dashboard

[Frank Coppola]

-any tips out there for re-doing a dash board. I have a fiberglass board covered with some padding and a piece of tan vinyl. I want to replace the vinyl with the new black "leather" that my seats have been re-upholstered in. What do you use for padding? What glue do you use? Any other suggestions?

-Roscoe didn't you just re-do yours?

Thanks

[RickLee]

Frank
In the Kirkham there is no padded dash. The dash panel is aluminum. I dont know alot about fiberglass and don't know if this will work for you. But here is what I did.

I applied contact cement to both the panel and the leather. Let the cement dry on the panel and stretch the leather over the panel when the cement is barely tacky.

Go slow make sure there are no creases.
Once the panel was completly covered I trimed the excess leaving an inch wrapped around the back of the panel.

Very important........let it set/dry for a week, at least. The leather will shrink. Score the holes for the guages at this time. and your done.

Like I said,not sure if it will work on fiberglass. Best of luck
enjoy

Rick Lee

[Roscoe]

I used the foam padding that's used under vinyl roofs. Seams and corners have 2" scotch tape on them to smooth out the bends and bridge the seams. I used hotglue from a gun to glue the foam to the fiberglass dash shell.

I also used the hotglue to glue the leather to the foam. Came out nice. The only thing I would do better would be to dye the leather a few more times to get it really absorbed. It's wearing off like around the ignition area.



Roscoe

[Whaler]

I am about to pop out to the garage to do mine now!

I have the aluminum blank, I have finally finished cutting all the holes for the gauges, switches, and warning lamps

1) Anyhow I use 1/8" hi density foam, the same used on vinyl tops for cars. As said before using a spray on contact cement( I used Elmers pro-bond contact cement)...apply a light coat to each side to be bonded....allow to get tacky, 1-5 minutes, then stick them together. Trim it flush to all the outer edges.

2) Now for the vinyl, I will do the same and I am going to cut all mine exactly to the holes, not going to try and pull over lap thru.
I will leave a 1 inch edge to fold over to the other side
After all if the stuff doesn't shrink, wheres it going to go?? I have at least 1/4 ' of overlay with the bezels on the gauges so there lots of hiding capability here.

Vinyl trimming not to be done until this baby is dry for some time too!!

The choice to pad or not with Foam is a personal one. I like the look of the gauge set in with a slight detent.

On black vinyl in a sheen and grain that matches my leather seats the gauges etc, look awesome.

wish me luck...

Tim


wow that stuff doesn't come out in the finest of sprays does it?
Thank god I had a small utility brush to even out the slight splatter. Now that stuff grabs good after its tacky...just wait till that bit of a shine is off it and its time to bond the two together.

Now she sits drying....the next step is to trim that foam flush to the outer edges because I won't be doing that once the vinyl goes on top of this stuff.


......


Okay shes dry enough to trim off the excess foam and layout for the vinyl....cut a square with plenty of overlap, will trim that after.

Once again glue to both sides and not too much on the vinyl as it does soak into the cloth backing somewhat.

Tacky then she goes together...I used small snap/spring clamps to pinch any edges together and also give it a degree of taughtness now. Later when it comes time to trim the edge and pull around to the back side it will get a little more strecth then.

I guess now she dries for the day.

See ya

Tim


Okay here's the biggest tip i can give anybody...CLOTHES PEGS!!!
Use 100's if you can get them..I used the plastic guys and basically clamped the entire perimeter, spaced about 1 inch apart.
Notch out a triangle shy of the edge at each corner and fold it over.
Worked like a charm to hold the inch plus of overhang I cut for.

Glued, clamped and drying on the back side of the blank now..

Tim

[wadesdad]

Whalers experience mirrored mine. The only thing I'd add is that I found is easier to stretch the material while heating with a hair dryer.

Also, JC Whitney sells a contact spray adhesive for their metal backed insulating material. 3M also makes one. They're all rubber cement in spray can basically.

[Whaler]

Hello again....

The next day i took off the clothespegs and was looking at a nice black vinyl blank
The only interesting thing was that the top edge had taken on these little impressions of each peg's pressure in the 1/8 " foam backing....

That eventually lessened with both warmth and time.

I went to cut the holes using a sharp and pointy exacto /hobby knife. I was not going to be cutting it into a million little ears to be pulled thru the hole and glued and the opposite side. Instead I cut my holes with the knife blade on a slant giving what essentially looked like a bevelled edge. From the front side of .
for the oil and water temps the dash the holes would be 1/8 or so smaller than they were on the backside. That way when I snugged my gauges in, they would stretch and pull the outer vinyl edge in nicely and the chrome bezel would cover and clamp nicely when I sucked the gauge down

I also chopped out the 5/8" holes for the lucas toggles ( in the same bevel cut) The 3/4" igniton switch, the 5/8 "push button momentary start button, and my 4 13 mm indicator lamps.

Looks great, the only I don't like is that my cutout for the steering column looks dumb until we have the dash back on and the wheel in place.

The wiring comes next, then I hookup the mechanical side of this gage pack...yuck.

I hate mechanicals for that reason...1/8 " pressure tubing and filled thermal systems

[Frank Coppola]

I just thought of another important question. How many hours do you think it took you to do your dash? I get my car back from the upholster shop this week but don't know if I should try to tackle the dash before the Carlisle show next week.

If you see a cobra there with nice new black carpet, shiny new black seats, and a grungy tan dash you'll know I chickened out!