reskinned riviera dash pad

[dr914]

Maybe not the place to post, but I have a very very nice reskinned dash pad for 64 65 models that I have had now for a couple of years. I had it on e bay for 650 ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/Buick-Riviera-dash-pad-restored-and-perfect-/230553440051?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item35ae0e4f33&vxp=mtr ) that is what it cost me to do plus shipping, but would sell it to a riviera club member for 500 is anyone is interested.

[bb1970]

That same pad has been for sale for nearly two years that I know of. I seriously considered it in 2012. But got a nice stocker for $200. Dyed it to match and off I went.

[RivNut]

I'm going to try one of these when the time comes. I've done dashes on quite a few cars using this type of cover and they've all looked really good and they don't crack. This is the first time I've seen one for a 1st generation Riviera. No matter what shape your dash is in, these cover all that funky stuff. Plus this cap isn't one of the kind that you have to fit around a/c controls, radios, or glove box doors. I'm hopeful.

The one in the link is for a 64/65, but they also make one for a '63.

http://www.dashtop.com/index.php?search%5Bterms%5D=2064&search%5Bmode%5D=any

[RockinRiviDad]

My dash is thrashed…not ready for that stage of the build but is that what it cost to get one done…$650????

Regards,

David

[RockinRiviDad]

Oh wait I just checked out your attached link…now that's more like it. Is that $150 one a direct replacement or just a cover that lays over the cracked beat up dash??

Regards,

David

[RivNut]

Is that $150 one a direct replacement or just a cover that lays over the cracked beat up dash?? Regards,

David

It's made of ABS plastic, formed with the original vinyl grain, and it glues to what you have left. If it's as good as the other brand that I used on other cars, you can only tell by the feel that it's not slightly padded and is made of plastic. Your other choice is the re-skin by Just Dashes.

Edited December 4, 2013 by RivNut (see edit history)

[dr914]

My dash is thrashed…not ready for that stage of the build but is that what it cost to get one done…$650????

Regards,

David

Yes David. There is a guy in Oregon the Dash Specialists, who takes the old dash, removes all of the vinyl covering, makes a new one and rebonds it onto the dash making it look like new. This is not a dash cover or some improperly recovered with vinyl dash board but what they would call "remanufactured" We get these done all of the time for Porsches, so I sent him one for Riviera and he did a great job. I was very surprised that no one ever purchased this one.

[dr914]

This is a reskinned dash just like the ones that Just Dashes does, not a silly plastic cover not a sewn vinyl cover, not abs plastic that covers the old cracked stuff!!!!

[petelempert]

This thread is timely for me. I'm getting ready to re-do the dash on my 63. Just so I understand, there are really three options: One, have an upholstery guy recover my dash with vinyl (cost TBD but probably $1-300). Two, use a dash top cover like the one shown in this thread (about $150). Three, get the full re-skin from Dash Specialist or Just Dashes (about $500). Is that right?

Up until now I was under the impression that the upholstery guy route was the best way. Because the first gen Riv dash is rather simple compared to other cars of that vintage where the gauges/vents are surrounded by molded vinyl, I didn't think the total re-skin route was necessary. Anybody who's had experience with either option care to voice an opinion? After all, the dash is pretty much what you are looking at most of the time you are driving. Wouldn't want to be penny wise and pound foolish. PRL

[Guest Kaber]

My son bought one, a cap, for his 63. He ordered "Blue" thinking it would be the factory dark blue but it came in the same color as the seats. I didn't use adhesive I secured it with the factory dash screws, for which there were dimples in the cap! We decided to keep the cover because it brightens the interior....ALOT!

[dr914]

I agree the blue looks fantastic! That GS wheel is nice as well.

[RivNut]

I did the re-upholstery route a number of years ago. That vinyl has now dried and cracked; looks just like it did before it was recovered but now there's the extra layer with a bunch of glue underneath it.

I'm really glad to see that someone has posted a picture of a cap and made comments on it. Unless I was trying to do a 400 point restoration and resell the car for mega bucks, I think the cap, dyed to the correct color, should work for a nice driver.

Kaber,

Have you contacted Buickbonehead and ask whether or not he's going to be remaking any of his reproduction horn bars? I have one and I'll come out and say that the repo is better constructed than the original. To the trained eye it looks slightly different, but you will have to know what you're looking for to spot it.

Ed

Edited December 4, 2013 by RivNut (see edit history)

[dr914]

I did the re-upholstery route a number of years ago. That vinyl has now dried and cracked; looks just like it did before it was recovered but now there's the extra layer with a bunch of glue underneath it.

