Everything dash pads

[keystoneGerm]

I am doing a resto mod build on my 85 c10. I am looking into interior parts right now and am way overwhelmed with interior choices, specifically dash pads. What I would like to see is a thread dedicated to just dash pads. If this goes well than we can split off and repeat for other things like seats, carpet, etc.

He is the way I would like to see it done. Please post pictures of your dashboard with as many detailed pics of fitments on sides, cluster and anything else pertaining to fitments. Then post where you got it, when you got it, part numbers and cost. Please don't post anything that is heresay, just first hand experience.

If this has been done already, I am sorry. If this has a good turnout, maybe a mod can start a sticky for this style of thread. Thanks for help guys. I know I am new here, but I want to make an honest effort to help the community.

[TKCR]

I was able to able to reuse my dash pad. I stripped the old dye off and repainted. In fact, I used all my original trim and dyed them to my new interior color. I went from Maroon to Charcoal.

I'm a nut when it comes to interiors, so you got questions, feel free to ask. I think I have learned a lot from redoing my interior.

You can check out my build thread, its the link at the bottom.

[TKCR]

I did a search for "dash pads" on this forum and came up with all these threads. You maybe able to get useful info from a lot of these.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...archid=5568286

[keystoneGerm]

Good info, but my dash pad is f'ed beyond repair. I would like to keep it to experiment with since I did buy a new sewing machine for upholstery.

[keystoneGerm]

Originally Posted by TKCR

I did a search for "dash pads" on this forum and came up with all these threads. You maybe able to get useful info from a lot of these.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...archid=5568286

Yea, I have been through all of those, that's why I was trying to get all of the info on one thread for myself and future users.

[TKCR]

I know you said no hearsay stuff, but if I were to have bought another dash pad, I would have gotten it from here:

http://store.73-87chevytrucks.com/me...tegory_Code=DC

I also did a lot of research, and this seems to be one of the best options for a replacement, unless your lucky enough to find a NOS one.

[tommy217xxx]

Originally Posted by TKCR

I know you said no hearsay stuff, but if I were to have bought another dash pad, I would have gotten it from here:

http://store.73-87chevytrucks.com/me...tegory_Code=DC

I also did a lot of research, and this seems to be one of the best options for a replacement, unless your lucky enough to find a NOS one.

I need a dash pad also and this one looks pretty good for the price. It's even got speaker holes

[keystoneGerm]

Just trying to keep it simple with pics, price, fitment from first hand experience, found this and I am going to continue to compile all I can find.

Originally Posted by Jeff's bowtie's

I put one of there urethane dash pads in my 78 looks good and fit nice for the money you can't beat them they are from dashes direct

[keystoneGerm]

Originally Posted by Jaysonb

It is metal like the stock one, but I would say the metal isn't even half as thick though. That was a piece of cake to install. The biggest pain in the butt was the u-clips for the upper corners of the bezel. You have to spread them out to fit over the new pad, and the new pad is flimsy in this area. It fits about as good as the old one did, it doesn't seem flimsy once it's clipped and screwed in, I don't plan on sitting on it, so I think it will be fine. Looks perfect, everything lined up perfect, screw holes, defrost vents..... sits nice and flat, no humpty dumps. I would buy one again without thinking twice. The price from summit was $226.97, and oversized shipping charge of $19. Well worth it in my opinion.

78-80 Summit racing sold this with a Dash's Direct card in the box. Brand is OER.

Originally Posted by RodsGreen10

I had one from Cheyenne pickup. Fit was good just like the Dashes Direct Pad. My take from owning both brands of dash pad for our trucks is.... CP pad vinyl has more of a grain pattern than DD. DD uses metal like the original pad CP uses plastic. DD has reinforced metal in the corners that the bezel screw in at the top corners CP does not its just foam. Finding the speed clips that will work with DD is a ***** because they dont include them, but I finally found them so my bezel in the corners sit perfect. Plus it is how they had it orginally. Both pads fit no issue. The CP pad is flimsy compared to the DD pad. DD pad fits tighter in the corners vs the CP. CP foam is spongy feeling and DD is hard feeling. CP has clips installed with a metal screw screwed into plastic that holds the clips on DD uses the clips like factory. I after owning both personally like the DD pad better.

[keystoneGerm]

Originally Posted by ultrahd4me

I would give the Cheyenne pickup parts dash pad a solid B+ and while they're not as good as OEM, for $400 shipped to door, I'm real pleased. After a little more detailing inside the cab, I'm calling the phase complete.

Originally Posted by ultrahd4me

Dash pad arrived Friday as expected but I only had a few minutes to even look at it. The pad felt real solid out of the box, no wet noodle feeling like the urethane pads. Saturday morning I removed the old pad, cleaned, and waxed the dash. The install of the trim and a/c parts on the pad went super easy, no problem with the studs and speed nuts like I've had in the past. Next was the install of the new pad, and it literally fell into place. No trimming, no in and out, no fighting, it actually fit the dash very well. The fit around the window, and VIN area was very good, the area around the speakers and bezel was OK, but I new that from the beginning.

[keystoneGerm]

Originally Posted by ultrahd4me

57NAPCO I see someone already linked my build thread for you. I was very pleased with the dash pad. I have used several of the urethane pads also with good results. If your truck is outside keep or daily driver, I would recommend the urethane dash because they will not crack. If its real nice or a garage keep then yes I would recommend the Cheyenne dash pad. If you need any detailed info please hit up.

Urethane dash pads seem like a good option.

