B Pillar blackout

thehorse · Dec 20, 2016

After seeing CaliCazy's pic of his new Cali with the chrome pack that comes with the blacked out B-pillar, I have been wondering if I should add this to my order, but not sure I can justify the £360 cost.

I can see the VWCC shop sells the blackout kit for 18.99, so a much cheaper option. Has anyone fitted these, is it easy to fit and also which blends best with the windows - matt or gloss?

Days out · Dec 20, 2016

Yep. Fitted the graphic to the B pillar in the summer. Quite easy to do but you need to perfectly align the sticker to ensure good alignment between the front door and the sliding door. Good to do in warm weather as well. Had them on for good 5 months and still look like new.

Makes lot of difference to the look. Makes the window graphic look longer and the van more sleek in my opinion. Go for gloss black as it matches the glass. I bought the chrome bar that fits into the front intake too. Clips in easy!

Before

After

thehorse · Dec 21, 2016

Great! Looks good.

I didn't realise you could get the chrome strip for the front, is that the same as the vw one?

thehorse · Dec 21, 2016

Just another question...Where did you get the front chrome stip and how much was it - can't see it in the VWCC shop.

Days out · Dec 21, 2016

I bought it from eBay from vanstyle. I think it was £80 or 90. The black one unclips and the new one clicks back in. I tried to tape up the old black one with chrome tape myself but it wrinkles.

I've also seen chrome strips for the side and tailgate but I prefer it cleaner on the side especially as my van is white. On a dark colour van I think it looks really good. Depends if you want that look I guess.

Days out · Dec 21, 2016

These are £99 but vanstyle is cheaper. Have a look on eBay.

MrNick · Dec 22, 2016

I had a friend fit the B pillar decals which make the white look so much better, and I also fitted the chrome strip at the front, plus the tailgate strip and protector, all from VanStyle.

I think chrome side strips would look good too, but I haven't found them anywhere yet.

@Days out Those wheels look amazing, what type are they and how big? Is your Cali lowered?

MattBW · Dec 22, 2016

Im thinking the black strips are the way to go with my beach it gives it a nice asthetic, did you get gloss or matt ones?

Days out · Dec 22, 2016

Hi Mr. Nick

Your chrome on the tailgate trim looks good. I like the bumper protector too. I was thinking of gloss black but seeing the metal one I might change my mind. I've also seen vanstyle do a insert to add to the tailgate to continue the profile of the bumper where it's been cut away for the tailgate. Looks good and beefs up the back end a bit.

The chrome side strips I've seen are on a roll so not sure how it might look at the door shuts but I recon with a bit of care it could be ok. The thing is it will look ok from 3 ft away but close up you always see little details that if like me you have detail OCD will bother you. The roll is ony £4.95 so might be worth a punt. Search for chrome side moulding strip California.

The wheels on my van are 20" 9.5J 45ET with 285/35 R20 Pirelli Pzero Nero tyres. The wheel manufacture is GMP Italia. The rims are load rated for the van. Think they are called "MK1" 'strong'

They do a dished version (image above) which is very nice but I was worried about having to add extra spacers so went with the flatter spokes. I think they suit the Cali well because they are very technical looking with the diamond turned face and rim edge which increases the visual diameter.

I had the van lowered at the dealer before I picked it up. Even on the standard 17" wheels it looked less van like in my opinion. If you look at the photos I posted above about the B pillar trim you can see how the tyres fit the arches in side view. I always think the transporter or Cali on standard suspension looks like it's on tip-toes. However I understood a lot of people want the ground clearance. So it's understandable why it does not appeal to everyone. My Cali is FWD not 4WD so it stays on road and I don't try to go off roading in it.

My issue with the standard wheels is in 3/4 view they look too far inboard. So the rims I have push the tyre out closer to the arch edge. I have had no detrimental loss in ride quality even with the suspension lowering. I recal when I had the 17" rims it would crash over potholes as does the 20". I am a bit more careful about road defects and kerbs now but I love the look of the van. It was a condition upon purchase I had with my wife that I have to fit big wheels and have it lowered! My next purchase will be a front splitter in gloss black. I love the fact you can personalise the van quite a bit to make it look away from other vans on the road. Chrome strips included!

MrNick · Dec 22, 2016

MattBW said:
Im thinking the black strips are the way to go with my beach it gives it a nice asthetic, did you get gloss or matt ones?

Gloss for me, better matches the windows.

Days out · Dec 22, 2016

MattBW said:
Im thinking the black strips are the way to go with my beach it gives it a nice asthetic, did you get gloss or matt ones?

Gloss B pillar trims every time as the match the glass and this trick the eye into a longer window graphic. Gloss mirror cheaters would be good too. Seen them on a Caravelle.

MattBW · Dec 22, 2016

Cheers I will order some of those when the shop reopens

calikev · Dec 22, 2016

you can order these now as they are shipped direct from the graphics company

Days out · Dec 22, 2016

Here is the ad I found for chrome side strips. Might try this in the new year. As I said it's cheap so no guarantee of being that good but worth a punt.

owen_h · Dec 22, 2016

Days out said:
View attachment 18185

Here is the ad I found for chrome side strips. Might try this in the new year. As I said it's cheap so no guarantee of being that good but worth a punt.

Save your £5 and the time needed to cut and fit these strips. I tried 2 different vendors and both of them looked OK (just OK) after fitting but within a couple of weeks water had got between the outer clear cover and the chrome foil. Result was a wrinkled mess with cloudy areas. Removing without damaging the paintwork not easy either.
You can get the original VW trim but its expensive (£200+ from memory).
The best compromise I found was from Just Kampers. A set of polished stainless steel trims shaped to fit a T5 transporter with right hand sliding door. i.e fine for a Cali. Dont think there are any differences in the side between T5 & T6.
I found some of the strips slightly to long (max couple of mm) when fitting and liable to catch on drying cloths/leather. It was a simple matter to cut/file the ends down a bit.
Had them on my dark blue Beach for over a year now and still pleased with the look.
http://www.justkampers.com/vw-t5-pa...s-stainless-steel-for-short-wheelbase-t5.html

Days out · Dec 22, 2016

owen_h said:
Save your £5 and the time needed to cut and fit these strips. I tried 2 different vendors and both of them looked OK (just OK) after fitting but within a couple of weeks water had got between the outer clear cover and the chrome foil. Result was a wrinkled mess with cloudy areas. Removing without damaging the paintwork not easy either.
You can get the original VW trim but its expensive (£200+ from memory).
The best compromise I found was from Just Kampers. A set of polished stainless steel trims shaped to fit a T5 transporter with right hand sliding door. i.e fine for a Cali. Dont think there are any differences in the side between T5 & T6.
I found some of the strips slightly to long (max couple of mm) when fitting and liable to catch on drying cloths/leather. It was a simple matter to cut/file the ends down a bit.
Had them on my dark blue Beach for over a year now and still pleased with the look.
http://www.justkampers.com/vw-t5-pa...s-stainless-steel-for-short-wheelbase-t5.html

Thanks for the advice. I will save that fiver for something else. As I thought it's very cheap and that usually means only one thing.