I know about "justdashes.com" and "dashtops.com", but has anyone ever tried to fix your own pad? Would it be possible to repair the foam and stretch new vinyl over it and glue down with contact cement? Can't afford the $300 rebuild and don't quite trust the thin caps. Just thinking outloud.



Jerry

ps: Yes, that is the pillar trim hanging down, shredded.

Never done a full dash, but my 63 had the padded dash option which consisted of a prebent sheet metal frame to which the foam was attached. Main problem I had to contend with was this bend, so yes you can repair your own. If I were in your situation would cut some rigid material (masonite perhaps?) to the correct shape and attach a dense closed cell foam and form as necessary. If you have a existing steel cap skip the previous manfacturing step and use a compatable adhesive that is safe for foam and vinyl and lay the foam to the correct demension, do the same with the vinyl,keep the vinyl tight being sure to press and fold flaps under, use heat gun/hair dryer if necessary to get 100% contact. Did this to my rear deck and it worked great and by the way masonite is orginally what was used! Now the downside dry fit foam/vinyl to your board / cap with masking tape and make any corrections as once glue is down you get only one shot. When dry install onto dash top. Remember to study your orginal and try to remove as intact as possible for a referance. Personally I built a gauge pod for the dash top out of fiberglass due to a tight curve and used the above method to rebuild the pad.

Dave,
You're correct, the dash pad consists of dense foam molded over a metal
substructure. If I can refashion the foam and vinyl, it will be reattached to the main dash frame with nuts screwed onto bolts on the back of this metal substructure. By the way, those nuts are heck to get off. Probably will be heck to put back on.

_________________
There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.

Agree these bolts are a pita, on mine used only the outside ones and used industrial strength velcro (I can hear the desenters now) to replace all the others, been on over two years with no rattles or working itself loose.

product like "great stuff" works great. Even has the proper feel. Just give it something to bite onto

xxxsnail,
Have you used "Great Stuff" in a similar application (on a dash pad)? I have seen it used to plug up holes in houses where plumbing penetrates the wall, etc. Seems like it badly deterioriates in the sun. Don't know if that's because it is unprotected. Don't know if thin vinyl covering it would be enough protection. Can it be carved and sanded to shape?

Jerry

I have one of the dash caps on my 68 Barracuda. One of the best $69.00 I spent restoring the car. Appearance wise the grain is not quite the same and if you squeeze it it's not as soft but everyone that has seen my dash can't believe that it's cap and not an original pad.

I would venture that anything you might do yourself will wind up costing as much and certainly won't look as good.

My recomendation is to go with the cap.

_________________

Dave Clement
68 Barracuda (Hot-Rod \6)
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze4pgxf/

What condition was your pad in when you installed the cap? What did you have to do to get it ready? Mine is cracked and warped severely. I would have to do some repair work on it anyway, before it could receive a cap. From what I understand, they basically "glue" down with some silicone adhesive. How thick are these caps? How do you keep it pressed into position and down tight while the silicone sets up? How long have you had it installed, and does it look smooth after cooking in the sun a few seasons? Discover any drawbacks for using it? Appreciate any input.

Jerry

_________________
There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.

Mine was not quite as bad as the one in the picture you posted but it was close. Per the instructions I used a razor blade to cut away all the loose pieces, filled in the large holes with some silicone, roughed up the surface with some sandpaper, clean it real good with an ammonia based cleaner, applied the silicone per the instructions and slapped it on. I used duck tape to hold it in place and placed some heavy items along the top.

I have driven the car over 25,000 miles over the course of three years since doing it. There is no signs of any warping or deterioration. I do not recall the thickness but I would guess it's around 0.040" or so, it does make for a stiffer pad than stock. The only draw back I could think of is the grain is not quite the same as the stock vinyl so if you were doing a concours restoration it would not be the best choice.

_________________

Dave Clement
68 Barracuda (Hot-Rod \6)
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze4pgxf/

Thanks for the info. Sounds like it might be a more viable solution than I thought. The price certainly is more appealing.