Fake Wood On Base RL
#42
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Originally Posted by GoHawks
I agree about the "personality" part. I think it's biggest flaw was it's extremely tight back seat. I was single when I bought it, but it got real tight as I got married and had kids. I also think people couldn't get over the fact that it was a 5-Cylinder. It had decent handling for a FWD car due to the engine/tranny layout. Killer (DSP) stereo as well. Well ahead of it's time. Too bad they tended to rust around the rear wheel wells pretty early.
The G1 TL's didn't grab me, either. They appeared to be very pleasant cars, but much blander than either the Vigor or G2 Legends. When the Legend wore out, I thought about a G1 TL because I could tell a lot or all of the platform had carried over from one or both models, but the car just didn't do it for me like those models did.
Since this thread has caught the attention of the Management ... any chance you guys might add a "Vintage" section for those of us who love the older Acks? I also hang around www.acura-legend.com from time to time, but I haven't found a Vigor forum yet.
#43
Senior Moderator
I must have forgotten about the previous pic. I appreciate your effort, though, CL6! ![Smile](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif)
![Smile](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif)
Originally Posted by CL6
I think someone already posted pictures of the plood, yes? If not, we have an 07 Base here of which I can snap a picture of the dash. Not sure it would show up in the photos, however.
#44
Originally Posted by CL6
I think someone already posted pictures of the plood, yes? If not, we have an 07 Base here of which I can snap a picture of the dash. Not sure it would show up in the photos, however.
#46
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Looks good to me!
Fake wood can be made to look very very convincing. I have no problem with it if tastefully done. I'd rather have the money spent elsewhere.
Fake wood can be made to look very very convincing. I have no problem with it if tastefully done. I'd rather have the money spent elsewhere.
#47
Burning Brakes
It's hard to tell from the pictures that thats plood. Funny how the RL is such a hard car to photograph (inside and out). It does look a little lighter in color than the real thing. I still think the base model should have had a brushed aluminum look rather than fakey wood. If it looks even remotely real, then having real wood on the next model up is no great shakes.
It is interesting to see the absence of a MAP/Guide button, and the addition of AUX to the Disc button on the dash.
Not to hi-jack the thread, but I'm torn about the lack of an AUX plug in my '06 RL. On the one hand, I like the idea of the AUX plug to play music from my MP3 player. But on the other hand, in the absence of the plug, I just burn an MP3/WMA CD and I have about 700MB of music with no wires, remotes, batteries, chargers, or any of that.
I can't wait to see an '07 RL in the flesh, though. Thanks for the picture!
Rob144
It is interesting to see the absence of a MAP/Guide button, and the addition of AUX to the Disc button on the dash.
Not to hi-jack the thread, but I'm torn about the lack of an AUX plug in my '06 RL. On the one hand, I like the idea of the AUX plug to play music from my MP3 player. But on the other hand, in the absence of the plug, I just burn an MP3/WMA CD and I have about 700MB of music with no wires, remotes, batteries, chargers, or any of that.
I can't wait to see an '07 RL in the flesh, though. Thanks for the picture!
Rob144
#48
My only car is a Bus
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The cars look the same. There is an AUX input in the center console but that's about it. What I find most interesting is that there are still voice commands but it's for Temp and Stereo.
The main way to tell about the plood is to tap on it with your ring vs. the real wood you can tell the difference.
The main way to tell about the plood is to tap on it with your ring vs. the real wood you can tell the difference.
#49
AcurAdmirer
I agree that new RL plood looks darn good, too. But then I'm impressed with the way the door pieces in my '06 look so much like the dash pieces. Perfect match, which for real wood is hard.
The first car I had with real wood on the dash was a '67 Pontiac GTO. The wood was about 1/8" thick (that was before they started using veneers) and it was glued directly onto the dash. It took only about 6-8 months for the wood to first split, then slowly warp and curl in places. It basically looked like pukey after 2 years. Pontiac replaced some of the pieces once, but after that I gave up.
After that, GM mostly used something that looked like that peel-n-stick stuff like the shelf liner your mother used to use in the kitchen.
So I like veneers fine. They have the cache of being real wood, without the drawbacks. And after all, it's just a decoration for the dashboard, not a test of your manhood.
.
.
The first car I had with real wood on the dash was a '67 Pontiac GTO. The wood was about 1/8" thick (that was before they started using veneers) and it was glued directly onto the dash. It took only about 6-8 months for the wood to first split, then slowly warp and curl in places. It basically looked like pukey after 2 years. Pontiac replaced some of the pieces once, but after that I gave up.
After that, GM mostly used something that looked like that peel-n-stick stuff like the shelf liner your mother used to use in the kitchen.
So I like veneers fine. They have the cache of being real wood, without the drawbacks. And after all, it's just a decoration for the dashboard, not a test of your manhood.
.
.
#50
Originally Posted by Mike_TX
After that, GM mostly used something that looked like that peel-n-stick stuff like the shelf liner your mother used to use in the kitchen.
Best wood I ever had in a car was the Nardi steering wheel on my '77 Alfa Spider.... a gorgeous hoop of mahogany with three aluminum spokes...it was thick, perfectly lacquered, and mounted entirely too far away.... Of course, in a crash, it would have split into tiny splinters and impaled me in a dozen places (as the car had no shoulder belts!) but hey, it was art, ya know?
