GTMark052

Are the dashboard air vent rings themselves removable? Since these and the dashboard cluster bezel are the only chrome items in the car I want to paint them to match the brushed aluminum trim I have everywhere else.
thanks,
Mark

05YellowGT

I put the vent pods in my car and they just pop out. Here's a link to the instructions showing how to remove the A/C vents to install the pods ...

http://store.roushperformance.com/im...pod_012308.pdf

BeBeep

Thanks, I needed this info.

GTMark052

+2 Thank you 05YellowGT...just what the doctor ordered

azoufan

Very interested in seeing these results. I too feel the same as you and would love to remove the chrome. Are you planning on doing anything with the chrome rings around the gauges like you mentioned? Good luck!

GTMark052

Yeah I'll probably end up painting it. As for the chrome rings around the air vent registers, I think I'm going to purchase the brushed aluminum ones from KC. I'm figuring that the rings are constantly being touched by someones hands and if they were painted, it would probably show some wear pretty quick. The chrome around the instrument cluster usually isn't touched so it should be fine. I really like my charcoal IUP panels as they are and can't see forking out over $500 for the GT500 panels just to get the brushed trim around the intrument cluster.

2kanchoo

I used some emory cloth on all the rings on my car. If you have the time and patience it gives them a matte finish like brushed aluminum.

GTMark052

Those turned out great!
What grade(s) of emory cloth and technique did you use to get that effect? I definitely have the patience
thanks

ShowGT

Nice thread, the rings look factory even though they were chrome.

GTMark052

I ordered the vents today from KC. These will have the brushed aluminum rings with black color inner louvers instead of the silver color of the stock ones.
I'll end up using the emory paper on the gauge cluster trim to match the look

2kanchoo

It just says fine. I'd guess like 300ish. All you do is a lot of tight circles. Don't push overly hard just keep swirling it around and it will come through. FYI it will scare the crap out of you at first because it will just scratch it all to hell but you keep working the tight circles and it will come around. All the vents including the entire gauge cluster come off so I took them all inside and did it while watching tv over about a week. I think it turned out great especially for the cost of free.

Edit: you can see on that one pic that I only did the same angles on the gauge cluster as the vent pods and left the rest chrome. I think it made a nice contrast. Plus if I change my mind I can always finish off the rest.

MTAS

I'd guess one could get the same outcome with some 0000 steel wool? BTW they do look great

MTAS

I'll answer my own question - no

I used 400 grit sandpaper, but haven't done the main cluster yet. Something else I did when I had the vents out was take care of the slop between the ring and the barrel that slides into the dash. While you have the barrel/ring assembly out, hold the barrel with one hand, the ring with the other and move the ring about 1/8" and there's probably some slop that just screams cheapness/shoddy engineering IMO (and could be a source of buzzing if the right frequencies from the drive train/exhaust/stereo are there). A few dabs of super glue at those points only and they're solid now

GTMark052

Man those look great! The vent rings that I ordered are on back order so I'll just sand the stock ones like you guys did. BTW, did you remove the air vents using the "Roush" directions or some other way? I tried removing them and they seem stuck in there pretty good. The directions said that they will remove easily but mine are stubborn I guess. I was afraid of breaking the louver/ring assembly because of the amount of force I was using to try to remove them. Then again maybe my idea of easy and someone else's easy is different

MTAS

I'm not familiar with the Roush directions, but getting the ring/barrel assembly out is a piece of cake. Put your fingertips at the 9 and 3 position and give a firm pull all in one motion. It might seem like something snaps (breaks), but none of mine did (meaning your mileage may vary!). They'll come out. The main gauge bezel just pulls off as well - grab hold of the 2 main rings and pull!