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cbbeard · 01-22-2015, 12:13 PM

Thanks!

I had several things going on at once, so I think it took me about a week or so overall. If I were focused on it alone, I probably could have knocked it out in about 4 days, sooner if I didn't choose to let the filler cure overnight. It would be feasible to knock it out over a weekend, or over the course of a week during the evenings after work.

Cost-wise, here are my estimates:
Can of spray foam insulation - $6
Filler - $50
Plastic adhesion promoter - $20
Texture coat - $25
Paint - $120
You could probably get by on less filler depending on your project (about 25 bucks a pint), and the adhesion promoter and texture coat was enough to do all my plastic parts as well. The paint I used was expensive because I color matched it, but I also bought some black interior paint for 35 bucks. The paint covered all my interior parts as well.

Here is the dash installed:

The bad news and a caveat...
I moved the dash in and out a lot due to some windshield installation issues, and other trim work. This caused me a couple of problems. Because I flexed it so much moving it in and out between the cab pillars, a small crack started from the corner of the vent grill on the drivers side. I'm absolutely convinced this is because I flexed the dash too hard and too often.

I also dropped it (yep, I'm an idiot) and there is a small crack on the edge on the passenger side. Finally, I almost dropped it again (yep, idiocy confirmed) and when I grabbed it I found a soft spot and caused a small crack.

I say all that to say 1. Be careful! and 2. Remember that your dash is still old, and unless you recover the entire thing with filler, there may still be some soft spots you weren't aware of in the old material.

All in all, those cracks are barely noticeable (except to me, which ticks me off!) and the dash looks pretty good installed!

01-22-2015, 12:13 PM	#25
cbbeard Registered User Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Beaumont, TX Posts: 34	Re: My DIY Dash Restoration Thanks! I had several things going on at once, so I think it took me about a week or so overall. If I were focused on it alone, I probably could have knocked it out in about 4 days, sooner if I didn't choose to let the filler cure overnight. It would be feasible to knock it out over a weekend, or over the course of a week during the evenings after work. Cost-wise, here are my estimates: Can of spray foam insulation - $6 Filler - $50 Plastic adhesion promoter - $20 Texture coat - $25 Paint - $120 You could probably get by on less filler depending on your project (about 25 bucks a pint), and the adhesion promoter and texture coat was enough to do all my plastic parts as well. The paint I used was expensive because I color matched it, but I also bought some black interior paint for 35 bucks. The paint covered all my interior parts as well. Here is the dash installed: The bad news and a caveat... I moved the dash in and out a lot due to some windshield installation issues, and other trim work. This caused me a couple of problems. Because I flexed it so much moving it in and out between the cab pillars, a small crack started from the corner of the vent grill on the drivers side. I'm absolutely convinced this is because I flexed the dash too hard and too often. I also dropped it (yep, I'm an idiot) and there is a small crack on the edge on the passenger side. Finally, I almost dropped it again (yep, idiocy confirmed) and when I grabbed it I found a soft spot and caused a small crack. I say all that to say 1. Be careful! and 2. Remember that your dash is still old, and unless you recover the entire thing with filler, there may still be some soft spots you weren't aware of in the old material. All in all, those cracks are barely noticeable (except to me, which ticks me off!) and the dash looks pretty good installed!