Has anyone installed aftermarket wood trim in their 5th Gen Maxima. I have a 2001 SE and I'm thinking about it. I'd like to know if anyone recommends any specific companies. I think the stick-on type looks tacky and was wondering if there's any other type of wood trim that looks really nice and original.

-- AJay
2001 Icelandic Pearl Maxima SE

 

You can get the factory ones that come on the GLE from Southpoint from Dave. It's the shifter plate and four window switch plates. Those look the best. These are factory and run about $290.00. Pretty pricey but cheaper than Courtesy Nissan. Dave at Southpoint is the only way to get aftermarket stuff for a great price. Great customer service from Dave also!!!! Good luck...

 

Ya you could get the stuff from a GLE but its really ugly compared to real wood. Here is the kit i have in my car...

I got that, plus the clock surround and around all the vents for like 50 bucks from "trimdash" on ebay.

Adam

 

$50 Bucks from Trimdash? Well I guess stick-on wood is not that expensive these days. You also get what you pay for. I have some left over fire wood and some duck tape that I would be willing to sell you for about $25 bucks. Don't worry about the duck tape, because you will be looking at real wood...... Oh and I will include some sticks to go around the vents and the clock at no extra charge... If you wait a month, we're comming out with the all wood dash that covers everything for that extra getto look... Hmmmm what did you say about GLE trim?

 

as another option to wood if it goes with your interior color. Make sure you look at REAL carbon fiber, not the fake kind, there is a world of difference.

 

Adam

I guess you don't have the trim for the shift surround?

Maximizd

Do you have pictures of the area around your shift surround?

http://www.his.com/~wc/maxima/photos/console.jpg

I like everyone's full interior. I'm going to install the rest of mine this weekend. I only installed the door and shift surround trim. Now I'm going to do the vents and rest of the dash.

 

I have the Joshua Tree wood trim kit on my 2000 SE and love the way it looks. My wife has the factory (imitation) wood trim on her GLE, which IMHO looks less attractive.

There are two problems with the aftermarket stick-on wood trim kits. Whether either is a big deal is all a matter of taste.

1) The pieces are stuck on top of the dash. From a distance, it is impossible to notice this. Up close it becomes more apparent, particularly if you are looking for it. However, I do not think it is at all noticeable to anyone that is not looking for it. Joshua Tree, Exotic Wood Dash, Florida Auto Trim and others supply these same kits to dealers for use in Maximas and other cars. (My daughter goes to a private school, and a few weeks back she was picked up by one of her friends. The father’s car was a new Mercedes S-600, and clearly had an aftermarket wood kit added. I did mine on a hot summer's day in the driveway - I'm sure his was installed by the dealer, but hey, I'm sure I spent less than he did.) IMHO, the overall appearance of an aftermarket dash kit is well worth the $$$.

2) The Joshua Tree kit for the Maxima (and I assume all the competitors, perhaps to a greater or lesser degree) has a gap between the lower center console and the shift surround. This is necessary because it would be impossible to bend the wood enough to use one piece for the area. This gap is very noticeable, and it drives me nuts. (At the same time, it is possible that no one but me notices this gap, but you don't have to look carefully to spot it.) Although the gap is not noticeable at all from a reasonable distance (such as just outside the car when getting in), it is apparent to the front seat passengers if they look at it.

If you are interested in wood trim, you should decide which pieces you want. I bought the Joshua Tee kit in part because it had fewer pieces than the Exotic Wood Dash kit, and I didn't even install of the JT kit.

 

Are all newbies morons??? My god.....
#1 GLE "wood" trim is fake plastic, i had it in my car and it looked like **** because it was so fake looking.
#2 My wood trim was only 50 bucks because if you could read you would notice i bought only 8 small pieces and not a whole kit. The whole kit costs about 120 bucks.
#3 Did you even look at the pic??? Are you saying it looks like ****? Because it looks damn good in that pic and ten times better in real life. It very lexus like in color and grain pattern.
#4 You attempt to be funny using sarcasm failed miserably.
Try again newbie...

Adam

 

Are all veterans morons, or just you? First of all figure out what Ajay's question was asking in the first place before you reply to anything you moron. Learn to read!!!! Ajay said, "I think the stick-on type looks tacky and was wondering if there's any other type of wood trim that looks really nice and original." And you answer, look at my stick-on tacky wood!!! You dumb ***, you got to learn how to read before you write. Remember you have Stick-on Wood!!! Please don't waste my time in the future with your ignorant crap....

 

what kind of kit do you guys recommend? i think an aluminum would look better, does someone have a pic of a max with a black interior and an aluminum/wood dash? i would like to see how both look before i buy. hey 2000maximaSE, i think that dash kit you have looks really good, you said you have the $50 8-piece kit, how many pieces does the $120 kit have?

