73-87chevytrucks.com
73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Interior & Equipment => Topic started by: Skunksmash on July 23, 2008, 03:27:12 pm
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There are a lot dash fixes out there for our trucks, but which one is the best idea to go with? In your experience. As we all know, the dash's in these models like to crack. It is just something these trucks do. Many even get big holes where the little speaker holes are. What would yall recommend for returning the dash to it's factory state? A new dash? Or are those glue on covers any good? They sell those at JCwhitney and they are very thin so as to appear to be the original dash. And, they are much cheaper than buying a brand new dash. So which way would you go if you needed to fix a cracked and holey dash pad?
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Either replace it with an OEM pad or install a cover. Chris sells them.
http://store.73-87chevytrucks.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=7&Category_Code=DC
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I was thinking of reusing the cracked plastic pad and applying some 1/4" - 1/2" thick foam padding to it, then wraping that in leather, vinyl, cloth, or tweed. Watcha think? I just don't like the look of plastic everywhere. That's one of the things I hate about late model cars.
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If you want it to look original your best bet is to get a OEM pad or the covers. We sell OEM 81-87 Dashpads and as Vile pointed out the covers.
eventhorizon66 PM tvblazer78, he had his covered and it looks really good...
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I recovered one once with vinyl and it looked like crap.
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here are some pics of tvBlazer78's interior. It should be in Truck Builder soon if not already (haven't found it yet)
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How is that done? What about the cracks that were in the dash before he glued the leather on? If they were not fixed it seems like they would show through. If i can figure out how exactly to do that, it may be an option for me as i have access to an upholstery shop that i can have work done for cost. (family) Anyone know if he just cut the leather, then glued it on?
If not, how do those replacement OEM pads look once they have been dyed?
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here are some pics of tvBlazer78's interior. It should be in Truck Builder soon if not already (haven't found it yet)
VERY NICE! I would love to do something along those lines. But alas the interior is last on the list and the list is long and the funds are short.
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What about the cracks
You beat the cracks flat, get out the loose stuff, then fill and sand just like body work.
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How is that done? What about the cracks that were in the dash before he glued the leather on? If they were not fixed it seems like they would show through. If i can figure out how exactly to do that, it may be an option for me as i have access to an upholstery shop that i can have work done for cost. (family) Anyone know if he just cut the leather, then glued it on?
If not, how do those replacement OEM pads look once they have been dyed?
He fiberglassed the base and had an upholstery shop sew the leather to match.
OEM replacement pads look like OEM pads. All 90% of 81-91 factory pads were dyed the color of the truck.
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So you just could just use a fiberglass repair kit on the cracks and big holes? But then, did he use injection molding to get the leather to stick? Or is that just sorta glued on there with upholstery grade adhesive? Cause if so, then anybody could do this fairly easily. Well, i mean you could do all that, then buy a sheet of leather and take it to the local upholstery shop.
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If you don't have any experience with upholstery and sewing, you won't be doing this yourself. He had a shop do it for him AFAIK.
He removed all the broken loose scaled vinyl filled it in and then epoxied over it. I will see if he will post a reply...
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There was another guy who did his over smooth, glassed it and painted it.
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I've also considered cutting out the old dash and replacing it with something much simpler like something you migh see in a late-forties/early-fifties Chevy pickup or maybe even as simple as a '32 Ford dash. Not sure how it would look though. My guess is either very very cool or like complete garbage.
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Here's a smoothed one
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c15/micreso/100_0451.jpg)
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hmm. I'm getting the image size restriction again. Is this an error or did you shrink it down again Chris?
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:D no I just never increased it. What size monitor are you using? 62" plasma widescreen?
Hills built one with a 63-66 dash in one...
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How is that done? What about the cracks that were in the dash before he glued the leather on? If they were not fixed it seems like they would show through. If i can figure out how exactly to do that, it may be an option for me as i have access to an upholstery shop that i can have work done for cost. (family) Anyone know if he just cut the leather, then glued it on?
If not, how do those replacement OEM pads look once they have been dyed?
He fiberglassed the base and had an upholstery shop sew the leather to match.
OEM replacement pads look like OEM pads. All 90% of 81-91 factory pads were dyed the color of the truck.
What Chris said,
I welded plates in for the speakers and defrost, then fiberglassed it in. The upholstery shop then put leather on with glue. Hope this helps. And the blazer will be in the mag in the next week or so, I just talked to Josh that too all the pics.. ;)
Trav
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lol I just have a 19" monitor here. but I think it restricted it to 600x800 that's why they come out distorted.
TVBlazer78 - post more pix here of your stuff man!
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What Chris said,
I welded plates in for the speakers and defrost, then fiberglassed it in. The upholstery shop then put leather on with glue. Hope this helps. And the blazer will be in the mag in the next week or so, I just talked to Josh that too all the pics.. ;)
Trav
Cool, i might be able to pull it off then. Do you happen to have any more pics of the finished, dash, and of your interior in general? I could use them to show the person who is going to be doing the upholstering how it needs to look when finished.
