My winter project is making my fake Speedster look a little more authentic looking. Gone are the 914 gauges, the Pep Boys headlight switch, the later model VW locking steering column, and the wood rimmed steering wheel. Now I'm looking at the dash and doors and wondering if there is a source for the chrome strip across the dash and along the door tops like in the dandy original shown below.
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Vintage Speedster, lists the dash chrome strip, in the interior parts section.
I used a strip of wheel well trim, available at Autozone and your FLAPS.
If I remember to get out to the shop, I'll dig out the box and find out who made it and let you know. My car is white with a burgundy dash pad so I used Gold colored trim and it looks great. Stuck it on ten years ago and it's never loosened....
A nice piece of aluminum would work well too.
You can buy a set of 70's VW Beetle side trim for about $40, there are white T clips that secure them in place..be careful not to buy the cheapest trim as it is so thin finger pressure will dent them
I used side molding from a beetle. It worked great! Like was mentioned earlier it's very soft
I used to see chrome VW bug fender beading in 25' roles at JC Whitney. Only see colors now. I'd prefer polish aluminum with a tab edge.
Has anyone seen this? I am thinking about ordering a piece to try when I start my interior.
If I'm not mistaken, originals use a chrome bead on the dash and on both sides of the door top trim pieces?
I think fender welting under the dash bumpers would look a little weird (the bead is round), but whatever floats your boat.
The stuff I used was Wheel Well trim from Silvatrim, which appears to be a Brazilian company. I bought mine somewhere around 2002 and a quick search found some of their stuff on Amazon, but not what I used. Their stuff is 3/8" wide, adhesive backed and in chrome (Model #20808) Black (20880) and Gold (20884).
You might try searching Amazon for "Wheel Well Trim" and see what you get.
Some original 356 door top bumpers had a similar decorative trim beneath them that looks like (from the photos I've just seen) the same stuff as under the dash bumpers (although I've only seen it on a few, later, Super and Super 90 cars). They also had a color-matched bead of the door vinyl material running along the top of the bumper, and that's it.
Take a look at what Sierra Madre offers for dash and door trim. Looks like welting. The package includes 6 pieces. Not sure where all they are used. The picture shows just what you describe, two on the dash (one on each side of eyebrow) and one under the top door trim. That's only 4 pieces? The price seems a little high.
I would like to find a trim like the belt line trim on a Bug, but with a flange attached to one side to fit under the trim pieces.
