ok.... I'm done. Since I *know* there will be people down the road not covered by the warranty for this, I'm going to try to make this fairly extensive. I should preface this by saying I used to work with vinyl for a year in a sign shop - but I don't believe that provided me with any significant advantage except for having a professional vinyl squeege - which I highly recommend. Also make sure you have a quality and sharp xacto-style knife to work with, and a hair dryer.
First of all - get the 3M scotchprint product. I tried two different vinyls - and while the "lesser" vinyl had a very nice deep grain to it which I liked, it was far more difficult to work with and was thicker. Second, the discussion between 55V8 and myself is spot on - the 3M brushed aluminum is not very shiny/metallic... nor was the lesser vinyl in brushed aluminum I received. The brushed titanium and I believe brushed steel are far more metallic. 3M product also responds very well to heat, sticks great, releases bubbles far better, and stretches with ease. It is truly a phenominal product and works very well. Also - as our conversation stated above, make sure you buy the vinyl with the grain lengthwise and not sideways. These rolls generally come in 12" or 24", and that is not long enough to cover the trim. A 12X60" roll is enough to cover all 6 pieces, the shifter cover, and the shift knob.
To remove the trim pieces on the console:
1: Remove the large wood trim (black on non-GT models) from either side of the center stack (dash). They simply pull out from their tabs. Start with the bottom - it's easier.
2: Lift up the black shifter plate and remove. (Will need to unscrew shift knob and pop out light bulb) Gently use a screwdriver to pop it upward. Don't try to lift the silver piece itself, as it is screwed into the bigger black plate from the backside. The rubber-faced cubby plate will lift out with it. Once you can get under the cubby plate, separate it from the shifter plate; there is one minor friction tab between the two.
3: Lift up (in the front) and remove trim which console lid sits down on.
4: Pop off the kick plates on both sides, along with the smaller wood trim below the console tunnel. (One tab from each kick plate sits in the smaller wood trim, so they may come off together anyway). You will see two screws at the front of each trim piece - one at the top and one on the lower side. Remove these and then pull the trim piece forward (towards the front of the vehicle) and remove.
5: For the front door pieces, simply pull off. Not sure yet how to remove the back door pieces; they appear to be screwed in from the backside by at least one fastener
With the trim pieces off, clean thoroughly. It helps to also be working in a fairly clean environment. Rub them down with alcohol. Make sure your hands are clean. Any crap that gets caught behind will result in a bubble or a burr.
Some will say this product should be applied dry, and I suppose it is entirely possible. But when I first put the vinyl on, I sprayed the adhesive side with a mix of water and just a little dishwashing detergent. I found this wet method helped the flat sections apply very smoothly and without bubbles... plus it allows you to ensure the vinyl is positioned properly before pressing it down. I then applied it with the squeege.
After this, I found it was easiest to start folding the edges starting with the middle *on both sides*. The reason for this is because with both sides folded over you now have a nice handle with which to work without concern of marring the unapplied vinyl.
I then worked my way towards the tips of the trim piece - cutting it on the backside where fastener plastic pieces were. When you reach the tips, wrap the ends first - then the 45 degree corner area. You could work your way around the corners from one side, but I found working in the middle of the corner helped avoid bunch-up of the vinyl. You can apply without heat when you can, but the corners will certainly require heat and a little stretching to keep from bunching up and folding over itself.
If you mis-apply, that's ok... just lift it up with some heat, a little stretching, and try again. When working - especially on the corners - make sure you don't have too much excess material on the backside or it will be harder to manipulate. However, make sure you have a bit to ensure the edge of the vinyl will never be seen from the front side. Also, if you do have lots of bubbles, don't force them out... be gentle. If you do, the vinyl could bunch up and crease. With that said - you'd be surprised how much you can manhandle this stuff without incident.
Be careful not to apply too much heat. Especially with the lesser vinyls, too much will melt the adhesive and cause it to gum up and not lay smoothly. Make sure you get bubbles out as you go, since they are harder to remove once finished. If you must, you can use a needle to prick a hole.
The first vinyl I received was 3m brushed aluminum. Not only did it have the grain in the wrong direction, but I wasn't really happy with the look. I found two alternatives online: One brushed aluminum from another manufacturer which looked more metallic (but wasn't really upon arrival), and the brushed titanium from 3m. I first applied the aluminum to the console pieces:
In some light, it looked darn white. As I said, it was not very metallic either - though I DID like the deep grain.
A few days later, the brushed titanium came and I did the doors.
I was much happier with the look of this. I wasn't sure if it would match the other aluminum parts as well (door lever, thin trim across the dash), but it actually isn't too far off in some lights.
I then decided to tear off the aluminum vinyl on the console, use anti-adhesive fluid to remove the abundant adhesive it left behind, recleaned the console trim and did the rest in the brushed titanium. I finally did the shifter plate and knob. I opted to not cut out the black plastic on the right that mimics the shift number plastic on the left. I might still one day down the road, but I think it looks fine.
How long did it take? Screwing with the original brushed aluminum aside, probably about 4 hours in total.
How much did it cost? Besides the first two sets of vinyl I never ended up using, under $30 in vinyl.
Is the job perfect? Actually - this is one of the most successful projects I've done in some time. I would challenge any professional to notice a flaw. Yes, I would say it is perfect. The original brushed aluminum I put on the console was about 99% perfect, and I attribute the flaws to the "lesser" vinyl, and my inexperience.
