A dash cover restoration

[74 Shortbed]

That looks great, but why would you cover it all up with a new dash pad after all that work???..

 

[CRM]

It looks great in the pictures but if you saw it in person there are some imperfections that would probably drive you crazy if you looked at them every day. I came away with some observations. 1- Expanding foam is good for filling cracks, but it should be trimmed below the crack and then filled with bondo. 2- Bondo works great if the dash cover is to be covered in Vinyl. 3- Vinyl should be as thin as possible in order to stretch it around corners. I used marine vinyl which is a little thicker. 4- Apply glue to both the pad and the vinyl. 5- Leave as much vinyl overhang as possible. It allows you to make mistakes and still fix the problem. and 6- Be very careful when using a heat gun to soften the vinyl. I tested it on a small piece and found that by the time you see the vinyl start to melt...it's too late.

I suspect that the next dash ( bare metal) will be easier, but that's another thread.

 

[74 Shortbed]

Live and learn I guess, lol, maybe let the vinyl sit out in the sun for awhile might work too..

Looking forward to the next one..