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Heres 1
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3
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Wow. Thats one bad machine. Did you recover the door panels in leather as well? Or is that some other method? Also, what vehicle are those seats from?
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Wow. Thats one bad machine. Did you recover the door panels in leather as well? Or is that some other method? Also, what vehicle are those seats from?
The door panels are leather too and the seats are out of 03 Yukon.
Thanks!!
Trav
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Was there any trouble getting those seats in there? Did you just have to "adapt" some old brackets off of some other seats so they would fit?
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Was there any trouble getting those seats in there? Did you just have to "adapt" some old brackets off of some other seats so they would fit?
I used 2 stock holes for each side and made to new holes for each side. I made a plate for the new holes and things worked out good.
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Keep in mind Blazers have completely flat floors like all the newer trucks have. They are NOT the same as a pickup floor, so what works on a Blazer WON'T work on a pickup.
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Yeah i am thinking i will have to do some metal fab, but thats not to big of a deal. I'll just sorta make or adapt some brackets. As for the dash, i just realized what you meant when you said you welded up the holes. I was thinking you were saying you somehow welded up the holes on the dash pad itself. But then i read back a little and i saw that you have to fiberglass up those holes in the dash pad.
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Mounting newer model seats in pickup will require some serious fabrication because you are going to have to bring the seat section DOWN over the gas tank clearance. Essentially the seat brackets will need to be flush the the seat bottom.
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Luckily i have a buddy who's dad owns the local repair shop and they fab drive shafts in there sometimes. I have seen him fab some smaller stuff in there before so hopefully he can make me some brackets.
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I hope it goes well for you Skunkmash. I'm going to save the $ and get one of CaptKaos pads. All the work's done except the color.
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I am kind of afraid of anything not pre colored so i am just going to avoid that. Just my personal opinion. I cant guarantee that i will stain it right and i dont think you can re do it.
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Mounting newer model seats in pickup will require some serious fabrication because you are going to have to bring the seat section DOWN over the gas tank clearance. Essentially the seat brackets will need to be flush the the seat bottom.
I hear ya I've got a set of seats from an 02' dually thats in pieces trying to figure out a way to make them work. I really want to make them work I like the seat belts built in any ideas will be great.
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If you don't paint it right the first time, you can paint over it again and again, but it is a simple process. Just use quality vinyl paint ( I use SEM) and it will go on really easy. It comes in a spray can, so it isn't hard at all.
Here is a write-up of painting panels with pictures:
http://www.73-87.com/7387garage/interior/vinyl_dye.htm
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You guys ever seen one of these? This would be perfect if only you couldn't tell where the cover met up with the real dash. I really dont know how they look, as i have never seen one.
http://www.coverlaymfg.com/
I am kinda scared to order anything accept a totally new dash pad, because i cant see it close up and i doubt you can send any of this stuff back. Even if you can send it back, i really dont wanna pay shipping both ways for nothing. So all in all this is really a tough one to figure out.
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Yeah pretty common I believe you can get them from this site right here.
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Yeah pretty common I believe you can get them from this site right here.
Yes Coverlay is just one of Several Manufacturers/Vendors of replacement Dash Caps..... I don't know who's Chris' Supplier/Vendor/Manufacturer for his, but Personally I would go with Chris'(Good to Support a Site of a Fellow Enthusiast when you can, and he would be less likely to steer you in the wrong direction)..... I used to deal with Coverlay, and Accu-Form, both of them were a hassle to deal with directly as a Vendor/Manufacturer..... Accu-Form was alot more reliable with service and product, while Coverlay was a Pain to deal with the Idiot on the phone.....
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The caps we sell are Coverlay. I can take a picture of one this evening and send it to you if you want.
http://store.73-87chevytrucks.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=7&Category_Code=DC
If you do them right, it is VERY hard to tell if it has been covered.
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All right then. I will probly pick one up from you when i have the money. But maybe you can tell me at this point how hard it is for installation of the new cover? I ask because my stock dash pad is all curled up around the back edges. I also just now noticed that the guy with the way cool black blazer said he covered up the defroster holes. Now he just has to go without a defroster? That must be kinda uncool sometimes.
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Installation isn't that hard. It is possible that you will have to trim the stock dash, but it is fairly straight forward to replace it.
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the only parts of the dash that you'll have to trim is the areas that protrude up around the cracks and the damaged speaker areas...also, you may have to trim the coverlay to get it to fit right...we got one in the shop that we had to make extensive trimming to get it even close, but at the end of the day, I didn't like the way it looked, so I ordered another one for the customer..and the new one came in and needed very slight trimming...usually they need alittle trimming, but that first one must have been a bad cast or something...
Chuck.