New Dash or Cover?

[KillerB]

Last weekend, I purchased kick plates, upper and lower centre consoles (with a FIAT of Canada AM radio!). I just finished installing them, my old kick plates had speaker holes and the consoles were originally blue but had a horribly applied beige covers. The parts I installed cleaned up nicely and have very little wear... it helps to accentuate how hideous my warped, saggy, split and cracked dash pad looks .

Will a dash cover actually cover my dash and disguise all of it's flaws or will it take on the shape of the underlying dash? Warped with sunken areas? Or should I just order up or hunt for an uncracked dash?

[So Cal Mark]

the dash cover won't even fit unless you sand the cracks down flat.

[KillerB]

Are most covers ridged or flexible? I have the usual 2 cracks front to back around the defogger blow holes. They would be no problem to trim down. My major areas of concern are the sunken area on the driver's side and the way the top of the dash is pulling away from the panels. (really noticable in the center of the dash in the pic above)

I assume I'd just have to fill in the sunken area, but the other problem could potentially be addressed by the rigidity of the cap... Thoughts, ideas, anecdotes, anyone?

Thanks,

[So Cal Mark]

the caps are only 1 mil thick, so they're both flexible and rigid, if that makes any sense. Over time they will conform to the dash. But they tend to crack over time if they're not supported everywhere. I don't think I'd consider a cap a permanent fix

[mdrburchette]

Replacing the dash with a restored one is well worth the money in my opinion. You don't have to worry about whether the cap will lift or conform to dips and bulges. Check out this site: http://www.reoriginals.com/index.asp?Pa ... rodID=3673

[KillerB]

Yeah, I'll probably forgo the cheap, quick and easy in favor of the long term solution. It sounds like a "next winter" project along with the hidden stereo.

[radiopilot]

Why not recover the dash yourself, give it a try, I did for my first try and it worked like a charm, it looks great too... check it out in the Customs board... it'll be under the 'Progress from Red to Beige' page.

One thing I would say is to get the strechable vinyl/leather to conform to the dash's curves.

[rlux4]

Radiopilot; I am working up the nerve to try to cover my dash with vinyl. I have a piece left over from another project that's not big enough to do it, but I cut it to fit as much of the dash as it would. It looks like it's do-able but now you have me hesitant. I didn't know there is a strechable type. The piece I have is upholstery vinyl, and seems pretty strechable. How do I tell whether it is or not it's the better kind to use? I don't want to get the same type for this task if it's not.
Thanks.
Ron

[mbouse]

to some extent or another.... nearly all vinyl is "stretchable". a heat gun and a laundromat steamer are great tools to use to insist your vinyl conform to the contours of your dash. that and lots of contact glue sprayed in the correct areas.

of course, you gotta have a nice surface to work with. stretched vinyl will amplify the blemishes beneath, not hide them.

and, in my experience, those dash caps are rigid enough to stand up by themselves in the corner, but not rigid enough to fix the issues you point out in your picture. you'll end up with a bi-level dash...knowing that it is split beneath the cap.

[radiopilot]

The piece I have is upholstery vinyl, and seems pretty strechable. How do I tell whether it is or not it's the better kind to use?

Ron.. The vinyl for auto use stretches in one direction due to the fabric backing 'knit' think of it like a tshirt.. it stretches in one direction but won't in the other... take a knitted tshirt and see what I mean... knowing this direction of stretch is what you need to consider when you cover the dash... See my threads on how I covered the dash/console/seats/doors...

I never used a heat gun although others have, there was no need if you sew the vinyl in the proper direction and places, spray adhesive as you lay the vinyl down, etc.... also I outline how I fixed the cracks in the dash before laying the foam/vinyl.

I removed the pics of the dash out of the car because I was running low on my server space but I can email you the pics if you'd like... send me an PM.

Nick