covering dash with material???

[benoit454]

Hey guys I've seen a few here and there but always wondered about this...

How do you go about wrapping the dash in material? Such as cloth maybe vinyl?

I've seen guys on tv use vinyl and a heat gun since it strecthes and do that.

But if you use carpet or some other cloth then how?
I'm worried about wrinkles, and fadeing. I know most carpet would fade and our dash is in the sun all the time. it's an 84 and it's blue, looking at covering it in the closest blue I can get that match or maybe use just anything and then dye it that exact blue.

Anyone have any tips or ideas on done it before?

It looks to me like what would be hard is where it drops off after the guage bezel and goes over to the passengerside, since you'd need to pull it under in the front over the guages, and then down and over to the passengerside. I'm really lost on it, unless maybe you fold it over like I did my sub box, then cut both ends together so it makes a nice flat part that you can hardly see the seam of the 2.

[liljon285]

I used a kit LMC has that is like a plastic mold and it goes right over the dash and it also supplies the glue to glue it, the dash is heat prtected so it wont bend or get from the sun.

[Blackstone]

Kinda hard to see in this picture, but my donor truck has this fuzzy black material wrapped around the dash pad. The guy got decent results using 3M spray adhesive, and cut the stereo into the center of the dash pad. I can't imagine that this material was stretchable, but it fit surprisingly well around the instrument panel. I did notice upon closer inspection, a seam about 1-2 inches to the right of the instrument panel, but I really had to look hard to find it. I'll try to post a better picture of it tonight.

[benoit454]

I know they have the molded plastic ones.
Thoose are not the ones I'm talking about though, or ANY you can buy really.

I'm talking cheaper custom stuff, buy a yard or two of material and do it myself.

if I can't find anything or I try it and don't like it I'm gonna buy one of the molded plastic ones.

[edman87]

I tried vinyl with a heat gun and industrial adhesive, it didn't go real well. Just couldn't get enough stretch for the curve/ hump on right side of inst cluster. If you didn't mind a seam in it right there, it could be sewed together to work pretty good. A high heat, high humidity vacuum chamber chamber would work, but I don't have 1!

[benoit454]

LOL Me either!!!!

I'm thinking most who have done it or have it done must have seamed it.

I guess that's why they use something thick and/or fuzzy like carpet or tweed or something.

[edman87]

Whatever you do, don't put the dead poodle on the dash, it is just tacky!
My brother in law runs 1 of those carpet covers on his and it screams ghetto.
If all else fails you can strip the vinyl and foam and glass it. I am thinking of trying this on a spare I have. I am thinking glass and then spray on bedliner stuff over that. Never seen it done, but I think it would look good and match my interior.

[edman87]

BTW, I have heard of uposlstry shops covering them and it turning out nice, but i imagine it would be pricey. Besides, it is hard to find someone that will do off the wall stuff, you know, other than a simple swap or slip on re-cover.

[knightlife]

I wrapped my dash in speaker box carpet, used 3M spray adhesive (the heavy duty ****). worx really well

[neverfinished]

I'm considering this too. What my plan was, if I can't get the vinyl to stretch enough to make that curve is to make it in two pieces then fold some vinyl over a strip of sheet metal and make an accent stripe to cover the seam. I'm going to try doing the kick panels and door panels first though so I'll have a good idea of what it takes to work with the vinyl.

[Blackstone]

Here's a better look at mine...

[benoit454]

Nice pics, that looks like the thin carpet I got from autzone to do my sub box in.

Have any troubles getting it to lay down and not wrinkle and were able to wrap it around without them knightlife?

[knightlife]

holy **** thats my dash! well...almost, I have billet accents on mine where his stereo is

[knightlife]

oh btw...heres where I buy my vinyl in bulk from...

http://www.rvinyl.com

[benoit454]

Page is temp. unavailible.

[Pyrotechnic]

Why not put the stereo in the stock location? A DIN sized radio will fit perfectly.

[Ivan D.]

Oh geez, y'all and yer carpeting - just do like me, strip the dashpad down to bare metal and paint it with spray-on bedliner. You got nice shiny black that don't fear sunlight, and it's got texture to it too. Here's a pic for y'all: