Early C3 dashboards
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Early C3 dashboards
II feel the early C3 dash prices are excessive, and I don't even want to consider later C3 prices.....
but, that upper dash pad is a cracked up POS....not as bad as SOME, but certainly worse than others....so the question IS.....
what to do???
I have heard and seen just ONE dash 'skin' layed over...and it looked like crap, and I have heard it's NOT possible to make them work....
too boot not last well in sunlight what with shrinkage and such....
the recovered dash tops are 3-400 bux.....excessive for 20 bux tops worth of vinyl....don't care about it being vinyl moulded or not....not paying that price....
SO, that leaves recovering it myself, what the hell, done everything else....might as well do that too....
but HOW and what WITH???? and anybody with suggestions and maybe even pictures ???? any information would be appreciated....such as what to fill in the huge air gaps in the foam under the original vinyl??? that stuff either through original problems or sunlight is rough as a cob.....
I am thinking of some sort of carpeting with super short pile...but carpeting has limited flex to wrap corners with, and come out smooth....I vision something looking smooth and lasting a long time.....not too concerned with texture, as the general lay of the material is more important....
GENE
but, that upper dash pad is a cracked up POS....not as bad as SOME, but certainly worse than others....so the question IS.....
what to do???
I have heard and seen just ONE dash 'skin' layed over...and it looked like crap, and I have heard it's NOT possible to make them work....
too boot not last well in sunlight what with shrinkage and such....
the recovered dash tops are 3-400 bux.....excessive for 20 bux tops worth of vinyl....don't care about it being vinyl moulded or not....not paying that price....
SO, that leaves recovering it myself, what the hell, done everything else....might as well do that too....
but HOW and what WITH???? and anybody with suggestions and maybe even pictures ???? any information would be appreciated....such as what to fill in the huge air gaps in the foam under the original vinyl??? that stuff either through original problems or sunlight is rough as a cob.....
I am thinking of some sort of carpeting with super short pile...but carpeting has limited flex to wrap corners with, and come out smooth....I vision something looking smooth and lasting a long time.....not too concerned with texture, as the general lay of the material is more important....
GENE
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 1
From: Fishkill NY
Re: Early C3 dashboards (mrvette)
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 29,745
Likes: 3
From: Exiled to Richmond, VA - Finally sold my house in Murfreesboro, TN ?? Corner of "Bumf*&k and 'You've got a purdy mouth'."
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
CI-VIII Burnout Champ
St. Jude Donor '06-'10, '13
Re: Early C3 dashboards (paintdaddy)
Bite the bullit.Buy a new one!If you buy a used one it wont last long. :yesnod: :seeya
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 132
Likes: 0
From: UTICA ILLINOIS
Re: Early C3 dashboards (mrvette)
MRVETTE,
I've never done this, but it's just a thought....
A friend of mine had the dash skin you talked about. After he painted it, it looked and fit O.K., but being plastic it rattled/squeeked alot.
If it were me....
I wouldn't have painted the dash skin, rather I would have "covered" it with a matching color vinyl, and installed it over a thin layer of craft padding.
Also, depending on what you do, get some 3M spray adhesive, this stuff works great, and you can mold the vinyl (or carpet) to the shape of the dash.
Lastly, just recently, I noticed in the CORVETTE CENTRAL ASSESSORIES mag, that they are now offering professional made dash pads for C3's, embroidered with "CORVETTE" :thumbs:
I've never done this, but it's just a thought....
A friend of mine had the dash skin you talked about. After he painted it, it looked and fit O.K., but being plastic it rattled/squeeked alot.
If it were me....
I wouldn't have painted the dash skin, rather I would have "covered" it with a matching color vinyl, and installed it over a thin layer of craft padding.
Also, depending on what you do, get some 3M spray adhesive, this stuff works great, and you can mold the vinyl (or carpet) to the shape of the dash.
Lastly, just recently, I noticed in the CORVETTE CENTRAL ASSESSORIES mag, that they are now offering professional made dash pads for C3's, embroidered with "CORVETTE" :thumbs:
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Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 16,416
Likes: 1
From: NC,USA
Re: Early C3 dashboards (mrvette)
Go to an interior shop, have them build a leather dash pad (wraps around your current pad)
I've seen it done on some hot rods, but dont know the pricing :cheers:
I've seen it done on some hot rods, but dont know the pricing :cheers:
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,620
Likes: 7
From: Orlando Florida
Re: Early C3 dashboards (mrvette)
I was thinking of making one out of Carbon-Fiber Composite. IT sounds :crazy: , but I'm into sheot like that. I've seen some Hot Rods on the Power Tour and they look very :cool: I personaly would like to have two gauge pods molded into the top of my dash pad. Don't know how to make that happen without looking cheezy.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 9,206
Likes: 17
From: Sewell NJ
Re: Early C3 dashboards (mrvette)
Try contacting Corvette America. They used to manufacture skins that would go over an existing panel. I'm not sure if they still do because people had a lot of problems getting the skin to stick well and look right.
