S4 a-pillar trim on an S5?
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 6,189
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From: Woodbine, MD
S4 a-pillar trim on an S5?
So I recently removed my dumb S5 seat belts and am in the middle of installing a roll bar and 6 pt. harnesses....
when I removed the seat belt rails off the door frame, I broke both of my a-pillar trim pieces (they were super brittle)
my question, can I replace them with S4 pieces? I imagine they're thinner so I'll be able to see a bit better past them. Will they match up decently well to my S5 C pillar trim?
when I removed the seat belt rails off the door frame, I broke both of my a-pillar trim pieces (they were super brittle)
my question, can I replace them with S4 pieces? I imagine they're thinner so I'll be able to see a bit better past them. Will they match up decently well to my S5 C pillar trim?
Your car has a c-pillar?
Anyway, no...with a qualification.
Now that you've removed the mousetracks there's really not much to hold the a-pillar trim but sheer desire.
Either series plastic will kind of work but the S4 will leave exposed metal above the door because the S5 headliner is cut higher to clear the mousetracks and the S4 plastic is narrower in this area.
It is possible to use the S4 pieces but it'll take a lot of fiddling with to make it look good.
You'll need to cut the front headliner trim piece because the S4 pillar plastic is shaped differently in this spot.
Then you need to fiddle with the tail of the piece (goes over the door) to try and reach the headliner.
I've done it both ways...keeping the S5 parts is much easier and IMO, ends up looking better.
Anyway, no...with a qualification.
Now that you've removed the mousetracks there's really not much to hold the a-pillar trim but sheer desire.
Either series plastic will kind of work but the S4 will leave exposed metal above the door because the S5 headliner is cut higher to clear the mousetracks and the S4 plastic is narrower in this area.
It is possible to use the S4 pieces but it'll take a lot of fiddling with to make it look good.
You'll need to cut the front headliner trim piece because the S4 pillar plastic is shaped differently in this spot.
Then you need to fiddle with the tail of the piece (goes over the door) to try and reach the headliner.
I've done it both ways...keeping the S5 parts is much easier and IMO, ends up looking better.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 6,189
Likes: 18
From: Woodbine, MD
Your car has a c-pillar?
Anyway, no...with a qualification.
Now that you've removed the mousetracks there's really not much to hold the a-pillar trim but sheer desire.
Either series plastic will kind of work but the S4 will leave exposed metal above the door because the S5 headliner is cut higher to clear the mousetracks and the S4 plastic is narrower in this area.
It is possible to use the S4 pieces but it'll take a lot of fiddling with to make it look good.
You'll need to cut the front headliner trim piece because the S4 pillar plastic is shaped differently in this spot.
Then you need to fiddle with the tail of the piece (goes over the door) to try and reach the headliner.
I've done it both ways...keeping the S5 parts is much easier and IMO, ends up looking better.
Anyway, no...with a qualification.
Now that you've removed the mousetracks there's really not much to hold the a-pillar trim but sheer desire.
Either series plastic will kind of work but the S4 will leave exposed metal above the door because the S5 headliner is cut higher to clear the mousetracks and the S4 plastic is narrower in this area.
It is possible to use the S4 pieces but it'll take a lot of fiddling with to make it look good.
You'll need to cut the front headliner trim piece because the S4 pillar plastic is shaped differently in this spot.
Then you need to fiddle with the tail of the piece (goes over the door) to try and reach the headliner.
I've done it both ways...keeping the S5 parts is much easier and IMO, ends up looking better.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillar_(automobile)
thanks clokker. I'm not super concerned about the looks, and yeah, I know about the clips, but I have to deal with that either way.
are S4 trim peices noticeably thinner? That's really the only reason I would do the swap. S5 pieces are fairly bulky, I assume due to the mouse tracks.
Wikipedia is weird.
I can't say I thought the S4 parts were noticeably thinner in the areas that would affect forward vision and even if they were it's a moot point.
Your S5 chassis has studs (to mount the mousetrack) that the S4 doesn't.
The S4 plastic will sit on these studs instead of fitting more closely, as I imagine they do in a real S4.
I suppose you could cut the studs off, not sure if that would really help since I didn't.
I can't say I thought the S4 parts were noticeably thinner in the areas that would affect forward vision and even if they were it's a moot point.
Your S5 chassis has studs (to mount the mousetrack) that the S4 doesn't.
The S4 plastic will sit on these studs instead of fitting more closely, as I imagine they do in a real S4.
I suppose you could cut the studs off, not sure if that would really help since I didn't.
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