Dash Pad Repair

[red74]

I vaguely recall a magazine article or restoration show where a dash pad and other interior components where refinished with a "new skin". I can't remember if it was vacuum sealed or just stretched over. Does anyone have any information of this process or know of any other similar repair to a crack dash pad?

Thanks,

Steve

 

[ChargerMike]

Two Companies do this and...

New Dash Corporation in California, and one other one... They go in and for several hundred dollars, strip the pad down to the frame and refoam it, and recover it in the newer style of material that is used now. It looks pretty well just like the original material and grain on the originals. It is very expensive. These guys advertise in Muscle Car Review.

There are kits which have been sold for a long time which you use a heat gun and foaming material and patch over the spot. This looks kinda cheap but it is effective for preserving the current dash and getting a decent cosmetic look out of it.

There are also dash caps, which can look decent if color matched according to the interior... When someone figures out its on there, there is usually a wince or two.

I have seen cars win at shows with a well matched dash cover, though I don't imagine this would fly at a Corvette show.

 

[red74]

Thanks ChargerMike.

Sounds like a new dash pad, from all the catalogs, for around $400 isn't so bad after all. Didn't know those other processes were so expensive.



The bad part, it's only the speaker grills that are cracked bad. Dang!

 

[69MyWay]

Speaker Covers

This may be an easy problem to solve---cheap.

Unless you are after NCRS standards, why don't you go ahead and invest in some high quality front speakers that come with grille enclosures. A little custom work and you can cut out the old speaker area and install the custom speaker cover.

In fact, you may be able to buy just the speaker grilles.

Nobody will know the dash was cracked, they will just think you were after a better quality sound system.

May be worth a try, the dash is already cracked.

 

[red74]

Chris,

After sending the reply to ChargerMike, that idea came to mind. After thinking about it, I'll probably go with one of the alternatives. $400 for engine mods sounds like more fun for this weekend driver.

Thanks for the feedback,

Steve