I'm thinking of wrapping my "A" pillars black to give the car a more charismatic look. (I'm also thinking of wrapping my outside side mirrors, rocker panels, and rear diffuser panel in black or carbon fiber). Any comments or suggestions on how this will look? Also, anyone here with a white ext. wrapped their "A" pillars? (I would love to see a photo!)

 

The rocker panels were black on 2015s. Front splitters, mirrors in black have been done, photos should be on Internet. I think rear diffuser in black has been done by high end tuner companies. Haven't seen A pillars though. Did you try an Internet search?

 

The rocker panels have always been body-colored. You're thinking of the side-skirts, which have been std. on the V8s from the beginning. They were black and much smaller on 14-15s, but most V6 cars don't have them, unless ordered as an option w/ the "design pack."

I don't like the idea of blacking out the A-pillar.

 

+1. Wrapping the pillars would make it look a bit flimsy with the roof cantilevered out over what would appear like contiguous glass. Definitely yes to blacking out the side skirts. However, blacking out the rockers up to the door would make the car look like some kind of weird amphibious vehicle. Better yet, just remove the side skirts for a clean elegant appearance.

 

I agree on the A-pillar; I think it would look bad. FWIW, the side-skirts on my '14 are body color as part of some design pack.

...not sure if it was the Z99X or the Z61K

Dave

 

Agreed on the rockers; that would look even worse than the A pillar black out idea! I can see the allure of removing the side skirts for looks but man, do they ever protect the rockers and rear quarter panel...because of that I'd keep them. The smaller ones are better IMO and if you don't like them, I'd wrap them black and they tend to be less noticeable.


Dave

 

I think yours were painted later, perhaps to emulate the look of a 16 model. Yours is the only 14 or 15 I've seen w/ body-colored skirts.

 

Page 72 of the 2014 brochure does show body-colored skirts as part of the design pack.

 

Interesting. I don't recall seeing anything but black until 2016s appeared.

 

In '14 and '15 black side skirts were standard on the V8's Convertible in '14 / coupe and vert in '15.

The design pack was a dealer fit option for V6's. These were painted to match along with the diffuser and front splitter blades. I'm familiar with the option because my old base had the design pack.

The design pack is now standard on all AWD models. It's painted to match, factory installed with the wider sills and splitters. If you do not have an AWD model and order the dealer installed design pack you have the option of ordering the narrow sills, or the wider AWD package.

 

I don't think this mod would look good. My 2c.

 

No, I'm pretty sure it's factory and part of one of those option codes I mentioned. ....along with the body color front valance and front side splitters. I've also seen at least one other 2014 with the same package;





Dave

 

Odd that yours are painted white on the V8... I thought black was standard. Maybe if the design pack option was selected at the time of ordering the colored pack could be factory applied regardless of the model as long as it was a specified color.

I recall when I ordered mine that the configurator at the time offered the design pack colored sills, pre-painted in a few colors. White, Rhodium Silver and Black I believe. My car was Stratus Grey and the dealer had to paint them.

 

Yeah, maybe only available from the factory on certain colors.... I bought my car used but the dealer was the selling dealer from new and was a friend of the original owner and according to them, the body colored bits were part of the design pack....but as I said, I don't know which option number that referred to.

Dave

 

I guess it's rare that V8s would have been ordered with the design pack, since the black side skirts were standard. That's why I don't think I'd seen them before on a 14 or 15 V8. You don't see the design pack on V6s either because most prefer the look without.

 

That's why I had the rockers wrapped. That wrap has accumulated a lot of rash right in front of the rear wheels.

 

I'm sure.

Dave

 

I didn't wrap the rockers, and I don't have any road rash in that area. I'm running the same 20" wheels as you, but without spacers. My car came OEM w/ that area covered with a piece of flexible material about 4X thicker than XPEL as pictured below.

Was that just a '14 thing?

 

My 16 has that film. Must have been a problem during prototype testing.

 

That's the helicopter tape. My 14 vert has body colored skirts and body color rear diffuser as well build sheet photo attached as well as the photo.