B5one How To: Brushed Aluminum OEM Sport Trim 11/13/2005 03:01 PM Brushed Aluminum OEM Sport Trim - Scuba2001 I saw what mgolz had done with the European OEM Sport Aluminum interior trim, and wanted exactly that since I bought my car. I had used Joshua Tree's stick on kit, and hated it, plus they were not good to deal with, and the thing was incredibly expensive. I ended up stripping that kit out of my car, and wanted something real to replace what was in there, not just sit on top with some 3M tape in between. So, with Liberty VW's Christmas 5% bonus discount on top of our 20% discount, I got $161 worth of parts. I got: DIN (Radio/HVAC) Surround: 3B0-858-069-BA-2ZS Slim strip under radio/HVAC: 3B0-858-585-A-2ZS Driver's door trim: 3B1-867-171-C-FEM Passenger door trim: 3B0-867-172-B-2ZS Pass. Rear door trim: 3B4-867-372-B-2ZS Driver's Rear door trim: 3B4-867-371-B-2ZS I opted not to get the ash tray because it's really expensive, and somewhat random looking when it's in. I just figured some things out from writing in these P/Ns...the 858 refers to the HVAV/Stereo area since both parts in that area have 858 after the Passat designation (3B0). 867 refers to doors (or at least door trim), 17X is front, and 37X is rear, while a 1 in the X spot is driver's side, and a 2 is passenger side. I fould be wrong, but it seems to make sense. OK, here are the pics...I'll give instructions after you see it: Pass. Rear Door Pass. Front Door & HVAC/Stereo area http://www.b5one.com/howto/brushedalu.html Page 1 of 5 B5one How To: Brushed Aluminum OEM Sport Trim 11/13/2005 03:01 PM Driver's Door Pass. Side http://www.b5one.com/howto/brushedalu.html Page 2 of 5 B5one How To: Brushed Aluminum OEM Sport Trim 11/13/2005 03:01 PM Overall, I LOVE this...it's exactly what I wanted. I might get the HVAC cover from PGPerformance, but I don't know...it's like $50. OK, the prep is a pain. You need acetone and steel wool. Be careful because the acetone will 'melt' the plastic backing of the parts. Basically, apply acetone to an area (with the steel wool), and let it soak/sit for a few seconds, but keep applying it to keep the surface wet. You could start scrubbing with the wool, but, if you give the acentone like 10-20 seconds, you can basically just wipe off all the black webbing that's painted on, and most of the bronze color underneath. Then, while occasionally dipping the steel wool in more acetone to act as a lubricant (yes, I said lubricant) and to help dissolve the paint, scrub the remaining paint off. Watch for edges where you'll also be scrubbing the plastic, and watch for areas that are tough to get all the paint off. The whole process of stripping took about 1.5 hours because I went back over each piece to make sure it was clean, wetted a paper towel with acetone, and further cleaned off the surface. Then, you have to clear coat the parts, or they'll rust. I did two thin coats to all pieces. I had a couple of drips on one piece, and just wet sanded it down, then used some more steel wool to totally strip off all the clear coat in that area, then repainted. Also, be vigilent of little pieces of steel wool. My driver's door trim has a couple little bits of steel wool in the paint. I tried to get them out, but they're not that bad at all, and I lessened their appearance, so it's ok. I'll probably be the only one who sees them. The actual install can be tough if you've never taken out the trim parts before. I made my own radio keys (very easy: a wire cutter, Pendaflex hanging file folder, and a Dremel will do the trick), and the radio slid right out. Having the aluminum piece handy helped me located the 6 Torx T15 screws holding it in. 4 around the HVAC controls (behind the plastic trim cover for them, which pops right out if you use a screw driver or even your fingers), and 2 just behind the top edge, going up toward the roof (kinda where the Eject and Mix buttons are on the Monsoon, but up in the DIN opening, not readily visible...bring a flashlight!). The other thing I didn't know about was what to do with the buttons and Monsoon wires. The Monsoon's harness, which is made by Tyco, has a lever that you simply flip up, and it pops off...easy as pie. Then the antenna (I think that's what it is) wire just pops off...I think there was a little release, but it didn't seem to move much. As for the buttons (ASR, seat heat, hazards rear def), they have wiring harnesses on the back that pop off with a good pull. You can see them as colored parts http://www.b5one.com/howto/brushedalu.html Page 3 of 5 B5one How To: Brushed Aluminum OEM Sport Trim 11/13/2005 03:01 PM that separate from the black of the button housing. Seat heat is green, ASR is red...easy to see, but I had no clue how to get them off. Then, once the wires are out, you push the buttons from the rear, and they pop out of the front. You will then put them into the new trim piece, and reattach the wires. The door trim was actually the hardest part. If I knew what to do with the DIN trim, it would have been easier. The driver's door is the easiest. You have to pop off the dimpled grab handle, then the whole thing kinda lifts up. You unclip the wire harness there, unscrew silver 3 Philips screws, pop out the control unit, and pop it into the new trim, reattach the wires, and pop it straight down into place. Make sure all the clips are fully engaged (you can tell if it isn't sitting flat, something isn't in all the way, so give it a good smack with your hand). The grab handle-style trim on the other doors SUCKS! I used the can opener of a Swiss Army knife, which was the perfect tool. It has a curved blade-like piece which you want to work into the notch which is pretty much impossible to see. This is where the trim meets the velour or leather, and is kinda in the bottom inside corner if you face it. It's the only corner that is somewhat hidden. If you get the whole blade in there, you can basically pry the trim off. Be careful, it will probably go flying, so look away! There are 3 metal clips that may come off, as well. Note their orientation, pull them off (I inserted a mini screw driver under them, and pryed them off), then put them back on the door side. The new trim just pops right back on with a good smack from your fist. So, it was easy, but not as easy as it would be on a GM or Toyota...VW likes to make things complicated, as we all know. Overall, I couldn't ask for a better look. It contrasts so well with the black interior...these pics don't do it any justice (thanks to my flash). UPDATE - I got the manul AC trim for the 25th Anniversary GTI from PGPerformance. The part number is: 1J0 819 157 B4J4. From Jwilker's experience, the 3B0 (Passat) part is not the right part. Our manual HVAC controls are not laid out exactly right to fit with this cover, so you must get this Mk part I listed if you want to have this piece done in brushed aluminum. It's slightly different than the rest of the trim, but it's close, and I could probably get it to match with a little brushing and clear coating. This picture also shows the interplay of chrome and aluminum in the interior...not as bad as you may think. The idea in my car is to have chrome from the beltline up (belt line, speedo and tach rings, mirror caps, NB sunglass holders, interior door release handles), and the console down (shifter, armrest cover), framing brushed aluminum between. Here's how that came out: http://www.b5one.com/howto/brushedalu.html Page 4 of 5 B5one How To: Brushed Aluminum OEM Sport Trim 11/13/2005 03:01 PM B5one is a licensed club of Volkswagen This site features VirtualOptimization by PlexComOLS. The contents of this page, including all graphics and text, are the property of PlexComOLS. ©2005 PlexComOLS. http://www.b5one.com/howto/brushedalu.html Page 5 of 5