I'm really glad to see that someone has posted a picture of a cap and made comments on it. Unless I was trying to do a 400 point restoration and resell the car for mega bucks, I think the cap, dyed to the correct color, should work for a nice driver.

Kaber,

I agree. I have one of his horn bars on my car and it looks and works great. I still have my original broken one and one can see that it is just not made well.

Have you contacted Buickbonehead and ask whether or not he's going to be remaking any of his reproduction horn bars? I have one and I'll come out and say that the repo is better constructed than the original. To the trained eye it looks slightly different, but you will have to know what you're looking for to spot it.

Ed

Ed

I have one of his horn bars on my car and it looks and works great. Still have my original cracked one and one can see that it is just not designed well enough NOT to eventually crack!

[Guest REX STALLION]

That looks good! Thanks fellas this will save money and time for me!

[petelempert]

Kaber-That cap looks great. Just curious: How crappy, cracked and rippled was your original and what did you need to do to prep it? Why did you elect not to use adhesive? Also, did the cap create any fit issues since I assume it makes the dash sit just a little higher? Thx PRL

[Guest Kaber]

Kaber,

Have you contacted Buickbonehead and ask whether or not he's going to be remaking any of his reproduction horn bars? I have one and I'll come out and say that the repo is better constructed than the original. To the trained eye it looks slightly different, but you will have to know what you're looking for to spot it.

Ed

Thanks Ed. No I haven't really given it much thought. I don't know what they really look like. I'm thinking of making one from Billet aluminum and only having it protrude about 1" into the slot on both sides. I really like the look of the wheel with no horn bar installed better. I'm thinking of machining a small one that would present like a couple of buttons instead of the bar. I think it might be less likley to fail and look better. I have a way to go before that becomes a priority. All the seats are in my garage awaiting their new covers! Do you have any good pictures of a bare horn bar uninstalled? That might help my design process. Thanks!

[Eric's.64.Superwildcat]

This thread is timely for me. I'm getting ready to re-do the dash on my 63. Just so I understand, there are really three options: One, have an upholstery guy recover my dash with vinyl (cost TBD but probably $1-300). Two, use a dash top cover like the one shown in this thread (about $150). Three, get the full re-skin from Dash Specialist or Just Dashes (about $500). Is that right?"

Pete, I'm not so sure about $500 being the going prices for a full re-skin from Just Dashes. I think the $500 may include a 'Riv Enthusiast' discount, but I don't think that is Just Dash's advertised price. I looked at The Riview and they are in the Services section, but don't list a price. As of last year there was another gentleman, Joel Haffiner #5205, advertising in The Review for the same service which he listed as "$750 total, inc dyeing original color & return shipping, no other charges".

One could argue that there is always option #4, which would be to go to a local, reputable, top/trim/interior shop to get a price on a full re-skin. However, I suspect their price may be higher if they don't specialize in that specific service. There is a good top&trim shop that I drive past every day on the way to work. The next time I have my dash pad out I might just take it to him for a quote.

I'm in the market for a black re-skin just as is being offered here but I just don't have $500 in the penny jar. :-)

[RivNut]

I can take a couple of pictures of the repo I bought from BBH so you can see it. You'll see by the way it's built that it will withstand the "abuse" that makes the OE ones prone to failure. "Abuse" can be described as pushing too hard on the bar. All of us know that the harder you push a button the louder the horn, right? If you push too hard on an OE bar, it will tear it away from the body. The only way to avoid this is to push up from the bottom; this pushes the bar into the body instead of away from it. BBH's is built so pushing down from the top will not tear it away from the body.

You'd have to see a picture of an OE one to be able to see the difference.

A picture might take me a couple of days to post, so bear with me. You might also look into some other caps that would activate the horn. 1" of protrusion might not give you the leverage you need to overcome the spring.

[RockinRiviDad]

Three, get the full re-skin from Dash Specialist or Just Dashes (about $500).

PRL

Sounds like dr914 has been trying to sell his for a while now & he's come down on the price too. Maybe, with Xmas around the corner…just maybe with a little haggling…he'll cut you an even better deal for your 63 (hint hint) ; )

Heck… you won't know 'till you try lol

Regards,

David

[Guest Kaber]

Kaber-That cap looks great. Just curious: How crappy, cracked and rippled was your original and what did you need to do to prep it? Why did you elect not to use adhesive? Also, did the cap create any fit issues since I assume it makes the dash sit just a little higher? Thx PRL

The dash had one large crack running from the RH corner of the vent to the leading edge of the pad. It was a drab navy blue color. I didn't use the adhesive because I don't like how adhesives perform in conditions such as interiors left in the sun. The overall fit is good. There were 4 dimples where the factory screws went,I drilled holes there and used the stock screws to hold it in. It doesn't fit great around the defroster vent. I haven't tried to make it better. We got this the day of my son's homecoming dance and just put it in quickly. I might revisit the fit condition when I put the seats back in! LOL! The crack didn't bother me but for my son it was a deal breaker so he bought this cover. For the money I think it was worth it.

