Dash reskin DIY!???

[Toecutter]

I saw this pic in the galleries of RBZ260's DIY dash reskin!? Any details on how you go about doing this at home and how much??

 

Sulio

 

[JP]

Johnny describes it a bit over in the forums at www.thezgarage.com

[sexual_sushi]

is that the one that is painted with an upholstery type paint? there is a pretty good write up on it at hybridz.org i think. has how to do it and the products to use. ill post the link when i get home from work tonight.... if you haven't found it by then

[RBZ 260]

Yeah im here too hehehe

 

sexual sushi!nah this is not the one thats on hybridz this is of thezgarage AUS 

 

got the idea from one of the members from here or z garage cant remember now. he was making fiberglass copies. and i asked him about the finish.and he gave me a product name that he was thinking of using. but hasnt used yet.

 

the finish is VIPONDS TAUTFLEX about $35 per 1L i only used maybe 200ml for the dash.

its australian made product UV resistant and all other magic stuff they say it does.

i didnt believe in it but a got it to try it out.

 

The dash itself was a mess. i will put a pic of it when i started. it had 6 cracks accross, huge ones accross the 3 center pods gap of almost 2.5cm two other cracks on the speedo and tacho pods and a huge one accross the glove box lid. in other words it was CRAP.

 

attacked it with 36 grade sandpaper with long plank as a sanding block.

 

that removed the cracks being out of the line. by doing this i made the gaps even bigger.by removing the sunburnt part of the sponge till it got to nice and clean sections.

 

Filled the gaps with expandable foam or space invader. let it dry. than attack it again with 36 grit paper till u get the basic shape into place.

 

once happy with the finish. i used few sheets of fiberglass and resin and layed it acrross the repaired area. didnt go all around as there was no reason. the sun dont get there anyway. so just do the top half.

 

after that guess what more sanding when the fiberglass cures. again get it into a nice shape if holes are not perfect circle use a plastic or steel pipe covered in electrical tape and fill the imperfections with fiberglass. other option is at later stage to use body filler.

 

once the holes and the dash is in good shape. sand  the whole thing including the original vinyl with 180grit. if any imperfections use body filler to get small imperfections out.

finilise with 240 grit.

 

next step is i used 2pk primer/filler in very thick ratio. no thiners just hardner. called maxi fill. primer used was dupont. same stuff used on the car.

 

basicaly apply a fair bit of it to fill all the original vinyl pattern.do same for the glove box cover but before using the max fill primer/filler use plastic primer on it.

 

give it few days to dry properly or if ui fortunate enough to have a huge spray booth with heater drop it in there. i left it in trhe shed for 5days and on sunny days left it on the sun to bake properly.

 

once dried more sanding this time with 400 wet or dry if lot of imperfections otherwise use 800wet or dry.

 

an extra step i did which is probably not necessary is that i painted it with black base coat with 2pk clear. this is probably an overkill. main reason i did if there is a chip of the taut flex i stil have strong black underpaint and not having gray primer showing.

 

i left it again for few days to dry before sanding it with 1000grit and painting ti with tautflex.

 

if u want the smooth finish than spray normaly. i still wanted the suade finsih so i sprayed it from a distance to give that unique rough texture.

 

i let it dry overnight.it felt like suede lether it almost smells like it too. i tried scraping and digging in with nails to see how strong it is. no mark left on it. few spots i had very rough finish use a cotton rag with water to make it bit smoother. till the lint from rags wasnt left on the dash. once dried it still looked great.

 

i had all the bits at home when i did the car. like primer and clear. but you dont have to use 2pk. it is lot stronger than acrylic but should still work good.

 

i got the information from few dash restoration places on how they fix the dash. its the same way except they use body filler and some may use glass to get the shape and then cover it with vacumised vinyl.

 

i think having a fiberglass cap on top will last lot longer than those recovered ones. and if u get it damaged its easyly fixed and touched up.

 

also the viponds comes in any colour you want as they can tint them too.

 

u can get vipond tautflex from bristol paint or google  viponds for other locations.

