Dash air vents - change of knobs?

[Steve McF]

A while a go, I acquired some dash air vents from a facelift 9-3, with the intention of updating my pre facelift vents. From what I can see, the passenger and driver's side vents can be swapped for the later parts. However, the centre vent is a slightly different shape, and will not fit in the older dash.

So, my question is, can the silvery knobs from the later vents be removed and fitted into the older vents? I don't want to attempt to pull them out if I risk breaking the whole unit. I would only need to do this with the centre vent.

[wrighar]

The top part (cap) with silvery bit pulls off, then a rubbery part can be pulled off from behind, all mounted on a grooved metal pin.

There are about 3 parts to it.

[Steve McF]

Ah interesting...so the knob can be dismantled without pulling the whole thing out of the vent? (On the facelift vent). Can the pre-facelift knob be similarly dismantled?

That would make things a lot easier.

[wrighar]

I believe they too just pull off, but as a single whole rubber top rather than a 2 or 3 piece one

[Steve McF]

I can get the facelift knobs off quite easy, but I can't get the pre-facelift knobs off for fear of breaking the whole vent as it is flexing quite a bit....

[wrighar]

They have to come off as the forked shaft is fitted from the rear

[Steve McF]

They don't seem to want to unscrew, and I really don't want to break them.

Had another thought though. Whilst sorting through a load of old paint, I came across some enamel chrome paint. Now, if I could find a silvery version that matches the Hirsch style trim I have over the glovebox, perhaps I could just paint the original vent knobs....or at least the ones on the vent over the audio head unit.

Would that be relatively easy (is some sort of plastic undercoat required), would it look naff, and has anyone else tried this?

[sgould]

You could glue a thin metal washer on the knob.

[Geoff1951]

Steve, have a look at Humbrol paints for plastic model kits.  Huge range.