#51
Burning Brakes
Originally Posted by jftjr
Best wood I ever had in a car was.....
![](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif)
It sure seems like "wood-look" trim is working its way into all sorts of cars. Car and Driver's recent econo-sedan road test even commented how the latest Corolla had such incredibly convincing fake wood.
I remember the days of sadly peeling "press-on" wood from the 70's. In fact, my bedroom when I was a kid had gray-hued wood-veneer-look-vinyl wallpaper that looked better than the stuff you'd find on the dashboard of your mid-70s luxury liner.
The earlier comments reminded me of the Vigor. That was a fine use and placement for the wood trim. Honda definitely had many ideas ahead of its time (and continues to do so).
Rob144
#52
Originally Posted by Rob144
I wasn't sure quite where you were going with that!
"Dear Penthouse, I never thought I'd be writing this letter...."
![rofl](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/rofl.gif)
#53
Senior Moderator
That plood looks pretty darn convincing to me. I'd be satisfied with that in my RL.
#54
Interesting, I see swirls in the plood...IIRC the authentic curly maple doesn't have the swirls. Is the plood a completely different wood pattern?
#56
Safety Car
Originally Posted by jaman_001
Here is my proof right from a District Parts and Sales Mangaer. See if you can top it.
"-As far as the wood question goes, it is listed as "wood" on the website. However, we have for many years and on several models used a plastic composite that actually winds up looking better than wood, is easier to care for and thus lasts better, and is much more easily fashioned into pieces that will suit the contours of the vehicle via the molding process. In some cases, we'll disclose this by saying "wood-look steering wheel" as evidenced in the accessory portion of the website under the RL section. Other items such as "wood knob" are actually wood. So, it depends on the application. The bottom line is that we hold either material up to the standard of appearance and wear so as to suit the image of the vehicle."
"-As far as the wood question goes, it is listed as "wood" on the website. However, we have for many years and on several models used a plastic composite that actually winds up looking better than wood, is easier to care for and thus lasts better, and is much more easily fashioned into pieces that will suit the contours of the vehicle via the molding process. In some cases, we'll disclose this by saying "wood-look steering wheel" as evidenced in the accessory portion of the website under the RL section. Other items such as "wood knob" are actually wood. So, it depends on the application. The bottom line is that we hold either material up to the standard of appearance and wear so as to suit the image of the vehicle."
typed it up. The RL wood is very real.
#57
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That email sounds real... however if you read it there is nothing saying that Acura won't disclose if it's real... or not.
Too much space has been expended on this topic I think. But, having seen the plood, I can tell you that it looks real (if a little shiny) but doesn't feel real.
Too much space has been expended on this topic I think. But, having seen the plood, I can tell you that it looks real (if a little shiny) but doesn't feel real.
Originally Posted by pimpin-tl
I seriously doubt this email/post is real since they would never say that. You just
typed it up. The RL wood is very real.
typed it up. The RL wood is very real.
#58
The Doctor
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according to the Honda Japan site, the Legend uses real wood
http://www.honda.co.jp/LEGEND/interior/index.html
scroll to the middle of the page and use some online translator to translate that to English. You will see that it is real wood that they use.
End of discussion.....
scroll to the middle of the page and use some online translator to translate that to English. You will see that it is real wood that they use.
End of discussion.....
#59
Originally Posted by CL6
I'm not sure what the Plood 5000 super computer came up with.
Is the plood a completely different wood pattern?
Is the plood a completely different wood pattern?
The real wood (only the bands, no swirls):
![](http://www.honda.co.jp/LEGEND/interior/woodpanel/woodpanel.jpg)
Teh fake (look closely, little swirls mixed in with the bands):
![](https://img248.imageshack.us/img248/9667/dscf2112fw6.jpg)
#60
AcurAdmirer
Originally Posted by phile
It looks to be some sort of hybrid wood LOL
The real wood (only the bands, no swirls):
Teh fake (look closely, little swirls mixed in with the bands):
The real wood (only the bands, no swirls):
Teh fake (look closely, little swirls mixed in with the bands):
HOWEVER - The issue of bands and swirls is as easy as how the wood is cut. True quarter-sawn wood of most kinds will have straight grain (the bands referred to above), while wood cut closer to half-sawn will have more of the "swirls". Only so much wood can be cut quarter-sawn, after which the remaining part of the tree trunk has to be cut at a different angle and the grain pattern will change accordingly.
In addition, let's keep in mind this is curly maple ... the curly part refers to the so-called "swirls" and undulations in the wood grain. Last but not least, wood is a natural material, so it will vary from piece to piece.
The point is that some of the real wood will look more like the plood shown above and some will look more like the real wood shown above. The plood is just a representation of everything you might find in a sampling of real wood.
Having said all that, how do you explain the obvious swirls in the dash of my '06 RL?
![](http://www.mrossnet.com/RL_Dash_2.jpg)
Now that I've analyzed that to death, it may be time to close this thread.
![Wish](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/wish.gif)
#61
Senior Moderator
Damn I wish we had a dead horse smiley. I think I'll appeal to our admins for one because if ever a topic needed one, it's this one.
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