 

total cost

 

$35 for viponds tautflex can do lot of dashes with 1l

$30 worth of fiberglasss

$10 worth of primer

$10 worth of clear and black base coat

$10 for sandpaper

and bit of your own time doing it.

 

plus other equipment needed for spray painting etc...

 

its not a original look but its definetly different and very adaptable to any changes u wish to do on the dash. extra pods or mods. even the dash restorers dont reskin with original grain but a vinyl look.

 

its out there for people to try out. if u got a crapy dash give it a shot u be suprised how well it turns out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sexual_sushi]

thanks for the write up where do we find the pics?

 

the diy dash work i was refering to is here if anyone is interested

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23919

[reverendzed]

This looks like a whole lot of fun, I'm definately giving it a go, with 2 dashes sitting in the garage it's worth the effort.  If anyone else in the Melbourne S.E area (I'm in Narre warren Sth) wants to have a go, I'd be happy to share resources.

Rev.

[RBZ 260]

here are the pics. not exactly step by step but what i had on my fone. 

 

first one is afer the fiberglass was sanded and body filled to get the right shape and to remove the imperfections left by the glass work

 

second one is 2pk primmed/filled

 

third is black base coat with 2pk clear. looked crazy and very shiny. so sanded it down and painted it with viponds tautflex and finished product on the last pic.

 

hope that helps bit more till i can dig out my other pics

[RBZ 260]

forum wouldnt let me post two at the same time so this an adition.

[reverendzed]

Man, that is a great job! I hope I can get somewhere near that, If so I will be happy, I really appreciate all of your info.  I'll also try and keep a photo journal of my repairs as both dash's are in a real bad way.  One dash is in 3 pieces and the other has chunks missings as someone has hacked the dash to get out the clock (must have been a working one!)  Gav maybe this should be made as a sticky?

[53-681]

Hi RBZ260,

 

Btw, I have seen a Mitsubishi Magna not too long ago with the vic plates RBZ-261!!! OMGGGGG! It was night though and the photo I took came out pretty crap due to all the lights, and me driving at the same time and also that the camera was my phone camera factors...

Oh well

 

 

 

RBZ, what I wanted to ask was did you just paint the bare dash itself??? Because I can't see any signs of the foamy, spungy stuff in any of the pictures... The underlay thingy.

 

 

Also, what is your opinion on this product I stumbled upon ebay??? How hard would it be to stretch this vinyl over the dash being restored?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DATSUN-NISSAN-240Z-260Z-280Z-280ZX-INTERIOR-VINYL-DASH-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem35aac248a5QQitemZ230498125989QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

 

 

 

Thanx a million man

[Sirpent]

I wouldn't bother with the vinyl kit.

 

Z dash's crack due to the polyfoam material under the vacuum formed vinyl litrally decomposing due to heat, this leads to stress fractures and eventually gaping cracks.

 

Unfortunately this can never be stopped, most repairers knock back the high ridges of the cracked material, then fill these in with a filler, sand them back to the original contour and then vacuum form a new skin over the lot, this also causes a minor problem as the skin around the gauge cavities increases in thickness thus reducing the circumference, when fitting the gauges back the fit is a lot tighter.

 

If you are handy, you could resurface your dash yourself, then take it to a trimmer and have it re skinned in a stitched material such as vinyl or leather.

 

Otherwise vacuum forming by someone like the Dash Doctor would be the best option.

 

"And no I don't work for them" but I did have a great number of dash boards re-skinned when I had my shop.

 

Hope this gives you some insight into what a refurbished dash is all about.

 

Cheers

 

John

[53-681]

Please forgive my ignorance as I have no prior knowledge of repairing dash's till reading this thread; I just want to clear things up:

 

1. Sand the dash

2. Join the gaps - Duct tape underneath the cracks etc.

3. Fill the gaps - Using Foam in a can

4. Sand again till the whole dash is very smooth and is the way you want it

5. Clean the dash

6. Undercoat the dash and let it dry over night (24 Hours)

7. Clean the dash again (Just to be sure its 100%)

8. Overcoat it with the final finish (As mentioned by RBZ-260; He used the Viponds stuff)

9. Let it dry overnight (24-36 Hours)

10. Fit it in your pride and joy, cruise down town and pick-up

 

 

Please correct me if I am wrong as I am pretty sure I might of missed out on a step.

