dash pad skin
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,606
Likes: 1
From: Las Cruces NM
dash pad skin
With the hot/cold spells we've been having here in CO, my upper dash finally gave up. It's in great shape, other than a split on the driver's side.
I took the pad out and repaired the crack with some thin CA(super glue), but the crack is still visible if you look for it. Eventually, it needs to get replaced.
I noticed there are 3 options. The first is the dash cap, which seems like it goes over the stock dash and is made of plastic. I'd rather not have that on the the car.
The second is a whole new dash pad for about $260 from TLD.
And the third is replacing the dash skin. What exactly is inluded with this? Is it just the vinyl covering? That's really all I need. The rest of it is fine. Am I correct in this assumption, that the skin is just the covering? I imagine you remove the old vinyl and replace it with that, right?
Seems like a better option, being that I am pretty handy with that sort of project and I'd rather spend $100 instead of almost 300.
Thanks
Chris
I took the pad out and repaired the crack with some thin CA(super glue), but the crack is still visible if you look for it. Eventually, it needs to get replaced.
I noticed there are 3 options. The first is the dash cap, which seems like it goes over the stock dash and is made of plastic. I'd rather not have that on the the car.
The second is a whole new dash pad for about $260 from TLD.
And the third is replacing the dash skin. What exactly is inluded with this? Is it just the vinyl covering? That's really all I need. The rest of it is fine. Am I correct in this assumption, that the skin is just the covering? I imagine you remove the old vinyl and replace it with that, right?
Seems like a better option, being that I am pretty handy with that sort of project and I'd rather spend $100 instead of almost 300.
Thanks
Chris
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
it is next to impossible to get decent results with just a skin over any pad....they never seem to 'take right, and the old skin will take 1/2 the padding with it when skimmed off...
you are better off with carpeting, or waiting for a whole new piece...
you are better off with carpeting, or waiting for a whole new piece...
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,606
Likes: 1
From: Las Cruces NM
Forget carpeting...it's not my living room. And that's why I asked about the skin. Better to spend the 300 up front and not 100 now, 300 later.
I put the dash pad back in the car after fixing the crack.
The crack is only noticeable if you look for it. It'll be good enough to hold off on buying a new pad until I can justify the price of a new one. Too many other things that take precedence over something like that. It's just a major annoyance since I just finished restoring the rest of the interior.
Thanks
Chris
I put the dash pad back in the car after fixing the crack.
The crack is only noticeable if you look for it. It'll be good enough to hold off on buying a new pad until I can justify the price of a new one. Too many other things that take precedence over something like that. It's just a major annoyance since I just finished restoring the rest of the interior.
Thanks
Chris
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 16,945
Likes: 9
A new dash is the only real option in my book, the dash skin looks really crappy, Lada has better looking dashes that that POS especially the complete dash skin is a piece of junk, nothing will fit right after installing it
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,353
Likes: 787
From: Redondo Beach, California
Replacing the dash is pretty detailed and tedious and it also creates the risk of damaging something else. However, I also think this is the only solution if you don't like the current appearance.
When I replaced my 1970 dash, I installed a 1969 dash. The 70 dash has all those hundreds of holes drilled in it for the dash mounted loudspeaker. All those holes in time can just start cracking and ruin the appearance of the dash. I decided I don't need all the holes for dash loudspeakers since if everything goes to plan with the engine I plan to install, I'll never hear the radio. The 69 dash is solid with no holes.
When I replaced my 1970 dash, I installed a 1969 dash. The 70 dash has all those hundreds of holes drilled in it for the dash mounted loudspeaker. All those holes in time can just start cracking and ruin the appearance of the dash. I decided I don't need all the holes for dash loudspeakers since if everything goes to plan with the engine I plan to install, I'll never hear the radio. The 69 dash is solid with no holes.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 4,135
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by Twin_Turbo
A new dash is the only real option in my book, the dash skin looks really crappy, Lada has better looking dashes that that POS especially the complete dash skin is a piece of junk, nothing will fit right after installing it
even if the repair looks good,as you install its gonna crack,bec of the fact they have to be bowed to get past the windshield pillars, even with the trim already removed....the pad is flexable when new,as it ages (as the u v rays drys them out) they get brittle and crack easy,usually in the center where it was bowed to install..the new one goes in with less a fight.the best thing i found for crack repair is fiberglas resin,but you loose the grain pattern.
Last edited by carl a; Nov 22, 2006 at 10:15 PM.