 

Adam, I am no newbie, but I don't appreciate the way that you are treating them. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Like personally I do not like any of the kits out right now because they do not cover the entire piece. They leave the gray on the sides. I know that with real wood it would be impossible, but I think that either way its tacky. It seems that on every post I read, you are attacking a newbie. I don't think that its right.

 

Ya i know i have been attacking them lately.. They are bringing down the quality of the board. Only about 25% of the newbies and lurkers have anything productive to say. The rest are just flamers or trying to stir SH#t up.
Tom reminded me of one of those stirrers so i got pissed.
i sorry... But tom is still a moron...

Adam

 

Tom let me refresh your memory with your I30 and your Plastic OE Wood Trim. All wood trims are Glued/Doublesided Taped on to the dash, and your GLE/I30 is no exception. Now JT makes real wood Dash Kits, vs what nissan/infiniti and Most other car companies make is Simulated wood made out of plastic. No I support Adam 100% in saying what he said, I think U may need to go and learn some more stuff about cars B4 U open your mouth next time. As for the Newbie/lurkers go, another valid Point brought up by Adam. Mostly some of these new guys are coming on the forum to talk **** and waste other peoples time. They must get a super nut by typing bullsh!t on the forum and expect people to reply and flame at them and start wars. If U R not one of them then prove yourself and U will be repsected, Other wise just keep your negative Comments to yourself. And that goes for all you new guys, I've said B4 and I'll say it again. If U got nothing nice to say Just Keep your damn mouth SHUT, and Give your fingers a rest. GO ADAM ANOTHER GUY WITH A HEART BIG ENOUGH TO BRING **** OUT IN THE OPEN

 

You are probably right about the aluminum.

Although I wanted a black interior, I couldn't find the option I wanted in black, so I settled for the forst.

My wife has a black interior, and the (fake) GLE trim does not stand out against the black as well as my dark trim does against the gray.

Florida Auto Trim has some very interesting looking wood species in lighter shades. They are the most expensive brand, although Carparts.com (with which I (unlike other on this board) have had no problems) may have them at a reasonable price.

 

Thanks xtantmaxima for your reply. First of all, I'm not here to talk ****. It seems that you guys are the ones talking ****. I just replied to Ajay's question and Adam bagged on it. Pioneer, when your done stroking Adam and saying how much you love him, read the posts from the beginning. I explained that the FACTORY pieces look nice and those are the only ones with out the stick-on tape! FACTORY pieces are not stick-on, they actually replace the whole shifter unit and window units as well. So B4 U open your mouth: read first, learn a little more about the Maxima, and don't waste my time..... Let me just let you in on a little something, I don't want respect from you nor Adam, the only thing that I'm proving here is that you guys can't read and Pioneer sure love's to jump on the bandwagon....

 

i noticed in some pics of aluminum dashes that the aluminum is shiny, kinda like chrome. i'm looking for dull brushed aluminum, can someone help me out? i know it sounds dumb, but i'm confident that someone knows what i mean.

 

dude take it to Email. Email me at pi0neer@ibm.net and we'll **** off eachother on there.... U don't want me to stomp on your **** on the forum

 

There is both "brushed aluminum", which is a fake product that has a duller sheen, and real aluminum, which is much shinier and potentially difficult to install.

 

You know, the idea here is to help people and offer ideas and opinions. It is also to try to make some friends. I just want to say that as a new addition to this board, you are not going to make too many friends with the tone you took in your second post in this thread. Maybe you took offense to what someone said about your trim and opted to lash out, or maybe you thought you were making a joke - whatever. Just some words of wisdom for you, pal, chill out, OK?

 

You're right. All I was trying to do was offer help to Ajay and Adam choose to say that the GLE trim is ugly. Your right on the fact that my tone was very harsh towards Adam. I apologies for that. Remember I was trying to offer advice to Ajay, but that advice was shut down by adam. Is that what this forums about? Please don't get me wrong, I really do like the forum, but I think it's not right in any practice to say someone's idea is wrong or ugly. By you asking me to calm down, just invites others such as Adam and Pioneer to bash other peoples ideas. My apologies to the org. and Ajay, All I wanted to do was offer my advice.

 

I just finished reading all of the replies to my posts and never imagined this question would trigger such heat! I just want to thank everyone for all of the replies and must say I'm leaning towards TomI30's suggestion with the original wood trim. I personally do not like the stick-on wood trim. I think original factory parts almost always look better. Thanks TomI30 for your reply...I was under the impression that the factory wood trim was only available for the shift-surround. I'm going to visit Southpoint's site and will most likely make the purchase.

-- AJay