Best trim wood grain or other?

[Jay 535i]

Don't buy the kits- they are over priced and don't look stock. Just wait for stock parts (sometimes you have to buy a whole dash part like a kick panel or a glovebox, but just take the wood and dump the rest) to show up on the bay!

Chris

Will OE wood pieces go on a car that didn't come with them?

My car came from the factory without wood trim. AFAIK, my dash panels are missing the slots required to insert OE wood trim, leaving aftermarket kits as the only option.

[Scott H]

The DOOR panels AND DASH panels have recesses so that once fitment of wood trim is done, it lays relatively flush.

In order to do this retrofit on cars that did NOT originally have wood trim, you need the door panels, glovebox, glovebox latch and striker plate, the little center console piece to the left of the glovebox, and the wood trims for under the steering wheel.

The ONLY pieces that can be moved without needing new panels are the ones that go behind the steering wheel.

Will OE wood pieces go on a car that didn't come with them?

My car came from the factory without wood trim. AFAIK, my dash panels are missing the slots required to insert OE wood trim, leaving aftermarket kits as the only option.

[CharlesAFerg]

Lose the seats, then put in wood. They would clash like no other, silly.
lol Seriously though, keep that in mind please.

[ILoveMPower]

I think all the wood kits, both OE and aftermarket, are just stuck on with adhesive.

Don't quote me (I should add that to my sig)

lol

as far as i know the OE wood grain is held on by screws (check your glovebox and backside of door panels) but some sort of adhesive is used as well to give a flush look.

[onewhippedpuppy]

lol

as far as i know the OE wood grain is held on by screws (check your glovebox and backside of door panels) but some sort of adhesive is used as well to give a flush look.

I've had nearly all of mine off, and it doesn't have any adhesive. Doors have nuts on the backside of the panels, glovebox has screws, and by the wheel has little snap type things.

[Jay 535i]

I like the wood trim, but some shades are better than others.

I really like it in a charcoal colour -- no brown in there at all. That's hard to find, though.

A previous owner put a fake wood kit in my car. I removed the piece from the center console cuz it looked crap, but I left the other pieces because I think they're pretty darn good for fake. Click my sig pic for more pics.

[Alexlind123]

I like the wood trim, but some shades are better than others.

I really like it in a charcoal colour -- no brown in there at all. That's hard to find, though.

A previous owner put a fake wood kit in my car. I removed the piece from the center console cuz it looked crap, but I left the other pieces because I think they're pretty darn good for fake. Click my sig pic for more pics.

I agree, some wood is better than other wood. For example, some of the lighter burls (IMHO) look like they belong in an old rolls or bentley rather than a sporty BMW. I rather like my Bubinga wood trim (straighter, more subdued grain).

[hakwuzhere]

Ive been trying to ask around about www.wooddashexperts.com but no one seems to have any experiance with them..... They didnt even return my email requesting a sample of thier most expensive kit! Course it was the holidays... so Ill admit it could have gotten lost.

http://www.wooddashexperts.com/custo...e.php?cat=1797

http://www.wooddashexperts.com/custo...cat=268&page=1

They have like 3 kits listed for the E34....

[Jay 535i]

Ive been trying to ask around about www.wooddashexperts.com but no one seems to have any experiance with them..... They didnt even return my email requesting a sample of thier most expensive kit! Course it was the holidays... so Ill admit it could have gotten lost.

http://www.wooddashexperts.com/custo...e.php?cat=1797

http://www.wooddashexperts.com/custo...cat=268&page=1

They have like 3 kits listed for the E34....

Those are SUSPICIOUSLY inexpensive. I doubt their quality. Most of the aftermarket kits are crap. Note, also, that that kit is available from a number of retailers. It's mass-produced garbage. Furthermore, they're not the same shapes and sizes as OEM, or at least there's a lot more there than comes from the factory. I don't get why so many of these aftermarket dash kit places think it's cool or desireable to cover the entire interior of your car with wood. 25 pieces, holy geez! The few tasteful peices that are part of the OE kit are all that's needed.

I've seen good kits in the region of $600-800.

Get 'em from a wrecked car for cheap. There are so many parts cars floating around here all the time, and nobody ever talks about the wood trim. I'm sure you could grab 'em cheap, and the OE kits still look great after 15 years. Go OE. Just make sure they all come from the same car, as I believe they were put together as matched sets at the factory. There are subtle differences in texture and color from one car to another sometimes.

In any case, the "ebony zebra" is the look I was talking about. Very classy and understated.

[onewhippedpuppy]

All that I have messed with on mine have threaded studs in the wood, and plastic nuts on the backside. I pulled my door panels and tightened all my wood, eliminated a lot of rattles. The wood on the glovebox door is attached with screws from the backside, the other dash stuff is similar.