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Update: The eBay Full Replacement Paddles

ReadTheBook

Autocross Newbie
Location
Bay Area Smoke Hell
Car(s)
DVP Spektrm, MK4 R32
This is, as promised, a follow up to the thread a posted a couple weeks ago regarding some Chinese eBay DSG paddles for the MK7. http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37403

The Overall Verdict: After a 5 minute install (in the dark) and a 5 minute test drive, these are definitely worth the $62.95 I paid. However, the price seems to be at $78 on eBay currently. Even then, still a decent price if you want something more substantial than OEM and don't want to shell out $200.

Install is a snap. I did not disconnect the battery. Figured if I somehow caused the airbag to deploy by pulling two small plastic pins, I deserved it.
Turn wheel upside down, pull plastic pins with needle nose pliers, put new paddle in place, put pin back in and make sure it’s all the way seated (I used a nylon tool for this so I didn’t scratch the paddles.)

Heres a pic:


The Full Gallery:https://imgur.com/a/UBatt

The Good:
  • Build quality seems great overall.
  • Fast and easy install.
  • The finish feels nice. Nicer than the shitty Pinalloy screw on paddles I had before. Nobody buy those.
  • The milling is very nice and there are no rough edges. There are no visible tool marks left on the surface, like I saw with the Pinalloy.
  • The areas where my fingers land feel nice and are easy to get decent grip on due to how these are milled.

The Questionable/Nitpicks:
  • There seems to be a slightly more audible click when using these paddles vs the OEM ones. We will see how I end up liking this part but I may take them off again and place a thin felt pad on the switch contact surface. What the hell, it's literally a 5 minute job I did in the dark.
  • I'm not sure yet how I like the groove detail on the front side of the paddles, I think I'd like it all to be flat, but at this price (compared to other options), I can't be too picky.
  • I'm not one to place overtly branded things onto or in my car. The brand logo on the edge of the paddle is something I'll never really see much, but I wish it wasn't there, personally.
  • How will the finish hold up? This is an unknown! My biggest issue with the Pinalloy screw on paddles is that the black anodization failed over the course of 6 months and changed to a bronze/gold, something I did not want in my car.

The Bad:
  • Why do they come with these shitty rubber inlay strips in awful colors to fit inside of the grooves on the front? Come on.
And really, thats it for the bad so far.
 
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jmblur

Autocross Champion
Location
Massachusetts
Car(s)
2017 Golf R
I'm glad somebody is making a cheaper full replacement option, but goddamn do they need an industrial designer. I guess that's "the ugly"!
 

ReadTheBook

Autocross Newbie
Location
Bay Area Smoke Hell
Car(s)
DVP Spektrm, MK4 R32
can you shift with the bottom of the paddle on these?

It is doable, but like with other paddles you can't do it from the very bottom edge. I think it's simply the angle at which VW has created the paddles and the mechanism to engage the gear change, no paddle will do it from the bottom that well.
 

ReadTheBook

Autocross Newbie
Location
Bay Area Smoke Hell
Car(s)
DVP Spektrm, MK4 R32
I'm glad somebody is making a cheaper full replacement option, but goddamn do they need an industrial designer. I guess that's "the ugly"!

They aren't that bad. I've certainly seen worse products for cars and worse looking paddles for various vehicles.

My dad is a career industrial designer so I've grown up around good and bad design.
 

SkiZZy1

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Las Vegas, NV
Install is a snap. I did not disconnect the battery. Figured if I somehow caused the airbag to deploy by pulling two small plastic pins, I deserved it.

I LOL'd at work.

But really thanks for the review! I have the Pinalloy with set screws and it's starting to bug me. These seem great for the price! Aside from being pretty ugly...
 

Shane_Anigans

Drag Race Newbie
Location
SE MI
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport DSG
The Bad:
  • Why do they come with these shitty rubber inlay strips in awful colors to fit inside of the grooves on the front? Come on.

I'm totally using the neon green ones on mine.

Thanks for the update!

EDIT: The only other place I could find these (via Google search) was Winn Autosports, who want $89 for the paddles, plus $55 shipping. $78 is a hell of deal!
 
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imthanick_a

Autocross Champion
Location
Ohio
My biggest issue with the Pinalloy screw on paddles is that the black anodization failed over the course of 6 months and changed to a bronze/gold, something I did not want in my car.
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Cheap Chineseium black anodized parts don't seem to hold their color due to sun exposure it seems. I have a potentiometer for my gauge brightness in my Camry that did the same thing after about a year.
 

ReadTheBook

Autocross Newbie
Location
Bay Area Smoke Hell
Car(s)
DVP Spektrm, MK4 R32
Yeah, unfortunately that's where the price difference really shines. Black anno is notoriously difficult. But honestly, they don't look half bad.

Yeah, and they honestly look better in person.

Cheap Chineseium black anodized parts don't seem to hold their color due to sun exposure it seems. I have a potentiometer for my gauge brightness in my Camry that did the same thing after about a year.

We will see what happens in 6 months!

I LOL'd at work.

But really thanks for the review! I have the Pinalloy with set screws and it's starting to bug me. These seem great for the price! Aside from being pretty ugly...

You’re welcome. Honestly they truly don’t look as bad in person.
 

odessa.filez

Autocross Newbie
Location
Roswell, GA
Car(s)
2016 GSW 1.8tsi auto
curious why folks like these? easier to shift while turning?
 
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