So I decided to change up my shiftgate shiftplate. What are your thoughts? Personally, I am going to see how it looks in the sun and make my decision from there.

Click on the pic to get a better view:

 

I like it.

 

Clean looking brushed aluminum, great look!

 

I like it. Great option for those without the chrome underneath, like me

 

that's really nice

 

Looks sweet! How did you do that?

 

^x2

 

looks stock.clean, but stock

 

Thanks for all your input! Yea, I drove around a little yesterday and today and I got to say, it looks nice. I was thinking about painting the trim piece around the shiftgate, but I think it may be too excessive...i'd have to photoshop it first to see how it looks.

So the DIY is actually really easy. I'm sorry I don't have pics, but I'll try to be detailed with it. By the way, credit goes to ppl on the VW forums for suggesting the method and spray paints used for this DIY.

Here it goes:

Material Needed:
Flathead Screwdriver
Rubbing alcohol
Scouring Pad
Sand Paper (see below to determine which grit #)
Model Testor Spray Paint #1451 (get it at a hobby shop
An old (clean) sock (can be replaced with similar items)
Clearcoat Spray Paint

Time Needed: A few solid hours.

Procedure
1) Unscrew the shifter Start applying a counter-clockwise force to unscrew this shift knob. May be stubborn at first, but once you get past part, it's all downhill from there.

2) Pry off the trim piece surrounding the shiftgate To do this, take a small flathead screwdriver and slide it under the black trim piece surrounding the shiftgate. Make sure to lift up on all areas under the trim with even pressure to avoid causing damage/stress on the plastic. The trim piece should pop right off.

3) Pry off the shiftgate Again, following the same procedure as in step 2, take a small flathead screwdriver and pop this piece out. You can see where the shiftgate locks into so try to focus on those areas (it's on the side)

4) Prepping the shiftgate Start by taking some rubbing alcohol and use the scouring pad to remove all the old paint on the shiftgate. On a 00+ TL, you will remove the OEM paint and reveal an odd-colored (in my case, greenish-silverish-brown) plastic. Make sure to completely remove all traces of old paint and debris and completely dry the plastic.

5) Sand down the shiftgate Using sandpaper, sand down the shiftgate. It is imperative to sand in one direction in order to give the brushed aluminum look. You can either go lengthwise (as I did) or widthwise. Your call. But sand in one direction and try to make the sanding lines as straight as possible.

As for which sandpaper to use--with my shiftgate, I used 150 grit sandpaper. See the pics if you like the look. If I had to do it again, I think I would try doing 200 or so. Whichever you decide to use, make sure to clean the surface afterwards with rubbing alcohol.

Also, I did not do it on mine, but, in retrospect, it may have been a good idea to go back with a fine grit sandpaper (around 400-600) and smooth out the surface.

6) Apply the spray paint For this step, I used Testor's Model Master Metalizer Laquer Aluminum Plate #1451. This spray paint can be found at any major hobby shop and costs around $5 for a 3oz can. The spray paint came out looking great so I highly suggest this if you are going for the brushed aluminum look. They do have other metalizer spray paints (i.e. nickel, titanium, etc) but it's a matter of personal preference.

In a consistent manner, with the spray can about a foot over the shiftplate, spray the shiftplate. Try not to overlap too much and aim for applying an even coat. Let the paint dry completely (roughly 30 min-1hr) and spray another coat on top in the same manner. You can do a third coat but I don't suggest applying too much more after that since it might give it a 'fake' look. Wait until the paint is completely dry before advancing to the next step. (I let it set for 4 hrs, but I'm sure that may have been excessive. It's a matter of weather conditions and your judgement to determine when it is dry.)

7) Buff the shiftgate Using an old sock or whichever material, start buffing the shiftgate. Make sure you apply firm pressure when buffing.

8) Apply the clearcoat Since the paint easily rubs off, it is vital to apply the clearcoat. I used Rustoleum clearcoat from Lowes, but any clearcoat should work fine. Using the same techniques as with the spray paint, place one coat over the shiftgate. When I did it, the shiftgate looked splotchy. No worries. Just let this dry for about an hour, then place another layer of clear coat on top. Wait another hour for it to dry. The finished product should not have any bubbles or splotches after this second layer.

Try to clearcoat over every portion of the shiftgate that was painted--even on the less visible areas. Again, since the paint easily rubs off, when it comes to putting all components back together, you will prevent any paint from rubbing off onto your car.

9) Place all components back together Snap in the shiftgate then the plastic trim piece. Screw in the shift knob back on.

Good Luck!

 

looks sweet man, i love that clean look. dont need any sparkles for me haha. my after school project

 

thanks! it's definitely an easy DIY with great looking results. make sure to post pics when you are done.

i am on the verge of doing the trim piece just because I honestly love the look. it's refreshing.

 

I did that a few months ago. The result looked identical. Didn't take long at all and didn't invovle all those steps. But then I decided I wanted it to look like it once did. So I repainted it silver and it looks like crap because I was in a rush.

 

Am i mistaken here? Mine came like that with the brushed aluminum look. I thought it came stock like that. Or is that just the TL-S?

 

^^ I was just thinking the same thing. Is the 2G TL-S already "Brushed Aluminum"?

 

i'm certain tl-s don't have brushed aluminum or brushed aluminum 'look'...i think all 2Gs have that silver spray.

regardless, this mod is subtle at most. i drive my car daily so i appreciate seeing something new and fresh in the car--not to mention it was cheap and fun

 

Still confused...my 03TLS shiftgate looks exactly like what you did and it came that way. Yours looks great!....same as stock. Was yours black before you did this?

 

You did a nice job and a good DYI.

I'll take a look at my TL-S and if it's just "plain" metal-look, this goes on the list of mods.

 

I'm posting a link to this in the DIY thread

 

my shift plate was silver/gray to begin with. i took that off with the solvent then sanded/painted it. do you have any pics of your shiftplate?

 

It looks good. Stock is a solid silver, it doesn't have the brushed look. It may be difficult to see in the pic, but if you look, there are vertical lines, making it look like brushed aluminum. I've been contemplating on what I should do to mine. It's starting to look pretty bad. Also, does anyone remember what paint matched the stock black on the interior? I've got a scrath in my cupholder doors and I'd like to sand it down and repaint it.

 

It looks good. Looking closely, I see what you mean about the brushed effect. I presume that's from the sanding? The color is brighter and more metallic than stock. If the trim ring were chrome plated, to match the shifter shaft and collar, now THAT would really look classy!

 

wow... it looks ummm like the original

 

Looks really nice, men.
good job.
I'm always like the brushed aluminum look.
I wish her come come with that

 

Instead of using the brushed aluminum look, I went with a gunmetal color (the same as my rims). I took some pics, post-install. Let me know what you think.

 

I like it great job.

 

Awesome job

 

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Thanks guys. And I'm sure you noticed the trim pieces were missing in the pics I posted. I'm in the process of painting them the same color as the shift gate. They're a little more tricky because of the laminate that's all over them. I'll post pics of them when they're done.

 

Well, here's that update I promised. I have the center console trim pieces done as well as the trim around the gauges. I've posted pics of all of them. What do you guys think?

 

looks good, did you have the brown or grey wood grain?

 

It was the brown. I'm still working on the door trim pieces, they should be done in just a couple of days.

Of course I'll post more pics ASAP.

You guys let me know if you want me to make a D.I.Y. for painting the trim kit.