Dash Pad Covers

[Alias137]

Has anyone used one of these? I have a couple of questions about them. First, do they fit well at all? The ad says they are made of plastic- is it a hard type plastic, or more of a malleable type? Second, do they have the tiny speaker holes like the oe ones? If so, do they crack in the sun as easily? (or can my 3 year old daughter push her fingers through them as easily as she did with my o.e.dash pad)? Please let me know your experiences (good and/or bad) as I don't want to drop 300 on a new o.e. pad that will crack again anyway.
Thanks fellas!

[JohnC]

The cheaper pads are exactly that cheaper. They do have the speaker holes, but the older ones didn't have the same pattern. Isn't that big of a deal, and I haven't seen the newer ones so they may be better. The fitment is sometimes an issue, but so are some of the OE replacement ones. Some other guys that have actually used certain brands may chime in with their opinions on whether one is better than the other. As for the issues you were having with your daughter helping more sound come out of your speakers,, the new ones wouldn't be as fragile in those areas.

[87Bob]

Here is mine My interior guy says that too many people try to glue every inch down and that is a big mistake. It has to be allowed to move in the heat and cold I'm very happy with mine

[fiddy9apache]

those plastic caps are 10x better than the reman dash pads.

[Alias137]

87Bob, yours looks super clean. I think I will go this route. Where is a good place to buy them at? I have seen that some people here recommend capt khaos or something. I know LMC has them, but if someone knows of a better place, let me know. I have no problem spending the money for a quality product- But I hate to feel like got screwed on something that is of a poor quality or fit. Just like everyone else I'm sure! I'd like to see a few more pics if anyone has some. It appears that all of the trim fits well, so that is kind of a relief. I wasn't too sure how it all would fit together as the only pic I have ever seen has been in the LMC catalog and they used the after market billet trim instead of the o.e. stuff.

[fiddy9apache]

heres a pic of a plastic cap i used.

and here is a full reman dash pad, notice poor fit around gauge cluster, it was a poor fit all together.

[Justins76]

I got one off of ebay. seemed ok.

[flamingbig10]

I've had mine for over 2 years and seams fine

[harnalien]

I put a plastic cap type on my truck 2 years ago. I haven't glued it down because I am still not set on the color of my interior . I like it. It is serviceable and looks much better! I got mine from JC Whitney.

[JohnC]

Do you have any issues by not glueing it down, or does the trim pieces keep it in place pretty well?

[87Bob]

Originally Posted by JohnC

Do you have any issues by not glueing it down, or does the trim pieces keep it in place pretty well?

Mine is glued down just not not every square inch. My understanding It is tacked in place With super glue (gel type) In enough spots to keep it from sliding off the factory pad. If you glue it tight all over it cannot expand and contract with the heat and cold with out buckling. I have heard complaints about these but when I talked to my interior guy he said he could make it look good no problem. So I let him do it. I pulled the factory pad and took it to him to install it. I believe that I paid about 35.00 to have it installed since I bought the cover from him it cost the same as if I ordered it from a mail order outfit. I'm sure he got a discount. It looks great and i couldn't be happier.

[storked82]

Hi ALIAS137

I bought one from jc whittney also the only thing I didnt like was the so called glue it came with LOL it came unglued on me know big deal I just need to get some good glue but I like mine it made a heck of a difference in the way things look I HIDE some cracks in the old pad
TAKE CARE and good luck
Jeff

[JohnC]

Thanks Bob, I was just curious on HarnAlien's post where he said he hasn't glued his down yet. I was just curious if it moved around much on him not being glued. I do agree with you Bob that over glueing it would cause it to prematurely crack because it couldn't flex.

[harnalien]

Originally Posted by JohnC

Thanks Bob, I was just curious on HarnAlien's post where he said he hasn't glued his down yet. I was just curious if it moved around much on him not being glued. I do agree with you Bob that over glueing it would cause it to prematurely crack because it couldn't flex.

You know it doesn't really move around much at all. However, I did notice it vibrating a little bit at the bottom right above the glove box and ashtray. I plan on gluing it or velcroing it in place once I am sure on the color. Like storked82 said, I didn't like the glue that came with it. I will probably use some silicone or something when I'm ready. On a side/sad note, the truck died on me on the highway and it is now at the shop . worst part is that I was having a great day driving around to get paint estimates and wheel prices! Hope it's nothing serious.

[Alias137]

Thanks for all of the replies guys. Where is the best place to buy one? I have heard that LMC has sent a few out to people scratched, and I haven't had very good luck with jc whitney (a few years ago). I have seen the guy on ebay (he has that voice ad to go along with his dash covers), how is his stuff? Anyone know?
Thanks!

[Keith Seymore]

I got mine at Cheyenne Pickup Parts and am happy with it.

If I was going to be really picky, I'd say:

a) Poor fit as mentioned above, at the LH Top corner of the cluster bezel. Not as bad as this photo would indicate.

b) Speaker holes had a lot of flash

c) Poor fit of original trim to far RH corner

d) Took some creativity to find the original attachments once the dash pad was installed (nylon nuts in dash structure are covered by the dash pad, no holes drilled in dash pad ahead of time).

e) Was on backorder and took about 8 weeks to get (did not impact my timing since I was working on other stuff)

Again - I noticed these things but they weren't show stoppers for me, especially since my truck is just a driver.

K

[79gmcc15]

you can never go wrong with www.73-87chevytrucks.com he's a board dude so you know where to get a hold of him if needed. lol

[flamingbig10]

mines from classic parts of America, at first my dash didn't fit that well but after taken the dash out so many times it fixed it self

[Dapper Dan]

Hey Keith Seymore is that the replacement dash? I got one from cpp and have the same issue with the passenger side not matching the trim. And mine took about 2 1/2 months to come in.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Dapper Dan

Hey Keith Seymore is that the replacement dash? I got one from cpp and have the same issue with the passenger side not matching the trim. And mine took about 2 1/2 months to come in.

Yes, and yes -


K

[ironroad9c1]

Just to make clear, the OP was asking about the hard plastic dash pad COVERS..not full replacement pads. i always wondered about the covers, but now that I see some on hear and hear how happy folks are with em, I think its a better deal than paying several hundred bucks for a ill fitting Replacement pad.

[flamingbig10]

double post

[Dapper Dan]

I have had both and in my opinion I like my replacement dash much better. To be fair I don't know the brand mine was or if it was installed correctly, but it was very wavy and did not fit well. Mine was very thin plastic, however there is an abandoned truck near my house that has one that is very thick plastic it doesn't have any flex in it at all and fit well. So I guess it depends on the brand

[bucannon]

I'm looking for a dash pad cover for mine. I have ordered stuff and been satisfied with LMC before so i would most likely order theirs. anyone else ordered this one? how thick is the plastic?

[tucsonjwt]

I put a plastic dash cap on my 83 and it is junk. If you don't tack it with glue in some spots it will not lie flat, especially along the front edge at the windshield. In the desert heat, these caps expand a lot and puff up - not a good look. Mine has cracked from the heat around the defroster vents and around the instrument panel corners. I put some epoxy on the cracks to limit the damage. It also makes the dash cover wider, so it rubs against the door panels and wears a spot there. The manufacturer sent me a replacement (bought through JC Whitney) but I never installed it because I know that one will crack too.

If I ever address the problem, I will likely just fiberglass the dash and paint it with SEM paint.