Kaber

[Guest Gseago]

There's a few on ebay right now. Tim from Riviera Central(elco1979 on ebay) has two. One for a '65 with a slight tear and a '63 that he is describing as OEm. Both look nice and if I needed one I would hope on one and or both.

[Guest carlbraun]

i'm resurrecting this thread with an update on Just Dashes in Van Nuys, CA. I have a nice original dash from my 65 car that I sent photos of...front and back...and asked for a quote to re-skin it. Their price? $700.

With so many GOOD interior guys here in so Cal I'm going to get a few estimates to see how they compare with Just Dashes.

Also, on the 65 Riv, there's a panel that mounts to the dash structure below the glove box and is closest to the passengers knees. This interior-colored panel, in conjunction with the two front door grab handles, may be candidate for the Just Dashes treatment too. But, looking closer at the door handles it appears there is just vinyl material glued to the metal base...same thing for the 'knee panel' and even the dash.. I think the original dash may contain some element of foam and vinyl skin that the guys at Just Dashes would specialize in replacing but I'm still going to let the interior guys give me some quotes.

comments?

Edited June 11, 2014 by carlbraun (see edit history)

[RockinRiviDad]

Here's a YouTube video of the Just Dashes process

I like the dash cap idea, I will prob go that route. Just Dashes is out of my budget.

http://youtu.be/gi0zbqNau-4

David

[Guest carlbraun]

I took my dash pad, knee pad that mounts under the glove box and two door arm rests to my auto resto guys today and both of them said that the Just Dashes process may be unesessary for the early Riv parts. All three of these items are covered in production vinyl and dont require any of the vacuum processes that JD uses. OPGI, Clarks and others offer the vinyl in bulk so any interior man with the "good glue" (that we cant get here in CA) should be able to recover these easliy.

im getting a final estimate in Escondido tomorrow and we'll see what a professional shop says about the process and how much $$$$

[JanZverina]

Hi Carl,

Please let me know how you make out. I'm in La Jolla. Pls let me know who you're using in Escondido, if you like them.

[Guest brivi65]

I had my upholstery shop cover mine, I didn't like the factory 2 tone blue with fabric seats mine had, and I always wanted a car with pearl white interior, (what was I thinking!) so for $200 he stripped the cracked top off, re-foamed and recovered it, 6 years later still looking good! Hind site, don't ever do a white dash top in the Florida sunshine!!! Brian

Edited June 12, 2014 by brivi65 (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

Unless I was trying to do a 400 point restoration and resell the car for mega bucks, I think the cap, dyed to the correct color, should work for a nice driver.

Kaber,

This is a good point. Remember, your choice will literally be right under the nose of a potential buyer.The more you ask for the car, the closer the inspection. And over the years I have heard a lot of sellers crying about fussy buyers pointing out discrepancies in the car they have for sale.

I have two pads and plan to install a stitched leather cover with the new color changed interior I have planned.

Being 66 years old and owning the car for 36 years, concerns about selling the car are pretty low for me. It is going to be what I want. If I was under 55 I would make every effort to do the job in the original fashion.

Bernie

[slosteve]

[

Being 66 years old and owning the car for 36 years, concerns about selling the car are pretty low for me. It is going to be what I want. If I was under 55 I would make every effort to do the job in the original fashion.

Bernie

Just curious Bernie, what's the difference because of age?

[60FlatTop]

The age of a collector car owner has a lot to do with how long they will keep the car, what they will do with it, and its ultimate transfer of custodianship (the sale).

A younger person is more likely to sell their cars than a person nudging the 7th decade of their life. In my case, I may do a little thinning on my own. The cars I like the best are mine for the duration. Someone else is going to sell them. (Not real soon; my cardiologist and GP assured me that if I do the right things I'm good for a decade. If I make the decade, they think medical advances can get me another. We are planning on 4 more decades if we work together.)

Selling a car is the "pay me later" part of decisions like the dashboard cover. Being younger and selling a car with obvious concessions pointed out by the buyer can put the owner into fits of angst and hyperventilation.

