shift knob, I'd keep the Acura one as it matches everything else.
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Karizma

Awesome Job DMZ, i shoulda had you install mine as well

I'll post my pics in a couple days, I added a couple more pieces than you did just for the hell of it to see how it would look. I think I am happy with it for now, and cmon, when I get tired of it, I'll just pull it off and throw it away

Euliscool

anyone know where i can get more carbon fiber pieces?