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- Camaro and Firebird How to Repair Wrap Dash<br>Step by step instructions for do-it-yourself repairs.
how to fix or wrap your dash pad to look brand new
09-24-2013, 10:53 AM
#122
Ok so I know where to buy the vinyl question has been asked a dozen times. But has anyone bought grey vinyl and where?
Looking to do this right away.
And as far as the vent goes I'm doing this... Painting it a darker shade and not putting the pad in
https://ls1tech.com/forums/appearanc...n-fbodies.html
With this...
http://www.marketworks.com/StoreFron...879&i=18133032
Looking to do this right away.
And as far as the vent goes I'm doing this... Painting it a darker shade and not putting the pad in
https://ls1tech.com/forums/appearanc...n-fbodies.html
With this...
http://www.marketworks.com/StoreFron...879&i=18133032
Anyone on the color or part number for vinyl? That would help out a ton.
10-15-2014, 06:58 PM
#123
Micro Suede Okay, I'm going to revive this thread after over a year. A few notes before I begin:
Okay, and on to the pics. You'll notice mine only had a couple of cracks and was in one piece in the car. With much care, I managed to get it out in 4 pieces. Before I was done, it would break into 6 pieces.
- If you attempt this, be aware that you will obliterate what is left of your dash pad. It is cracked because it is dried out and brittle. The spring clips holding it in are tenacious. No matter how bad it looks now, it will get a LOT WORSE before it gets better. I don't recommend the process unless you are capable at repairing plastics and surfaces. For the shadetree mechanic, they would probably be better served by buying one of these replacement dash covers and wrapping that before you install it over the top of your cracked dash.
- If you attempt to replicate my use of black micro suede, use many very light coats of glue. I used 3M's 80 headliner adhesive. Instructions say to spray 6-10" away, but 24" is more like it for the suede. The reason is that if it saturates, it will soak through and leave spots on the top side.
- Lastly, I have a lot of pics and this site only allows 10 per post, so I'll be putting up 7 posts. Maybe one more for the windshield.
Okay, and on to the pics. You'll notice mine only had a couple of cracks and was in one piece in the car. With much care, I managed to get it out in 4 pieces. Before I was done, it would break into 6 pieces.
10-15-2014, 07:15 PM
#125
Here I am building a new grill for the defroster vent. I cut the factory vent out with a Foredom jewelers tool (a professional kind of Dremmel), then ground down the edges with it before hand sanding.
For the mesh, I cut down the edges with a pair of tin-snips to contour it to the opening. This takes some patience and time to get right. I wore mechanic gloves, as the mesh is quite sharp to handle.
For the mesh, I cut down the edges with a pair of tin-snips to contour it to the opening. This takes some patience and time to get right. I wore mechanic gloves, as the mesh is quite sharp to handle.
10-15-2014, 07:22 PM
#126
Here I am test fitting the dash. There is some reflective paint on the dashboard crossmember, so I've repainted the area flat black.
The factory alarm LED is rather bulky, so I used a small headphone extension to make a quick-disconnect to replace the harness. Less than $1 on clearance at Radio Shack!
The LED is a 1.8V red, but you can pick any color at this voltage. Don't ask how I destroyed the factory LED (it's not soldered, it's pinch welded into the harness).
The factory alarm LED is rather bulky, so I used a small headphone extension to make a quick-disconnect to replace the harness. Less than $1 on clearance at Radio Shack!
The LED is a 1.8V red, but you can pick any color at this voltage. Don't ask how I destroyed the factory LED (it's not soldered, it's pinch welded into the harness).
10-15-2014, 07:35 PM
#128
Seems I had enough micro suede left to do one pillar. 1.5 yards should be enough to do the dash and pillars.
- Flat black grill
- Mounting the defroster grill
- Mounting the defroster grill, LED on left
- Sanding down the A-pillar trim (bottom one sanded)
- Grill mounted
- Grill mounted
- Insulation glued back on
- A-Pillars wrapped
- A-Pillars wrapped
- Repainted side window defroster vents gloss black
10-15-2014, 07:44 PM
#130
While I was working, I decided this would be the perfect time to replace my cracked windshield as well. The dash topper has to come out anyway, so might as well. I honestly don't know if the dash would break again if I attempted to remove it now, so I'm glad I had a shop take care of it.
11-06-2014, 07:42 PM
#132
Teching In
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I really like the way you did your center vent and the whole pad turned out really nice. Where did you get the mesh material? Also I'm wondering how sturdy the mesh is, if it would dent in easy
Last edited by Mark01ta; 11-06-2014 at 07:48 PM.
11-06-2014, 08:24 PM
#133
Thanks Mark! I like the way it came out as well. I live in LA, so I went to a place called Industrial Metal Supply to look at various types of mesh. It's no hobby shop or crafts store, it is a serious commercial metal warehouse. Yes, if you leaned on the mesh, it would dent inwards, no question. It is stronger than it looks though. It took me almost a whole day to bend the thing into shape, it is so stiff--well, that and the fact that the cut edges are sharp enough to warrant wearing mechanic's gloves. Fortunately, the mesh is far enough forward that I would seldom come in contact with it except when cleaning the windshield or dashboard. Worst case, if it does get pushed down, I can still pop the topper up again and push it up from underneath, but I doubt that will be necessary.
