Hello All!

New to this forum--considering buying an 08 RL. Beautiful car but I could use just a little more wood trim in the cockpit. I've seen the threads on whether the finish is real or simulated--very helpful--so will probably upgrade to the wood steering wheel and wood shift knob.

However the center console can use a dose. Has anyone notice that the 3rd generation center console (the bezel around the shifter area) is indeed wood? And looks to be about the same size? Only difference i see is the DC socket is on the right in the 2nd gen, on the left in 3rd gen? (Sorry I have pics but just joined the forum so can't attach).

Has anyone tried to retrofit the center console wood trim from a 3rd gen back to 2nd gen?

Another option I've found is www.wooddash.com, which looks pretty inexpensive, but not sure how the final product looks close-up:

http://www.wooddash.com/category/Acura_Dash_Kits_RL

Any thoughts welcome!

Best,

Zach

 

I think you're referring to 2.5G cars and wood trim is only available on the CMBS models, otherwise it's simulated wood.

 

Welcome, that is to much wood for me :gheylaugh:

Like 037 said, keep in mind that its not a real.

 

Hey Zach,

The 05-08 models did not have wood in the center console around the shifter area, but the '09-'11 do.

We have successfully retrofitted the piece with the wood trim, however it requires making some modifications to your center console since the 12V cigarette lighter changed location.

Do a search on the forum here, it was about a year and a half ago...

Chris

 

Chirs--many thanks...will look for the info.

Has anyone used the product from www.wooddash.com? I am curious if it is any good.

Thanks!

Zach

 

on my 05 RL radio center, coin/cup holder and tweeter speakers in front. it blends perfect after a few months you can not see any real different. I Like the look. too each his own.

 

I'd love to cover the center (audio area) with some matching silver trims.

 

I believe the only real wood in an RL is on the dashboard (except for recent non-CMBS models, which are fake) and the aftermarket Acura shift knob.

Everything else -- the Acura steering wheel, the doors and the more recent models' console -- is fake.

 

to clarify, when we speak of real wood, we're talking 1-3mm of it so it's not a huge deal...really.

I personally hate it as on the steering wheel, I have less traction for my hands and the stupid thing is always cold in the winter.

 

Did you install it yourself? If so, level of difficulty? Did everything fit properly?

 

Those kits come prepared with a double sided tape - one side is already stuck on the back of the trim piece. You just have to clean and surface, peel, and stick.

 

Well, the wood isn't meant to be a structural member. The issue is the 3D appearance of the grain. It simply isn't possible to fake that perfectly.

 

I wish I knew what you meant, then I'd have a closer look at the wood in my car to make sure it's really wood and not "wood"

 

037, unless your '09 is a car with Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) and Active Cruise Control (ACC), it's all fake wood.

The difference isn't all that obvious, to be honest. It may be more in the owner's head than in the eyes. But in theory at least, the difference should be that a piece of polished real wood should allow you to see the actual shapes of the outermost wood fibers, reflecting light back at you through the varnish. (Think of a lacquered tavern tabletop for an extreme example.)

When making fake wood, you can make a faithful print of the grain's appearance, and you can even use reflective material as Acura does, but it won't look exactly the same -- ultimately it's a flat 2D reflection, not one that's coming off materials that have an actual shape beneath the varnish.

If you don't see this, however, it may just mean you're less of a snob than some of us, and you bought the right car for you.

 

I do have the CMBS and I was never looking for the wood trim...it annoys me more than pleases as the stupid thing reflects a lot more than the black leather/aluminum looking surfaces I had in my TL.

I'm definitely not a snob as I always look for the best value/quality ratio vs a name brand.

I wish you had a photo of what I should look for as I never really put the "wood" under the microscope.

I hear that the steering wheel "wood" is probably fake but the dash should be real, I'll see if I could tell a difference...

 

Gents--thanks so much for the help and my apologies for not searching the threads first. Very helpful. I found Socal28's step-by-step pics...beautiful job when the shifter bezel and cupholder cover are back-fitted. Looks like "just enough" with the wheel & shifter knob.

I agree with HeavyRL's opinion that the full kit from wooddash.com is too much...I was thinking I'd probably only use the pieces that cover the shifter bezel and cupholder cover. So, now I'm wondering whether the retrofit of the 09 parts will be worth the work, or if the wooddash pieces get you 98% of the way there. There is something appealing about simply peel & stick!

Christopher1--do you have any good photos of your job? The shot from the wooddash.com website doesn't really get close-up.

Thanks all!

ZT

 

Whoa, so much incorrect info here. OK: Here are the models with real wood on the dash:

All 2005s
All 2006s
2007-2011 Tech (NOT base/non-navi)

ALL RLs have faux wood on the door panels.

 

Dr Bob, I think I read that only CMBS models come w/ real wood.

 

I think I read the same thing, 037. A quickie Google search seems to corroborate that.

 

It looks like a couple of other members did some thorough looking into this...see posts #4 and #9 in this thread:

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?p=12091354