Anyone tried one of these wood interior trim kits?

[Kingsley]

Jonno, my point was that those are very specifically sporty marques (as well as being luxury brands).

The poster wasn't saying: "Wood trim in a Skoda?", he was saying: "Wood trim in a VRS?" as if sporty derivatives and wood trim were mutually exclusive. My personal view happens to be that they aren't. I was making the case that I believed there was a (profitable) niche for sporting derivatives that perhaps understated their sporting characteristics visually whilst reflecting the fact that they were (as in the case of the Octavia VRS) at the top of the model price range by being specced with luxury, perhaps traditional visual cues. What model does the grey-haired, perhaps relatively well-off, car buyer choose who used perhaps to drive a roadster in his/her youth, whose driving style still demands an engine with a bit of poke and some decent handling, but who doesn't want to shout it from the rooftops in a bright yellow sedan with WRC spoilers?

If you're querying the very existence of wood trim in Skoda as a marque then you'd better speak to SUK about previous L&K Octavias and current Superbs?

[Kingsley]

This sort of reply comes from people who like black interiors and cheap looking fake aluminium plastic flashes on dashboards and doors. i have an OEM wood trim on my 11 year old Passat, it looks marvellous and really finishes off the wood that was already there, but sparse. Some of us like light interiors and a bit of leather and wood, which was once the 'normal' thing inside cars. Nothing wrong with it, these trim kits stick perfectly and, if mounted properly, last for many pleasurable years. Go for it, with a clear conscience, and forget these doomsayers. It will look lovely inside an Octy. Highly recommended if you like it. And HOW DARE the 'administrators' decide to be arbiters of our taste in this pompous manner!!

Edited 15 July, 2011 by Kingsley

[ChrisRs]

Sorry Jonno, but go to their website .... it shows quite clearly that some are indeed synthetic (13 varieties) but some are real wood (six varieties).

If no-one has tried one (presumably including yourself?), how do you know they look awful?

I personally would love to have a little real wood trim on my VRS if I thought I could fit it decently. Why do the manufacturers nowadays always assume that, because I want an engine with a bit of poke and decent handling, I also want a load of cheap silver plastic or imitation carbon fibre splashed all over the cockpit? Even Rover made that mistake with the MG XT - the standard Rover 75 had the reassuring interior ambience of quality British coachbuilding; in MG trim it was all blacks and carbon. One of the selling points for the Cortina 1600E (try and tell me that wasn't a classic in its day) was the real wood inlays on the dash - looked the business!

OK rant over

I'm with you on this too.

It looks good. Ignore the negative comments and go for it.

If nothing else, it will satisfy you and it can always be removed when you sell it...Its your car after all!!

[ChrisRs]

Sorry, I should probably make it clear now that I was being massively sarcastic. Aftermarket wood effect trims are of course quite uniquely horrible. No ifs, no buts, just don't. If you're feeling bored enough that doing that seems like a good idea, for the love of god step away from the car, hand your credit card over to your wife and go and find something else to do.

What a rediculous reply!!

Say you wouldnt do it yourself is fine, but to write this garbage is pathetic Nick.

Cut the guy some slack....Rant over!!

[Golf-Fiend]

One of my Golfs had a wood trim kit applied when I bought it second hand. It took me about two years of visiting scap yards to find perfect unadulterated replacement panels to get rid of the hideous fakery.

You'll find after a couple of years that the gloss laminate begins to bubble and come away from the wood effect beneath. It's the effect of the sun and WILL happen sooner or later. It makes something hideous become absolutely atrocious!

PLEASE DON'T DO IT!

[deecee]

I suspect this may be an age thing , i think the older ones like the wood idea but the younger ones dont .

It may be down to how you perceive your VRS , is it a hot hatch, a Subaru rival or a GT tourer . For me its a GT designed to gobble miles quickly and comfortably , if i can be sat in an environment that pleases my eye then all the better . A tastefully done wooden dash would relieve the overall drab black / silver trim .