[moregrip]

Originally Posted by TKCR

I know you said no hearsay stuff, but if I were to have bought another dash pad, I would have gotten it from here:

http://store.73-87chevytrucks.com/me...tegory_Code=DC

I also did a lot of research, and this seems to be one of the best options for a replacement, unless your lucky enough to find a NOS one.

besides the different looks, is there a mounting difference between the 73-80 dash pads and the 81-87 dash pads? Are the gauge bezels specific to each year or are the universal to all years?

[keystoneGerm]

Originally Posted by Rich84

If you stay away from the urethane ones from Classic Industries you'l be ok..they have 20% off sales all the time also..but be careful. When I ordered mine they sent me the urethane one instead of the vinyl one. Looks like a giant piece of over cooked lasagna.

Like I said, for every good one, there is a bad one.

Here is a negative for the Cheyenne Truck Parts one

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

I used one from Cheyenne pickup parts (www.cheyennepickup.com).

It's been five years and I just noticed yesterday it's got a bit of a dip in it above the gages (rh side of the cluster area) but no one else has ever noticed or pointed it out to me.

You can see pics in my into/build thread, linked below (page 10 or so).

K

Another negative for the urethane from classic parts. This o e is from 2008 though, maybe they are better now.

Originally Posted by lolife99

I recently purchased a replacement "Urethane" 81-87 style dash pad for my crew cab from Classic Parts of America. I didn't want to use a "cap" style replacement and I didn't want to spend the mega bucks for an NOS one,... so I thought this would work. The idea sounds like a good one. Urethane material with the color dyed all the way through. Soft so it won't crack,... and no dye to peel off or fade.
I purchased dash pad part #30-823R and a new dash moulding part#32-060. I already had 2 new vents from GM. OK,... now for the bad. This thing is too flexible. It's like trying to install a "noodle" and making it look flat and straight. (I think I could bend it into a "U-shape" if I wanted to) If the metal underneath the dash was completely flat, it would work perfect. But it's not. First you have to dig the urethane out of the slots for the dash clips. (Also cut the extra blobs of urethane off in the general clip area) The repop dash panel moulding appeared to be too long,... even though it was the same length as my original. (see the pics where it hangs off the end) The clips pull down on the pad,... but everything underneath pushes up on the pad. This ends up with the dash being somewhat wavy across the top. I did the best I could do. My truck only has the 2 smaller speakers out by the edges. I have no speaker in the middle. Guess where the dash sags down? Right in the middle. It's in. It looks better than my old cracked one. Next time I will dye an original. Glad I didn't buy two. (I need one for my '86 also) Heres' some pics.

[TKCR]

There is always the long shot of finding one that's not cracked in a salvage yard. I search this place all the time: car-part.com

I just did a search for dash pads and there is actually a few that are listed with no cracks or minor cracks. Minor cracks can be repaired and then the dash pad can be dyed to your color.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by TKCR

I know you said no hearsay stuff, but if I were to have bought another dash pad, I would have gotten it from here:

http://store.73-87chevytrucks.com/me...tegory_Code=DC

I can tell you what I know. The dash pad that Chris sells is the best available beyond NOS. He wont sell anything that he wont run on his own trucks, and he is anal about dash pads.

FYI- I have had GM replacement dash pads that fit poorly too. An original pad or the one in the link above are your best options....period.

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

I can tell you what I know. The dash pad that Chris sells is the best available beyond NOS. He wont sell anything that he wont run on his own trucks, and he is anal about dash pads.

FYI- I have had GM replacement dash pads that fit poorly too. An original pad or the one in the link above are your best options....period.

Good info right there!!

[moregrip]

Originally Posted by TKCR

I know you said no hearsay stuff, but if I were to have bought another dash pad, I would have gotten it from here:

http://store.73-87chevytrucks.com/me...tegory_Code=DC

I also did a lot of research, and this seems to be one of the best options for a replacement, unless your lucky enough to find a NOS one.

I live like 5min from this company!

[1774btcrew]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

I can tell you what I know. The dash pad that Chris sells is the best available beyond NOS. He wont sell anything that he wont run on his own trucks, and he is anal about dash pads.

FYI- I have had GM replacement dash pads that fit poorly too. An original pad or the one in the link above are your best options....period.

Trust what Ken says on these. He knows his squarebodies!

[moregrip]

besides the two different looks, is there a mounting difference between the 73-80 dash pads and the 81-87 dash pads to the inner metal skeleton? Are the gauge bezels specific to each year group or are the universal to all years?

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by moregrip

besides the two different looks, is there a mounting difference between the 73-80 dash pads and the 81-87 dash pads to the inner metal skeleton? Are the gauge bezels specific to each year group or are the universal to all years?

The pads will interchange but not fit around the bezel correctly. If you have dash trim, it wont fit properly either on certain models. There are a lot of variables but for the best fit use the correct era pad and bezel.

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by moregrip

besides the two different looks, is there a mounting difference between the 73-80 dash pads and the 81-87 dash pads to the inner metal skeleton? Are the gauge bezels specific to each year group or are the universal to all years?

Mounting should be the same. But I do believe the bezels are specific to the year group.
The pads are 73-78, 79-80, 81-87
The bezels are 73-80, 81-83, 84-87

[moregrip]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

The pads will interchange but not fit around the bezel correctly. If you have dash trim, it wont fit properly either on certain models. There are a lot of variables but for the best fit use the correct era pad and bezel.

so as long as I source the same era pad and bezel (anomalies notwithstanding) it should be the correct fit?

[moregrip]

Originally Posted by TKCR

Mounting should be the same. But I do believe the bezels are specific to the year group.
The pads are 73-78, 79-80, 81-87
The bezels are 73-80, 81-83, 84-87

great info! thank you!