6T5RUSH

Hi All,

Thought you guys would like to see an overview of my dash skin install.

Here's a snap of the 2 pads b/4 taking the old vinyl off.

Here's the driver's side.



Here's the pass side,



Here's the pass side after removing the old vinyl skin. Because of all the years of heat and cold, you can see the foamed material was "cratered" pretty good...same for the drivers side



Because of the cratering and some inflicted gouging I did removing the old skins, I used the foam insulation recommended by others here to fill the surface smooth. After it dried I just block sanded the material. Here's the driver's side patched:



Here's where my brother-in-law Carmen came into play. He insisted he wanted to do the actual dash skin install on these pads. His background is: He has a pristine '66 GTO, frame off, that's got to be one of the nicest. Carmen did the whole interior on his car. Who am I to argue with experience. He does have the touch.

Anyway, Carmen felt that even though I had sanded the added material to the pad, the smoothness of this surface just wasn't to his liking and he felt the imperfections would "bleed" through the new skins. So, my wife bought a yard (you don't need that much) of 1/8" foam and Carmen glued that foam over the pads before we pulled on the new skins. They went on pretty good. The trick is using your wife's hairdryer to soften up the vinyl as you pull it on over the pad.

Here's a shot of the finished driver's side:



Here's a shot of the pass side. You'll notice a little looseness in this shot. I plan on working that area by using the hair dryer and loosening the glue to pull the vinyl away enought to work that slackness out.



I do have to clean up the vinyl in spots for the adhesive smears that got on the good side. After doing the warming up and pulling, then you would spray adhesive underneath the edges (never did use, as suggested here, any adhesive on the main top visible area) and pull her snug and she's glued down.

All in all it wasn't too bad of a project. You do need 2 people in my book. One working the hair dryer while the other is pulling the slack out and making the finished surface nice and tight.

Total cost of the skins: $95.00 vs. $650.-$700. for a set of new dash pads.(Al Knoch)

Total cost of new dash pad clips: $55.00 (LICS or Paragon

3M vinyl adhesive or similar product: $6.00 (Paint shops/harware stores)

I recommend this route. At first I was a little intimidated...not anymore.

Onward to puttin' this '5 back together!

Regards,

Jim

PS I apologize for the size of all these pics. After re-saving at 25% of their full size and using tinypic.com, I figured this size issue wouldn't happen.

BADBIRDCAGE

Jim:

Looking really great and thanks so much for the pictures and the info. I am getting ready to do this on my 63. I have already striped the pads and also have the "cratering" effect on both sides.

Your finished product is inspiring. Where did you get your skins from? The price you state is less than I have seen posted before. I'm not against saving a few dollars here and there.

Rich

6T5RUSH

Thanks Rich! Here's Al Knoch's site and I noticed they are now $114.00 a pair.

http://www.parts123.com/PartFrame.as...TITLE=Al_Knoch

Just key in dash skin and your year.

If I remember right when I ordered they were higher than when I finally paid for them (online). So, it may end up being $95.00. Still, all in all, in my book a bargain if you're willing to do a little work. As I said, it wasn't that bad but it helps to have a second set of hands.

Regards,

Jim

Denney

Nice job!

bluestreak63

It's always nice to see something you did yourself...great job...

Mike'sincorrect66

Wow, I didn't think it could be done! Great job! Thanks for the pix!

GTR1999

Nice job Jim, that's one I haven't done before.

6T5RUSH

Hey Guys,

Thanks for compliments. You know, it really wasnt that bad of a project. The biggest issue is getting the pads out...everything comes out to get to them

I'm hoping to get those components (cluster, console and glovebox painted this week so I can at least get the cluster back in and hooked up with all new bulbs.

Then I'm tackling the Classic Auto Air install.

I'll keep you guys posted on that endeavor.

Regards,

Jim

GTR1999

Jim,
Good luck with the classic Air install. I'm in the middle of one on my 72 and so far I'm not that impressed. The biggest hassle has been the tubes were bent completely wrong and I had to rebend them as best I could. They were not supportive when I discussed this with their tech. I was told they're all like that and need to be fit. This was advertised as a bolt in job? Good luck with yours, I'm waiting until the warm weather to get back to mine.

Grey Ghost

Great job and thanks for documenting it. If we all took pictures and documented the project with instructions we could have a wonderful database !

I put a complete interior in a couple of VW Bugs in my past. Laying the seat covers and headliner out in the sun for a couple of hours heats them up nicely for stretching.

6T5RUSH

gtr1999,

Oh Oh, hope I don't run into too much redoing. Heck, they've probably forgotten me (purchased the system back in earlier December). She's all neatly laid out on a couple of tables. I've got a couple of step by step how to's from forum members here as well Classic's step by step instructions. We'll see.

Grey Ghost,

You know, I've been a member since 2000 and have been an amoeba (sp?) on all the knowledge and how-to freely given by all the members here. Haven't done much in contributing to really helping everyone here. Made up my mind when Duntov-97 nudged us all about the merits of becoming a member via a financial contribution to this great forum.

My gumpiness with posting photos hopefully will get better. I figured I better start documenting what I do (those digital cameras really save the day as to: how was it before I touched it? Hope to be able to contribute more as I go along here.

Stay tuned for my version of the Classic Auto Air install.

Thanks again.

Regards,

Jim

65air_coupe

Thanks for the info and pics. This is a job that's in my future as well.

Blk63Vette

Wow the skins for dash pads arent $95.00 anymore...

Larry N. Johnson

Nice work; excellent craftsmanship.
Thanks for posting.

Rosco1203

Rich,


Did you do your 63 dash Pads (Skins)?
How did they come out? Pics?
How do you feel about the process?


Rosco

Frankie the Fink

This is a 6 year old post; but in my case...I installed Corvette America pads on the existing dash on my 63; they came with the car from the seller. Expensive option vs skins but I'd have to think twice putting new covers over deteriorated foam....seems like a stopgap.

MarkC

I just noticed it was an old post.