A very memorable example was a 1952 Cadillac I looked at around 1992. It still stands out in my mind. The car was "restored" with all the best stuff one could find in the J. C. Whitney catalog, Western Auto, and Noah's Ark stores. Everything on the car was non-original, universal fit. He had spent his money and couldn't understand why the car sat without a buyer.

The age thing is to project today's decision into the future. When faced with the decision between original equipment and a modification or alternate think of it as if you were getting a tattoo.

Bernie

[petelempert]

B-I can relate to the role of mortality in choice of parts, non original replacement parts etc. I'm a little younger than you, but lately I find myself looking at everything I do on my cars and in my life and thinking "How's this gonna look in 20 years?". It's all about twenty years really. Here's another way of thinking about it: Everybody says once you re-cover your dash pad with vinyl, it's a countdown until the bubbles show up again. In twenty years it'll look like bubble wrap. The Just Dashes option seems grotesquely overpriced. In twenty years, that $1K investment will be have compounded to be worth almost $5K even at modest interest rates. Right now, the Dash Top I put on my car looks great and was priced right. It twenty years, I'm thinking it will still look great, nobody will be alive at that time who will notice it's not stock and I'll have $5K for beer and cigars. If I'm still alive. I'm planning on it. Just a thought. PRL

[slosteve]

Thanks Bernie, I knew you would have a good story for that question.

[60FlatTop]

I was going to finish that comment by writing one should consider the alternative or modified part as if you were buying a tattoo for your child. I restrained.

Bernie

[Seafoam65]

B-I can relate to the role of mortality in choice of parts, non original replacement parts etc. I'm a little younger than you, but lately I find myself looking at everything I do on my cars and in my life and thinking "How's this gonna look in 20 years?". It's all about twenty years really. Here's another way of thinking about it: Everybody says once you re-cover your dash pad with vinyl, it's a countdown until the bubbles show up again. In twenty years it'll look like bubble wrap. The Just Dashes option seems grotesquely overpriced. In twenty years, that $1K investment will be have compounded to be worth almost $5K even at modest interest rates. Right now, the Dash Top I put on my car looks great and was priced right. It twenty years, I'm thinking it will still look great, nobody will be alive at that time who will notice it's not stock and I'll have $5K for beer and cigars. If I'm still alive. I'm planning on it. Just a thought. PRL

Pete, you make a convincing argument, but having seen how perfect and correct your car is up to this point, putting a dash topper on your car is the equivalent of using a magic marker to put the finishing touches on the Mona Lisa. Your car is just too nice to cut any corners on the interior. This of course is the opinion of a purist who would like to go back to 1963 and

relive it all over again! A similar analogy would be the fellow who does a perfect correct restoration on a 63 split window corvette, then

decides when it is 95 per cent completed to cut the rear pillar out of the roof and install a 64 rear window glass so he can see

out his rear view mirror better!

Edited December 16, 2014 by Seafoam65 (see edit history)

[petelempert]

Ha. Whoa Seafoam, I'd never do anything Bill Mitchell wouldn't be proud of. That said, I once read that in the late 60's Mitchell displayed an affinity for silver and blue pantsuits that were color keyed match to his custom motorcycles. In light of that, I don't know how he could frown too much on a really nice dash topper. Thanks for the kind words about my rig. In truth, the topper fills a current need and is only 4 screws away from removal and replacement. That said, I am positively thrilled with the way it looks. Sometimes it works out that way. PRL

[60FlatTop]

Bill Mitchell had his own smooth style in car design. Harley Earl may have taught him how to dress:

Earl would have put chrome pads on the elbows and knees of that suit, maybe a chevron at the crease of the cuff.

Bernie

[petelempert]

Bernie-That is awesome! I bet he used a stick to beat off the chicks in that get-up. PRL

[68RIVGS]

Bernie-That is awesome! I bet he used a stick to beat off the chicks in that get-up. PRL

. . . a great big stick !! LOL

[Turbinator]

Could very well have been his stage clothes. Sometimes folks that have to give a talk or entertain have a stage costume. It all depends on how you want your appearance at certain times and places.

 

Turbinator.

Edited January 21, 2019 by Turbinator (see edit history)

[RivNut]

Bill Mitchell must have loved red.  He's infamous for red wheel wells.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 21, 2019 by RivNut (see edit history)

[Turbinator]

I remember as a boy living in Los Angeles, gents would paint the wheel wells white then install lights the color of their car. Of course the lights were only turned on at night.

The time period was mid sixties. When it comes to customizing cars beauty is in the of the beholder.

Turbinator