Porsche-O-Phile

Brushed aluminum all the way!

Wood belongs on Rolls Royces or Jaguars.

Have you seen the pics of the new 997 with the optional wood interior? It's DAMN fugly.

AndyK

Wouldn't aluminum trim reflect in the sun?? Who wants a bright surface to stare at while driving??

adrian_jaye

VERY NiCe

Dan in Pasadena

Carl,
Thanks for the response. I'm sort of passively looking for a 931 header panel or possibly some way to modify mine to look like the one with the larger dual openings 951/944S2 panel I keep seeing on Ebay.

Porsche-O-Phile

Nah, the brushed aluminum is good - not nearly as reflective as bright or smooth finished metal (depends on the type of brushing done though to some extent). I recently got some metal laminate samples from Wilsonart and spent some time with them in the car; I'm going to order a couple sheets and fabricate some pieces (instrument cluster surround, around the shifter, etc). Similar to the look on some of the new boxsters. It'll look hella nice, trust me.

pete944

Porsche-O-Phile, get the Wilsonart 'Satin Stainless' #4830-7.
The laminate comes in different thicknesses, get the vertical grade as it's thinner and should be easier to conform to contours.

Mark-87-951

I did seriously consider their brushed aluminum but they made a point of it being more difficult to install. I didnt want to take that chance since this is my first time with something like this. It did look very nice though.

Mark

Porsche-O-Phile

Well, I'm just going to get the paneling and do the cutting myself - pretty easy with thin laminates. I'll get the exact # I decided on, it might be that one but I'll have to look at the sample. . .

944 Hooligan

blah, wood has no place in the interior of a sports car. ever. i know it's offered in the porsche exclusive catalog and they should stop. now.

i don't think i would ever do the stick on stuff in any car, but if i did it would be carbon. or just make molds and recreate the parts in real carbon sheets, no decals.

fpena944

I have it on my car. The dealer installed it between the time I test drove the car and when I came to pick it up.

Looked a bit strange at first but I've grown to like the unique look it provides my car. It gives it a luxurious feel but yet I know at heart it's still a performance car.

Check out my profile pics for interior shots.

Mark-87-951

Well I received the wood trim kit today. I am a bit dissappointed as for something that is " cut with a computer aided, CNC Router design/manufacturing system (CAD/CAM)" there are a lot of wavy edges that should be straight. Circles are out of round. Rectangle cutouts are not square and/or edges not parallel to edge of panel. The wood burl in many places has voids and nothing filled it except for the clear resin so that the grey backing shows through.

Is this normal and I am I being to picky? I sent them an email. Maybe a bad one got through the cracks. Im keeping my fingers crossed.

Mark

AndyK

No, I don't think woodless-voids with the backing showing count as normal! Laminate so thin that it's see-through? Have them re-do the whole kit. Not acceptable for what--$200?? Where did you wind up getting it from?

Mark-87-951

Its not that the laminate is so thin to see through its the voids. Im going to give them a chance to refund or re-do. I could almost live with the wavy cuts - almost but the number of woodless voids is to much to take. I'll post here what happens. The cuts though look like someone was shaking the machine or they are not cut with a cad/cam machine as claimed.

AndyK

I wonder if all these "real exotic wood" places get their stuff from some factory in Viet Nam or something?

Good luck!

UDPride

One of the suppliers is in Florida. Ive tried contacting these wood dash places and its like getting in touch with Osama. I HAVE to have one for the 930 and these ppl seem like they dont want to sell me one.