Would you suggest drilling holes in your coverlay?

[Skunksmash]

This thread is mainly directed at Capchaos and others that have bought and used a coverlay dash cover. The question is simple:

Would you recommend drilling holes in it, if necessary?

When I purchased my coverlay, I simply followed the instructions that came in the box and put the cover on while the dash was still on the truck. But a buddy of mine has raised an important question. What do you do when you need to take the dash off? Be it to fix something that went wrong, or even to replace the radio. There are a lot of reasons why the dash may need to come off.

He is looking into getting a coverlay for his truck, but he says that he would be afraid to drill holes in the coverlay cover, so that all his factory screws would be accessible. And even I am beginning to wonder what I am going to do when inevitably, I need to remove the dash to fix something. So do you guys think that it would hurt the coverlay cover, to drill small holes in it so that the factory dash screws can slide on through? Or would it crack the cover over time? They are kinda hard and I can see the sun/heat finally cracking it right at the drilled holes.

Especially since it is glued down.

[VileZambonie]

Did you glue it right over the screws?

[Skunksmash]

Yeah lol. My mistake. But again, I was only following the instructions provided by coverlay. I think... I'll have to get them out and see what they say. If I recall, it said something like "This can be installed while the dash is on the vehicle".

Well, on a 73-87, you are unlikely to get a drill in there to screw the holes in the sides of the dash. I guess maybe if you had a very long bit, and you opened up the vent windows and did some finangling....

Either way, mine is already done. What about a brand new one? Should holes be drilled in it to allow for screws?

[got2haul]

Show us some pictures.  How do you like the coverlay?

[Skunksmash]

The 'ol lady dropped and busted my digital camera, and I'm afraid I don't have a camera phone. But really, the question doesn't necessarily warrant pictures. Should you, or should you not, drill holes for screws, in a coverlay brand dash cover?

[beastie_3]

Are you talking about drilling holes to access the screws you covered? Or are you asking if it is ok to drill holes after it is glued down to reinstall the dash?

[Skunksmash]

Before you put the cover on, was what I was asking.

But I called Coverlay, and they said that yes, it is in fact safe to drill small screw holes in a Coverlay dash cover. However. It doesn't even matter because when you take your dash back off, for whatever reason, the coverlay cover will likely either separate from the dash, or crack. That is why they offer a lifetime warranty, in case you have to destroy your coverlay cover in order to fix something underneath it. If this is the case, then you can't ever put the coverlay cover on the dash, while the dash is off of the truck. If you do, then when you tighten down the dash to the truck, it will crack because the coverlay is unflexible.

So basically, you take the dash off after you install a coverlay, you break the coverlay. So in the end, it seems that the only real and true fix of one of these old dashes, is to have it recovered at an auto upholstery shop. Or I guess you could buy one of those complete GM factory dashes, but that isn't really fixing the old one.

Oh one other thing. They Coverlay guy said that the risk of cracking the cover upon removal of the dash can be somewhat minimized, if you always use those sun visors in your windshield. Those big silver things that fold out. Although he did also say to not count on that, because half the time they crack anyway.

[Captkaos]

You already got the answer, but honestly  I don't drill them out.  IF I install one, I will just remove it best I can and if it cracks I just get a replacement.  All you have to have is the original purchase reciept and the number off the back of the cover.

I don't ever glue over the screws above the glove box though and I do put a small hole in the sides of the 81-ups.  I have pulled a couple and they didn't crack.

[Skunksmash]

I have pulled a couple and they didn't crack.

Did you install them on the truck, or off?

[got2haul]

The 'ol lady dropped and busted my digital camera, and I'm afraid I don't have a camera phone. But really, the question doesn't necessarily warrant pictures. Should you, or should you not, drill holes for screws, in a coverlay brand dash cover?

I guess I was too vague -- sorry.  I just wanted to see what a dash covered with a Coverlay looked like. 

[VileZambonie]

I don't understand why you wouldn't remove the dash pad to install it. It takes like 5 minutes if you're slow to remove the dash pad.

[Skunksmash]

I don't understand why you wouldn't remove the dash pad to install it. It takes like 5 minutes if you're slow to remove the dash pad.

Yeah I'm with you there. But coverlay says it'll crack if you do that. I don't know if you have ever held one of the covers, but they are a little rigid. They are made out of hard pastic, and since you glue it on, I can see where they would say that it'll crack after you tighten the dash down. Cause I think the dash bows a little bit once you tighten it all down.

I don't know, maybe it won't crack and they are just covering their...butts.

[Captkaos]

I have done it both ways,  Generally I install them still in the truck.