CC Dash Cap
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
CC Dash Cap
I'm working on a plan to restore my interior and am trying to price out what all needs replaced and restored. My dash isn't cracked, though it is faded. The Bubba before me drilled holes to mount a horn button on the dash, yes, that's right. I plan to restore the horn to its place on the wheel and would like to cover the screw holes. I really don't think I need an entire new dash assembly and pad, so I was looking at the Dash covers on Corvette Central. Does anyone have experience with them? Do they look good and what's the install process like? If there's another solution for covering the holes I could live with that too. I'm not opposed to dying the dash, it is an all black interior so shouldn't be too difficult.
This is what I was looking at: http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb....5Z5Z50000050G#
Thanks for the help!
This is what I was looking at: http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb....5Z5Z50000050G#
Thanks for the help!
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,114
From: Crossville TN
Patch the holes with some polyester body filler, smooth and re-grain the surface as the filler dries. Then just spray the upper dash with the correct color of vinyl dye. That will cost you about $40-50 and some of your labor and it will not have some cheezy [and expensive] dash cap installed.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
Thanks for the advice guys! I'm always more than willing to trade my time and keep more of my money in my pocket. I was really hoping not to have to totally replace the dash. Does the dye match pretty well?
Drifting
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,546
Likes: 5
From: Sacramento California
If filling the holes and dying doesn't produce the results you want, then do consider the cap.
I purchased one and completly ignored the recomended installation, that was to cover the old vynal with it. Mine had some deep cracks and as I was chipping the old away to the point I could use filler I discovered how easily it was to take it down to the core foam. The cap is just a replacement vynal and if done right you cannot tell it was recovered. Here check it out.
This is the original, the 2 cracks were about 1/2 " deep and there was no way the cap was going to look right by just covering the old.
here is the same dash pad now (And this is the "Cheesy" cap from CC)
If you have a little patience, and a heat gun, this is an inexpensive way to go.
I have had this car at many Cruises and shows and no one has even noticed anything different on the dash.
I purchased one and completly ignored the recomended installation, that was to cover the old vynal with it. Mine had some deep cracks and as I was chipping the old away to the point I could use filler I discovered how easily it was to take it down to the core foam. The cap is just a replacement vynal and if done right you cannot tell it was recovered. Here check it out.
This is the original, the 2 cracks were about 1/2 " deep and there was no way the cap was going to look right by just covering the old.
here is the same dash pad now (And this is the "Cheesy" cap from CC)
If you have a little patience, and a heat gun, this is an inexpensive way to go.
I have had this car at many Cruises and shows and no one has even noticed anything different on the dash.
Last edited by 427basketcase; Feb 15, 2012 at 10:32 AM.
Drifting
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,546
Likes: 5
From: Sacramento California
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,114
From: Crossville TN
Yes. Vinyl dye (SEM 'ColorCoat' is my choice) mixed to the original interior color code is a good match to the original color. If you think your color is faded and you want the dash to match the rest of the [faded] interior, remove another interior piece that you can take to the paint store for them to match. Either way will work well.
Repair and recolor; or cover with a dash cap: the choice is yours.
{And, sorry, IMO the dash cap is a 'cheezy' solution. What you showed in your photo was a nice looking, but a cheezy solution, nonetheless. Others may not think so...but, "beauty" is in the eye of the beholder.}
Repair and recolor; or cover with a dash cap: the choice is yours.
{And, sorry, IMO the dash cap is a 'cheezy' solution. What you showed in your photo was a nice looking, but a cheezy solution, nonetheless. Others may not think so...but, "beauty" is in the eye of the beholder.}
Last edited by 7T1vette; Feb 15, 2012 at 03:02 PM.
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Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,560
Likes: 4
From: Arlington texas
I had a cap on my '78. Didn't know it until I went to remove the dash. If installed properly, they can look good. I owned it for probably 2 years or more before I realized that it wasn't the dash that I was looking at but a cap. If the dash is repairable then repair it. If not, but it is still solid then go with the cap. If it has more extensive damage go with a new dash.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
427, thanks for the pictures. That looks really nice. You can't tell it's just a cap, at least from where I'm sitting.
I'll do what I can to fill the holes and redye, if that fails I'm not out much and can go with the cap. I'm going to have to replace the seats and probably the carpet so I would think dying the dash to the original color specs should work.
I'll do what I can to fill the holes and redye, if that fails I'm not out much and can go with the cap. I'm going to have to replace the seats and probably the carpet so I would think dying the dash to the original color specs should work.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 954
Likes: 2
From: San Jose CA
That dash cap looks good. Probably better than the end result from repairing the old dash. Unless you are an expert, it will look like crap. You will have smooth spots and poor looking grain (hard to do right).
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 3,372
Likes: 215
From: Peoria Arizona
I agree with Clubby. Even if you can get the holes filled correctly, the grain will never match.
Here is my "cheezy" Corvette Central dash cap. Came with the car when we purchased it, and the original dash was SHOT. I removed some of the original dash vinyl so the new cap would really lay down nice around the windshield etc. I'm very happy with the results, and it's so much better than the carpet style cover that was on the car.
Here is my "cheezy" Corvette Central dash cap. Came with the car when we purchased it, and the original dash was SHOT. I removed some of the original dash vinyl so the new cap would really lay down nice around the windshield etc. I'm very happy with the results, and it's so much better than the carpet style cover that was on the car.
