Dash Pad Restoration Project

[glenncof]

I have a 1985 and recovered front seats and steering wheel. Posted detail on pelican (search on my name).

My next interior project is the dash. GREAT write-up !! I'm looking at neoprene (German) to match the seats. Pre-sewn kit Upholstery World $150.

I luv these forums for sharing info.

[SC-targa]

Outstanding job on the dash, and on disseminating the info to the rest of us.

Thanks,

Jerry Kroeger

[VFR750]

Originally posted by SP2
Mike,

Can you give us a source for the neoprene and the 2 dollar clips? Thanks.

Pelican Parts sells the clips. Part number: 999-591-310-40-OEM, $1.50 each. Exact match for original, fit beautifully. Fast delivery (in stock)

The cloth is sold at any fabric store. I went to JoAnn Fabrics. Be prepared for the strange looks. Cost $14.99 for one yard. The roll is about 60" wide. You'll need that full width to cross the dash pad and have excess to pull on.

1 yard will give you 1.5 dash skins. I know this because I cut two sets during the learning process. I mis-cut the edges around the ends of the face sheet, and had to strip the cloth off and start again with a fresh piece. I also cut a trial shelf piece, thinking I could hide the leather under the neoprene. That looked really bad.

Please don't think the dash pad plastic was restored to concours flatness and perfect OEM shape. It is close, and the neoprene hides some flaws. I also cut the plastic flaps off the edges, and just folded the neoprene over on itself to create a new flap. My original plastic flaps were unsalvagable. (See the first picture!) You can see the recreated flap on the second picture in my post. I'll Screw right through the neporene, into the chassis. The cloth backing should give it the strength to keep the flap in place.

I used a hand held iron to heat the plastic. It was a ilittle slow. You need to get the plastic really hot, and the underlying foam hot too. Once the plastic is hot, you push it back into place, and hold it there while it cools. It takes many tries to coax the plastic back to where you want it. I stopped when I thought it was about right. Afterwards, I realize I could have spent more time working the plastic. Ah well, I moved on....

I did not try a heat gun. I tried a hair dryer, and that was useless. A true heat gun can get the plastic really hot. Once hot, it is surprisingly soft and plyable. Probably why the dash warps in the first place. It changes color once it get to the right temp. It gets a little darker when it gets soft.

I used the 3M heavy duty adhesive designed for vinyl tops and exposure to high interior temps. That is the best I could find. I'll make a greater effort to shield the dash once it is back in the car. Crack the window to keep the temps down, and overall, just baby it. Hopefully it will prove to be a durable solution.

I'll keep an eye on the questions and my replies. In a week or so, I'll update the slide show with my responses, and clarifying info.

[csimeon]

Hello Mike,

I just accessed your thread about your dashboard project.
Unfortunately there are no pictures uploaded anymore and the PowerPoint presentation is a null link as well.

Could you please mail me the PowerPoint file?

Thank you, Christos

[VFR750]

Christos,

I'll dig up a copy and repost.

BTW, Dash still looks good. Some of the warping returned. But no splits or tears.

Mike

[csimeon]

Thank you Mike,
great work and great Power Point presentation
-Christos

[NOLAsc]

Hi Mike,

I tried the link to the powerpoint, but couldn't get to it.

I'm very slowly getting the nerve up to change my windshield seal, and the dash is an obvious while-in-there project. Actually the dash project is pretty much what has stopped me from the windshield project. The car's a daily driver and I don't want to lose it for too long.

[aldente295]

I managed to remove my dash with the windshield in the car (80 SC). It's a VERY tight manoever to remove this way, but possible. I (obviously) couldn't get to the 4 screws under the seal at the front of the dash, so just cut the leather away from the screws so that the dash could come out.

I wish I'd tried this before I bought another dash - I didn't want to have to remove the glass twice, so wanted to have a 'spare' dash ready to slot in. As it turns out I could have pulled it out and had it recovered at my leisure.

A word of warning for anyone thinking about doing this - I wasn't too concerned about damaging the old dash when I pulled it out. You do run the risk of snapping it in half during the removal process!!

[NOLAsc]

Thanks Alan. Maybe I'll proceed with the windshield, but take the opportunity to see how the dash mounts in.

[VFR750]

My apologies, AT&T shut down the @att.net site, along with all of my personal website pictures and files and orphaned my links....

old:


new:


rest of presentation, Pages 1-2, 4-9

[NOLAsc]

Thank you. I really appreciate the info!