Dash restore question answered
 

Several people have asked about the procedure I use to pad a dash and keep it from failing again. Here's a few pix showing the new foam added and how its feathered along the edges.
The 1/8" thick foam used is the same type used under vinyl tops and other trim.
The feathering process can take a while and is prone to mistakes if you don't take your time and pay attention.
Of course you must have straight firm edges on the dash to begin with. If the edges are lifted, warped or cracked they can be cut out and replaced with plastic or metal.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172495760.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172495797.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1172495818.jpg

Nice work Rob.

Ignoring the originality issues of the purists, whats your opinion on restored like this vs a new replacement from http://www.justdashes.com? (I notice they only list 78 to 85)

They are two different products. My leather dash restorations match the original factory leather.
The product you mention is not a new replacement but a rebuilt vinyl product.

Ah, I didn't look too close into it, my impression was that they "cast" a new rubbery core out of material with less of tendency to split. Could be a different place I was thinking of too.

When my 81 was just 5 years old the leather dash was starting to pull, so it kind of soured me on leather for the dash. Something like Alcantara might change my mind, but I don't have a problem with vinyl in good condition.