Be great if they somehow managed to polish them up to gloss in the PDI haha - imagine some young trainee being given that task
OEM Black Caps are a justifiable spend at circa £100 and think a must from what understand are a relatively straightforward swap if take time and appropriate care - Could get the Carbon copies, as seen these and they are very good, but actually think in this case the Gloss Black Caps are the better match
Have a road trip planned to the jurassic coast in July, around into Cornwall, so that be my R last hurrah.
Sure the TCR is going to be great and I am going to love it, but unless was taking passengers, I would still leave it parked up and take the GT4 on any roadtrip, - its out of my price band but very much on the desired list, such a great looking car and sure it drives as amazingly too
Given what my detailer has told me of the transgressions of dealer 'detailers', I'd half expect them to give anything a go. He spent a day fixing the bonnet on a Mini recently where the detailer at the dealership had burnt the clear coat with a non-orbital polisher. He said he started the day thinking a respray was on the cards and said it was a job done with his paint depth meter used every 10 seconds. Black car, customer didn't notice and when he put lights on it, then you really see it. I happened to walk in as he was trying to figure out where to start.
My best advice (if I may offer it and if it's not telling you how to suck eggs) is to get nylon trim tools and get hold of the service manual with the exploded parts diagrams so you know where to lever trim or parts. I've always been frustrated by the combination of brittle plastic or plastic and metal clips with VW trim and parts. Not that I've ever broken anything and sworn profusely to be in a position to give this advice!
The GT4 is a great car, when you can, you should but be careful, there are strut tower failures on the 991 / 981 series platform and I have seen a few CAT D cars come back on to the market. There was one that the owner crashed after 200 odd miles and it has now come back on the market looking for a premium based on 'nearly new' condition.
When wife Audi SLine Black Edition went in for a service recently, I was asked whether I would like it washed and that was a firm no having seen the 2 scruffy looking fellas out back with a power wash and buckets - Barely trust them to service and fix car (but do of course) but definitely not trust any of them to clean it etc. I am no detailer, do not even wash them in winter unless have to, but when I do its usually with great care and there is always a good winter coat of collonite thrown in for times not wash much.
Will take lots of care changing the caps, though will not be overly bothered about breaking the outgoing clips as doubt there is much resale value on them! (But will of course still try not to break the clips)
Have seen plenty of youtube videos of CAT D vehicles repaired and set back on the road and some are done really well and you would trust the integrity of the repair as those doing are highly skilled and reputable, but did see one repair on an Audi R8 that sent shivers up the spine as doubt it would hold up to a 5 mph bump - all well hidden repairs, looked great if looking over - criminal act in my opinion.
If could see a day when my wife, the girls and everyone else who have stakes in me decide to leave the poor fella alone financially, then maybe I could go all out on decent second hand 911 or something of that ilk, but till that never to be seen day, TCR is my level and given how happy been with the R, its not too bad a thing to be left with to enjoy