I want to try this method out very soon if it is right

[MaygZ]

If I've got it right ...

 

4.3 coat with fibreglass

4.4 sand again

4.5 smooth with body filler

4.6 sand again

4.7 apply some spray hi-fill type product

4.8 sand again

[zzzzed]

i belive its all coated in fibreglass after the foam is sanded and then smothed out with body filler

[53-681]

I went down to the local super cheap auto store today and noticed in the primer section, they have fillers in a can and also fibreglass fillers in a can.

 

I wonder if you can just use the fibreglass filler???

 

I think step 4.3 is extra? Didn't RBZ do that just for extra protection against sun/heat? Maybe we can use fibreglass filler here as mentioned earlier?

[MaygZ]

I would suggest the fibreglass would provide some strength against shrinking and flex, as the underlaying foam had been compromised by heat or being removed.

[53-681]

But remember, its not fibreglass; Its fibreglass filler.

Will it still do the same job?

[zzzzed]

fibreglass filler will crack because it dries brittle  were as fibreglass has some flex. fibre fill  is more designed for filling big holes.. fibreglass is the way to go and in the end will be less work than just fibre fill 

[53-681]

Where to purchase fibreglass?

Are they in the forms of sheets? Are they thin? How do I attach them to the dash itself?

[zzzzed]

you will need the resin and the matting. you can get it from bunnings. but i get it from a local water tank builder 

[RBZ 260]

sorry for late reply Bozo and the rest of the guys.

 

As most guys know been busy and away from internet for some while.

 

Thanks to Mick and John for helping out.

 

What John said is absolutely correct.

 

Just to add few things for future.

 

As Mick said.

 

Used fiberglass (what they make boats and spoilers out of) not body filler. Body filler also known as bog or fiberglass filler was only used to fix up small imperfections.

Ideally I would not use it at all as it causes problems later, and probably needs to be deleted from the initial step.

 

Even though the fiberglass didn't crack but when subjected to high temperatures (45C AMB on the sun at my work inside the car over 100C for sure for 8hr a day for 5 days a week ) the body filler lifted of from the fiberglass and resulting in cracked paint.

 

Just remix more fiberglass resin and sand till perfect is my solution to imperfections. It may take lot more time to do but it will last lot longer.

 

also 2pk primer is lot more robust. not sure of longevity using acrylic primers. Would be interesting to see how Bozo's responds to daily use. 

 

Fiberglass kits can be bought as a small kit through repco, supercheap and sprints. Also any boat shop specialising in repairs will have it.

 

If  in Adelaide Glass Craft Marine in the City can supply larger kits including carbon fiber sheets

 

Also a WARNING to first time uses of fiberglass and resins.

 

1. Wear gloves and masks

 

2. use correct mixing ratio. too mach hardner ends up in flames so be very careful. not enough hardner wont set it off. do small quantities till you get he hang of it. test first on something else.

 

3. once its set be careful of pointy fiberglass needles. wear leather gloves. fiberglass splinters are very painful and hard to remove. Again wear a mask while sanding as fiberglass is nasty stuff.

 

watch this space for more updates as for my 240z's will be repeating this process to some degree, with different finishes

 

PS: if in future anyone needs any help please either email or PM. i don't get notifications on my old posts.

 

[gav240z]

Bit of a thread resurrection, but with my Safari Gold car there is several minor cracks in the dash, really not too bad considering what I have seen in the past though.

 

I've read through this thread and the ClassicZcars thread also, and I have found other car forums with a similar technique to the ClassicZcar thread.

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/spider-1966-up/191720-how-fix-dashboard-cracks.html#post1104071

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/703234-911-dash-repair.html

 

The way I see it I have 4 options.

