OK, I've been trying to figure this out for a while, but I can't seem to find anything, so here goes:

On race cars, mostly road race/GT cars you see that the dash is covered by some sort of fabric that offers no reflection on the windshield. It looks like a very short felt type of material.

I have a crack on my dashboard from where the previous owner had mounted a satellite radio unit or something, and when it got pulled off it put a small crack in the dash right above the radio. I was going to get the dash either fixed or replace, but if I could figure out what this material is, I think it would add a pretty cool custom touch, not to mention saving some money. And to be clear, I'm not talking about cutting a piece and then just laying it on the dash. It would be actually attached (glued) to the dash.

Any help would be much appreciated,
Jim

 

try a store that sells fabric im not sure what kind your talking about but its worth checkin out

 

you can buy cheap vinyl pleather material and do it. theres a few threads here where people have done it.

 

The fabric your referring to that is covers the dash and steering wheels in alot of road race cars is microsuede, which is synthetic suede . Alcantara, the brand your seeing in most of these cars, it quite costly at at about $100 per yard . But there are several other brands of microsuede at a MUCH lesser cost . Unisuede and ultrasuede are both good lower cost brands . I have worked with all of them and you do get what you pay for as far as texture, feel and appearance . So its basically a balance of which one you like best compared to the money you are willing to spend .

Check the stuff at your local fabric store, they will stock the cheap stuff. You may luck out and see some of the better brands there, but not typically. Also , yourautotrim.com carries the unisuede and will send samples . Gulf fabrics is the only place in the US that will sell real Alcantara to a retail customer by the yard and they will send samples as well . Alcantara otherwise is sold to wholesalers in large quantities . Google the brand "ultrasuede" as their are several suppliers to this brand name .

GL

 

holy **** ***** bat man a 100 bux a yard *** mi runnin sidways trippin over golfballs

 

LT4vert: Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it. I was thinking it was some sort of suede, but I knew they probably wouldn't be putting suede into race cars for some reason. There are a few factory outlet type fabric places around here that supply to furniture makers. I'm sure I can find something at either the store or one of the furniture companies.

 

One thing to watch for if your buying at a furniture store, DO pay attention to UV ratings or you will end up with good looking fabric that will fade in no time . Automotive spec'ed microsuede will be rated for UV and appropriately so no fade . Home interior fabrics are subject to alot less direct sun and sometimes do not offer enough UV protection to live in a car .

 

you can use vinyl fabric. they sell it at hobby lobby for like 10 bucks a yard.

 

Well I found some microsuede at a fabric store that is UV rated for something like $12 a yard. They also had ultrasuede which was the actual brand that most people use in race cars, but at $70 a yard, I couldn't see much difference in quality, plus I was told fading resistance was the nearly the same. The guy running the store said he had had a few people come up there in the past (he's owned the store for something like 30 years) asking for the same thing and that he usually said the microsuede and just to not use a ton of adhesive and it would be fine. I'll probably go pick some up tomorrow and get the ball rolling on this thing. And of course post pictures

 

I had my upper dash pad wrapped in microsuede. It is now being removed because it is way to difficult to vac the suede with the rake of the windshield. It was always dirty and no vac attachment would get into such a tight space. Just something to consider.

 

Do you have any pics of your dash when it was wrapped?

 

Hi, I just got my dash pad and very pleased with it, just google racinfastnow and you will see for yourself.
Also fade resistant including lettering and logo and a perfect fit, also velcro is used so it can be taken in and out whenever you wish.

 

I've actually thought of that, but I have a small handheld vac with a tip on it that's only about 1/2" wide. So I think between that and a lint roller I'll be ok.

 

Do this asap and take pics!!! I've been planning on doing this for a while now.

 

i am doing a cover for my dash this weekend but am looking for ideas... tell me what you want to see!! my car is the one in the sig... charcoal leather... run some ideas past me and then ill post pics of the entire process and post them along with a video... my pad is cracked pretty bad also so ill do a repair first then recover it with???

 

I vote micro suede but like mentioned before make sure the UV rating is ok.

 

looking for some red material as well to wrap the dash in, and black to do the top, black/red steering wheel, red bezel and ac trim..???

 

i've had micro suede on my ss for a while and its held up pretty well. in my opinion it looks ALOT better than that huge piece of plastic. As for the cleaning, pretty simple i just use a lint roller and its clean. I will post up pics tommorow.

 

id like to see it, and any tips would be appreciated, i just got a quote to do my whole interior for 2200.. friggin insane

 

if u havnt done it before do alot of research or ask a pro shop how they do it and what they use ive been tryin to do my interior in a vinal wrap and at this point i might as well have paid for a pro to do it haha.