As part of my restoration, I have been steadily working on my rotten but soon to be beautiful dash cap. If I may, let me show you some photos. NOTE: I >failed< to show some good shots of the filling and sanding process prior to new vinyl re-wrap. I took it to an upholsterer today to get the wrapping done. Regardless, I wanted to show some of what I did.
Photo 1 shows the original cap with its beautiful time and heat induced crevices. The vinyl is dry, cracking, and brittle. The Texas sun did a number on this guy.
Photo 2 shows another shot of some similar damage elsewhere.
Photo 3 - here, I began to remove some of the old, tired foam in the crevice to create a clean adhering surface. The holes are actually made larger, by cutting the vinyl back with a sharp blade, so that it no longer curls up and has dry, detached edges. The idea, of course, is to get the top surface as "flat" as possible again.
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Photo 4 shows some more of the prep where bulging areas and cracks are further opened and flattened.
Photo 5 shows the filling of the cracks with new, expanding foam as used in home construction.
Here is a basic step-by-step procedure of what I did. I will get some more photos later, I apologize because this is an incomplete "document":
1) Cut open bulges, widen cracks to remove any loose vinyl and vinyl that is "curling"
2) Rough up the exisiting foam
3) Fill the cracks with "Great Stuff" foam, or something similar
4) Use a Stanley "Surform" tool to cut the foam and get it smooth with the existing vinyl
5) Using 80 grit paper and a sanding block, rough up ALL the vinyl - the entire surface - to create grip for the new vinyl
6) Use Urethane Supply Company's "Padded dash filler" to fill the holes, covering the areas where you added foam. This is JUST like bondo, and smells/handles exactly the same
7) Use 80 grit paper and sanding block to cut the filler and shape the dash. You are doing bodywork here - I will show some pics another time - to create a smooth core for the new vinyl
8) Finish the entire surface with 150 grit paper, and wipe all down with Naphtha, to remove grease, fingerprints, wax, etc.
9) Get it wrapped!!
Hope this was at least interesting. Once I get it back, I will show the finished pics, and then another cap in process.
Chris
Very cool! Is this what you wanted that dash from the bobcat for?
The next time I get my hands on another cap, I really want to do this!
David:
I sent you an email, yes, you are correct.
Chris
i have 6 of them
Nice work Chris. Can't wait to see the finished product. I have heard of places that get something like $350.00 to rebuild a dashpad. This looks like a nice inexpensive option. Where are you sending it off to? An upholstery shop for wrapping with vinyl?
Dave
Dave:
Yes, I took the material and the dash pad to a local upholstery shop to have it wrapped. The hard work was not the foam replacement, but the filling and sanding of the padded dash filler - much like bodywork (very tedious).
I sourced some original vinyl material from another vendor in Oregon, I can't wait to see the result. I will post it once I have it!
Chris
Good deal Chris. I think today's modern vinyl will stand up to UV, heat and so forth much better than products from the '70's.
Dave