[ChrisRs]

I agree too.

[FriendlyFire]

One of the selling points for the Cortina 1600E (try and tell me that wasn't a classic in its day) was the real wood inlays on the dash - looked the business!

I do remember lusting over a mate's 1600E Mark II Cortina so I can see where you are comming from. I won't, however, be going back there.

I checked out the website, I was disapointed to note that there where no external wood trim kits for the Octavia. Pity.

Edit: here's a nice picture!

Edited 15 July, 2011 by FriendlyFire

[Golf-Fiend]

... . A tastefully done wooden dash would relieve the overall drab black / silver trim .

Yes, a completely bespoke, hand crafted dash could be tasteful. A stick-on plastic wooden wannabe never, by its very nature, can.

[SB1962]

The OEM fake wood interior of my old Rover 75 was always praised by anyone I gave a lift too. The vintage ivory dials were my favourite bit of cabin ambiance.

[hugothebear]

Not too keen on the stick on kits... on my Mk1 Octavia you could get a replacement set of ash tray, gear lever surround and dash plate made as wood effect parts, I used those and thought looked smart because they looked like original parts (probably from L & K version) The kits look a bit "stuck on" and there are too many pieces... if you go for it stay on the centre console area avoid all the bits around the vents. On the general subject of interior finish I have gone off the plastic silver and would prefer a gloss finish, black or perhaps a dark dark maroon... have been tempted to remove console panel and spray it myself. Maybe I better experiment first to see if I can get a good finish !!!

[hugothebear]

I do remember lusting over a mate's 1600E Mark II Cortina so I can see where you are comming from. I won't, however, be going back there.

I checked out the website, I was disapointed to note that there where no external wood trim kits for the Octavia. Pity.

Edit: here's a nice picture!

LOL.... what were you thinking.... one of those "half timbered" effects for the Octavia Combi... like a Morris Traveller...

[CorridaVRS]

Maybe it's just because I'm young but I cant stand stick-on wood effect trim. I think it looks tacky and just generally nasty. I do however like wood trim in the right car. My dad's got wood trim in his e39 bmw 535, and combined with the cream leather interior, it really does feel like a light, luxurious environment. Very much fitting a 90's V8 cruiser.

In a VRS though, I'd have to say no. The mock ally plastic bits are bad enough as they are anyway. Sticking on plastic bits that will inevitably peel off in the future isn't going help matters. I dont even think the wood trim would work with the trainer-like seats. The look just clashes too much. If it was full leather interior I think it could work.

But hey what do I know, I'm pretty partial to carbon, and I'd happily wrap my interior trim bits in it. Whatever floats your boat eh?

[foregonereality]

Would love the L&K black dash in my elegance.

It's a sight to behold.

[Nick P]

Would love the L&K black dash in my elegance.

It's a sight to behold.

Do it then

[wardth]

I haven't used this company. but I did get a full wood effect kit for a previous Citroen Picasso that I had from a different company (which is based in the UK). I was actually really impressed with the quality and exact fitting of this kit, and have considered one for the Octy.

This is the company I have used is Wooden dash kits, wood dash trims, carbon fibre trims for all your needs.

Here's a quick picture of the Picasso with the trim installed

Mike

I've just lost my dinner. OMG

[ndicki]

I'm tempted for my ivory/black pre-FL Praha. It's missing something - the black dash and centre console with the ivory ashtray lid and gear lever boot just don't look right at all once the initial 'wow' has worn off. Changing the centre console for something in-between the two would make it less stark. And I'm not into brushed aluminium or carbon fibre, which in any case don't look right in an otherwise luxury interior.

By the way, Mike's lot must do their shopping from Prewoodec in Germany, the illustrations are the same - such as here: http://www.carstylingshop.com/cat1/Prewoodecdekors&cat3=Skoda+Octavia+LHD#liste The illustrations are the same. Don't buy these as they are for LHDs (like mine.)