Profile was here all the time.

[Guest Stevie_G]

I forgot the underscore in my username, no wonder I couldn't log in.

I apologize for any confusion.

Jim C remembered, which is cool.

The 63 should be ready for paint in a couple of weeks. It looks like I will stick with the Diplomat Blue. Does anybody have a dark blue interior with a headliner that is NOT light blue? Could you post pictures?

Should any decent interior/trim shop be able to get the correct vinyl for the dashboard?

[RivNut]

The original dash wasn't coverd with vinyl, it was more like a vulcanizing process. I believe that the pattern that is on the dash is called hair cell. You can google it and see an example and compare it to what's left of yours.

My '64 was originally Diplomat blue with dark blue interior. But before I got it, it had been reupholstered in some funky late 80's cloth, and painted a really bright blue. I have seen the color combination that you're asking about and it does look nice. You can almost compare it to a black car with black interior - same contrast.

Ed

[Guest Stevie_G]

Thanks Ed, Yes Haircell was the texture I was looking for. I checked out the SMS website, and WOW, do they have an assortment of patterns/textures. This dash is the victim of a stereo install gone wrong so I figure to use the technique on the ROA site to repair and recover it. The other option is to install one of the good 64 Dash pads I have with a piece of fabric installed in the speaker hole to hide the accessory cables. I really don't like that option.

[RivNut]

I've repaired a couple of these cracked dashes and for the most part I feel that method described in the Riview is pretty good. I do only one thing differently. I use the minimal expanding foam insulation. The kind that comes in a can. It doesn't require any mixing, it's easy to apply, it's much easier to shape, and when it's cured the feel is much more like the dense foam that was used to build up the original. Bondo cures hard and you can tell where the fix is when you run your hand across the dash. Just my humble opinion.

It's also really eash to fill big holes with if you put a backing on the bottom of the repair, then just fill the hole with the foarm. I tried peeling all of the covering off a dash one time not knowing what the metal part of the dash looked like underneath. I stopped after a while and redid what I tore up with the foarm. This next part is where you learn how much your wife loves you. Get her electric turkey carving knife and rough out the contours before you get out your files and sanders.

Ed

[Guest Stevie_G]

Thanks Ed, I figured I would try Great Stuff. It actually has some give if you need it. That is the point of a padded Dash after all.