Wheel arch liners

[Hart6]

I've been scratching my head over this one all day and can't find an answer. In some images I've seen of our cars they've had textured/carpeted wheel liners, and in others and my own car, the wheel liners are smooth hard plastic. A quick look at eBay shows limited numbers of both kinds, but the parts diagrams on the likes of eurospares seem to show only the hard plastic liners. What am I missing here - was this an update or an option or a regional difference? Or something missing?

 

[allandwf]

Mine is a 2001 car, and has the hard plastic liners if that helps.

 

[nickmarsh]

Mine is a 2006 car and has textured liners.


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[allandwf]

Perhaps later cars had them, cost cutting?

 

[Oneball]

Perhaps later cars had them, cost cutting?

“Fluffy” liners are to reduce noise.

 

[Scaf]

“Fluffy” liners are to reduce noise.

And collect dirt

 

[GroovyBoovy]

Well my car is a 4200, 2003 and it has textured, not hard plastic, maybe 3200 have smooth, or Grandsport to?

 

[Oneball]

And collect dirt

Yep, my Alfa had them and it always looked like I’d run over Worzel Gummidge! Bits of straw dangling down.

 

[Hart6]

Well my car is a 4200, 2003 and it has textured, not hard plastic, maybe 3200 have smooth, or Grandsport to?

My car is also a 2003 4200 but has the hard ones!

My main reason for asking is that the textured ones seem like a better option even if harder to clean. I’d imagine they make a large difference to road and stone noise.

 

[Zep]

Looking at the parts list, the 3200 and 4200 up to assembly number 12301 had hard plastic, 12302 and up had carpet.

If your assembly no. on your vin plate is below that then you have the right ones.

 

[safrane]

My MY2004 4200 had smooth liners, but my later 4200 (2005) and GS have textured.

Only difference was spray noise when driving in the rain, it was less in the newer cars.

 

[allandwf]

I've Larinis for my exhaust, wouldn't hear spray noise from the wheel arches lol.

 

[Hart6]

Thank you for the input all and Zep for solving the problem! Looks like the carpets are one of those surprisingly reasonable parts, so I may swap in the not too distant future to see what the difference is. I also have an Alfa Giulia which has *very* carpeted wheel wells so I'm used to having to give them a good blast to clean.

Will update here if I make the upgrade.