i was at jo-anns fabrics today looking at black vynle and wasn't sure what type to get. i know there's a type that will allow you to heat stretch it and isn't tooo rigid but all the backing looked the same. i asked the workers there and they had no clue. do i need to get the vynle with the mesh backing?

 

I don't know of a source for the thin, unbacked vinyl used to re-skin interior pieces. The thick, fabric backed stuff can be used, but it won't look quite right and fit with other pieces will be an issue. You might do some searching on Google for "auto interior vinyl" and see what you can find. There are people who make lots of interior panels for Corvettes; they must have a source for the vinyl covering material. If you are able to find the right stuff and you need some advice on re-skinning your dash cover, send me a PM and I'll try to help.

P.S. Don't worry about the color of the vinyl..if you can locate some. You can re-color it easily with SEM 'Color Coat' vinyl dye.

 

I saw a post on this forum of an owner who covered all his interior pieces with black leather....Absolutely beautiful! He didn't seem to have any problem with the thickness of the cow hide, so I'll bet vinyl will be doable. A heat gun to soften and stretch it will help.

Temvette72

 

i'm gonna go back to the fabric store later and bring the dash..maybe i'll get a cute lady to help me..hahahah

 

Check out Naugahyde....that stuff looks better than leather !!

 

For purely cosmetic use, get the thinnest most supple stuff on the rack. It has a backing that looks more like cotton batting than mesh fabric. It can be molded with either the sun, or a heat gun to conform to pretty tight curves but be aware that it will stretch to its limit, then simply tear... no "stress cracks" to tell you to stop. Buy 3 times as much as you think you need... you will probably need to do this at least twice. I started with a dry fit, no glue or staples just to see how the fabric behaved. Be patient, go slow and good luck!

 

i bought some fabric and going to try it tonight...maybe i'll post pics too

 

Also consider the texture and grain of the cloth you like... having a mix of surface patterns can look odd when installed next to each other in the car. Ever see a Yugo interior? If so you know what I'm getting at.

 

i just have to figure if i should fill the cracks before i cover it.... maybe bondo or just leave them....cracks are about 1/16" wide so maybe some caulk will work....

/not trying to be bubba\

 

Whatever you use must fill the cracks completely and seamlessly. Unless you use a batting (padding) under the vinyl it will telegraph any issues underneath when stretched. Be sure to plane any edge curling of the cracks off before filling or it will end up showing anyway...

 

A random thought... since yours is a custom, have you cinsidered 'glassing the thing smooth then applying a painted or textured coating? Might make prep and finishing easier?

 

attempt #2...... the first one was good until i realized the cracks were tooo big and deep... so i'm going to toss in some epoxy and go from there.....

i was going to glass my dash back when i did my custom about 5 years ago...but then ended up tweeding it so i could drive it....hence why i never really finished my interior...

 

I have tried all sorts of fixes for cracked dashes in countless cars over the years, there IS NONE....about the only thing you can do is get another dash, or send yours to Just Dashes....in Ca.

 

Have you tried finding a used one ? They can't be that much.

 

If the material you found is a good match to the grain in the existing dash, it should work just fine. You DO need to 'clean up' all damage on the original pad. Cut back rolled up, broken edges of the vinyl skin; fill any voids with some kind of solidifying foam [like insulation foam]...just don't let it spill over to the surface; then use a flexible body filler on the surface to level it out; sand a bit if needed. Degrease, clean, rinse and dry the surface to be skinned. Select a very good quality contact adhesive that is permanent and will not get soft in hot sunlight. Determine how you are going to lay the material on. If you haven't removed the dash panel, I would suggest working from the windshield, inward. Only put contact cement on the first few inches of the dash near the windshield; lay the fabric down in the center of the dash and work outward making certain that there are no 'bubbled' areas. Then continue by adding another few inches of cement and smoothing fabric toward you a bit at a time. Leave the outside curved areas for last and develop a strategy for laying the fabric on them so you get no wrinkles or bubbling. Lastly....any time your muscles/nerves are getting fried from the tension of doing this, just take a break. The un-glued areas and material aren't going anywhere by themselves. Cool down and get calm so that you can work meticulously and comfortably. If you hurry this process, you will get wrinkles/bubbles and you can never get them right. If the color is a bit off to your other panels, get SEM "Color Coat" vinyl dye [as I mentioned above] to match your interior color code & model year car. You can use what's left over to touch up/re-color any other interior panels that need it.

 

i think i might cover it 1 more time in the black fabric i have..... the second attempt came out better but i have a few small inperfections that should disappear if i cover it again.... i used epoxy and then duct tape to try to smooth it out...then tried to sand the epoxy but it then started to break off more parts of the dash.....so i covered it and it looks like an 8/10....

the dash was used since i didnt have my original....its a solid dash just had a few cracks in the vynle