 

Option 1 - Buy new.

 

Pro: Perfect finish to OEM spec.

Con: Cost.

 

Option 2 - Dashboard Doctor in Melbourne.

Pro: Excellent repair, as I have this in my 72 240z.

Con: Cost, I believe the going rate is about $600 now? Which seems a little steep considering a few years ago it was more like $300-$400. Wonder why the price hike? Also I believe they use a vacuum formed cap over the top of the original which means it's slightly thicker and fitting the gauges can be difficult and extra tight, my previous owner on my 72 240z cracked the housing of 1 the gauges probably due to the tight fit. It's not very noticeable but I see it .

 

Option 3 - Dash Cap Repair.

See

http://www.dashtop.com/products/dash-cover-1973-datsun-240z

 

Pro: Could be a close replication of original finish.

Con: The half caps look garbage so that's out, the full caps could be a good fit, but I've not had much experience with them. The full dash cap I saw posted on ClassicZcars didn't require the removal of gauges or dashboard itself so you can actually see it doesn't cover everywhere correctly.

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/interior-s30/48276-full-dash-cover-installation-help.html

See photos  post #27 onward.

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/interior-s30/48276-full-dash-cover-installation-help.html#post421479

 

The other issue is I don't know if anyone makes a full cap for RHD cars? I've only so far found a half cap here.

http://www.datsunparts.com/Z-Car-Parts

 

Ideally a full cap would require removal of the dashboard and wrap all the way around everywhere As in it would be an entirely new skin formed to fit like the original. Somehow I don't think this is available though?

 

Option 4 - Try the flexible filler + bed liner spray method to get a good hair-grain type finish.

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/interior-s30/23919-dash-repair-process-pictures.html

 

Pro: Cheap and cheerful - gives a good finish, doesn't make the gauge pods any tighter and appears to be quite durable based on feedback on ClassicZcars thread.

Con's: The pattern will be different (ok by me and same as the dashboard doctor option), it could still crack again in other areas of the dash, since the skin is 40+ years old now. The only other concern I have is that doing this repair could lead to a more expensive repair should I opt for Dashboard Doctor or similar in future (if I'm not happy with the finish for example).

 

As mentioned earlier in the thread by John.

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,1618.msg84995.html#msg84995

Z dash's crack due to the polyfoam material under the vacuum formed vinyl litrally decomposing due to heat, this leads to stress fractures and eventually gaping cracks.

 

Unfortunately this can never be stopped, most repairers knock back the high ridges of the cracked material, then fill these in with a filler, sand them back to the original contour and then vacuum form a new skin over the lot, this also causes a minor problem as the skin around the gauge cavities increases in thickness thus reducing the circumference, when fitting the gauges back the fit is a lot tighter.

 

If you are handy, you could resurface your dash yourself, then take it to a trimmer and have it re skinned in a stitched material such as vinyl or leather.

 

Otherwise vacuum forming by someone like the Dash Doctor would be the best option.

 

It seems this process is very similar to what the Dash Doctor would do except for the vacuum forming of a new skin. So I'm leaning toward option #4 - but if anyone else has attempted this I'd love you hear your feedback on the outcome / results and if you were happy with them?

 

Option 5 - Go Flock Your Dash.

http://bringatrailer.com/2008/08/26/vintage-rally-spec-rhd-1973-datsun-240z/

 

Flocking is popular on rally cars due to the glare reduction factor and gives a 'race car' look and feel. However I don't think this is the look I'm going for with my particular build. Hence not something I'm seriously looking at, although I do like it on that car!

 

[gav240z]

For those interested this is what the vacuum moulding process looks like for dashboard restoration.

 

http://www.uniquecarsmag.com.au/news-and-reviews/article/articleid/61774.aspx

[Kent]

is buying new really still an option for an early 240Z?

[PB260Z]

is buying new really still an option for an early 240Z?

 

I don't think you will find new in box anymore.

But a complete restoration like in the article, whilst expensive, is the next best thing.