Dashboard Rehab - Cover vs. Re-Cover?

[papasmurf]

Like others have said, I think the late dash is a very doable DIY project...the early dash, not so much, and it seems to more often be in worse shape than the later dashes. My early 85 dash that is in the car has some very pronounced cracks on the top surface and buckling particularly at the edge that meets the windscreen. I bought a similar condition dash from a parts car at a junk yard (parts counter guy I think was looking at me like I was an idiot) and stripped all the vinyl off and repaired all the crack with several rounds of expanding foam, sanding, and glazing putty to fill any small holes and blemishes. It is not ready to be recovered and I got a really good deal on some vinyl from hobby lobby that matches the factory pattern very close. The only issue I did not notice at the store when it was on the role is that it really only stretches left right instead of a four way stretch like what I used on the headliner. I was originally going to wrap the dash in one piece and hide the necessary seam right under the steering wheel but I don't think this material will stretch and lay flat without doing it in a two or three piece section stiched like the classic 9 piece. I just got to find someone willing to take on the sewing job for me.

[djnolan]

I found this post regarding using Polyethylene closed cell foam (): https://rennlist.com/forums/928-forum/1175763-diy-dash-recover-long-term-test-results.html#post16329529

[papasmurf]

Yes I think having the wrong glue would be a recipe for failure. I replaced my headliner with the standard weldbond contact cement but the weldbond landau glue is probably better (it is more expensive so it must be better?). To wrap the early dash and have success to some extent you have to have the vinyl stretched as little as possible on each side of the instrument pod. The rest of the dash is not nearly as difficult as you can maneuver the vinyl and stretch it without the risk of it lifting as long as you are stretching against a flat surface. I vinyl wrap cars for a living and the techniques are vaguely similar in that you do everything possible to not stretch in the concave areas to avoid putting too much tension on your adhesive and do all your stretching in the flat, and convex areas, and avoid stretching near and edge. If someone was able to 3d print dash vents that would snap together from the top and bottom for the early dash it would probably eliminate a lot of the problem of the vinyl lifting in these areas.

[Monkey Wrench]

I'd use leather, get it wet, stretch it oer to get the shape, dont start gluing until it fits. then maybe start in the middle outward. if you need to you can do some sewing. i was surprised when I did it that the leather would conform quite well when wet and retained the shape as it dried. You might try covering a football or something as a test of your technique. the leather doesn't have to be thick but I'd use top leather not split leather that has a finish put on to look like it is top leather. I don't think using a few neat stitches is necessarily very visually detracting, but it is straying a bit from original.

leather only comes so big , you may be able to do it in one piece , with mine I made a sewn joint down the middle because, being on a budget I just used a ladies long coat from a thrift store for the leather.
the coat was tan color but I used black leather dye and that was dead easy. I followed it with a (Tandy) leather product that gave luster, which I washed a bit and encouraged it to dull down a bit after.. I'd also say if it is too shiny you can get reflections on the windshield and that can affect visibility.

If the car is being shown and judged for originality, then I'd try to repair the vinyl with a cover or patch as it may loose brownie points, but for an every day driver that is not a show car I think using real leather is a practical and reasonable alternative.

I'd fill any cracks or they will telegraph through , but leave the existing. vinyl in place.