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I have an original 63 drivers side dash panel and a repro right side. By looking at the pics I can see there is a difference in the vinyl. I know there is a difference between 63/4 and 65/66 vinyl pattern but is there also a difference between original and repro? Left side of pic is original, right side is repro. Does anyone have close up pics of both styles of vinyl? Thanks for any help.
I don't have any pics that close up but I can tell you that my 63 Corvette America pads were the slightest bit divergent from the original grain. Its the same with the 63 coupe Al Knoch headliner; these products are only going to be but so close.
That's the difference between "Madrid" grain and "Seville" grain in the bulk roll of vinyl used to manufacture the pads. Unless both repro pads are from the same manufacturer, your chances of having their grain match is pretty much zero.
Reminds me of a Bob Lutz story - I was in the New Yorker/Imperial styling studio the day Bob Lutz came aboard as Chrysler president, and he was reviewing the future products with the studio chiefs to get familiar with what was coming down the road. Iacocca loved padded vinyl roofs with really obvious graining, and a discussion ensued about how the grained vinyls got their name (Iacocca wasn't present at this review). Bob ran his hand over the padded vinyl roof on the Imperial (the full-boat stretch job with landau bars, opera lights, and the French whorehouse tufted velour interior), and he suggested they call it "Elephant *******" vinyl.
Try Googling "Madrid vs Seville grain patterns", you'll come up with a lot of info and photos on the two, obvious difference between the grain patterns. Also as already stated, manufacturer differences will occur between manufacturers in either pattern . . . .
No repro dash pad for 63 or 64 are near as deep as the grain in the original. Al knock included, the problem is if the grain on the center of the dash is original you can see the difference when you install the repro pads easy. so if you need pads you need to change the center vinyl also to have it all match. 65 to 67 the difference is not as noticeable.
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C2 dash pad differences.
