The 2005 Nissan Altima with an Rdash® Silver Carbon Fiber Dash Kit
People love to go on about the difference between vinyl dash kits and polyurethane domed dash kits and while it should be pretty clear that they are completely different animals very few enthusiasts have taken the time to look at the advantages of Rdash® vinyl trim kits on their own. We recently received some great installation photos of a Silver Carbon Fiber dash kit applied on the dash of a 2005 Nissan Altima. Aside from showing the great fitment of the kit which always makes us feel good (hey, we're designers and car lovers at heart so it's always a confidence booster to see our designs on your rides) we were also impressed to see how the Rdash® kit helped to cover up damaged dash pieces.
Rdash® Dash Trim Kits - Restoring Your Ride for Under $50
In general, we like to recommend Rdash® trim kits for customers with brand-new cars and trucks as well as those who are leasing. Why? Because Rdash® dash kits are the only kits on the market made with semi-permanent adhesives. In other words, Rdash® trim kits can be safely removed without causing damage to your vehicle's interior. This just isn't possible with domed polyurethane dash kits (like those made by DL Auto, Benevento and B&I) because they use VHB (very high bond) foam tapes made by companies like 3M. VHB foam tape adhesives have that familiar red backing and are made to hold the heavy real carbon fiber and wood pieces to your dash so it's only natural for them to be very strong. If you try removing one of these kits after it's bonded for a few days you'll find yourself pulling pieces of your factory dashboard off as well.
For obvious reasons then, you just can't slap a poly kit with VHB tape onto a leased ride and expect to avoid a huge penalty when you turn it in. It also follows that your choice in aftermarket dash trim may not be shared by future buyer's so it can be a risky proposition to add a permanent poly kit to your vehicle's interior. For all of these reasons, we first recommend Rdash® kits to these types of buyers but, as we'll see below, they do just a good a job at restoring older cars' interiors as they do restyling new ones.
Before the Altima Rdash® Trim Kit
And now we get to the meat of today's post. In the photo below you can see that this 2005 Altima's shifter console has taken some abuse over the last ten years and the results are not pretty. Luckily, the Silver Carbon Fiber dash kit they used to restore it are.
After the Altima Rdash® Trim Kit
When you see the shifter console in the after picture below it's really hard to believe that it's the same car but it is. Clearly, despite the years of negative press, Rdash® vinyl dash kits do a really good job at restoring the look of your dash. And with over 60 different colors and styles to choose from you can update your ride while adding a bit of your personal style.
So, what do you think? We want to hear from you and, if you have photos of Rdash® kits in your ride we'd love to see them and hear your stories about what a difference they've made. So, comment below or hit us up on G+ or Facebook!
