Repro dash advice '64

[frenchy51]

I need to replace the cracked stock dash in my '64 Riviera. OPG has them for about $500 (plus ship). Any body used theirs? Good quality and fit?  Any other sources that offer them? Any advice would be appreciated before I order one. Thanks in advance for your help!

[RivNut]

If you would, post a link of the product so we'll have a better idea as to which / what you're asking about.  OPGI is notorious for overpriced poor quality products on some items.

 

Ed

[frenchy51]

If I knew how I would...I'm basically computer illiterate. It's OPG part# BR04109 and I see now that it ships free. It says "made in USA". Do you know of any other good Riviera catalogs or vendors? I'm going to need a lot of interior parts, weatherstrip, fasteners, etc. as the restoration progresses. Any advice on good sources would be greatly appreciated and thanks for your reply.

[RivNut]

I would be leery of a complete dash.  I'm not sure why but for that complex of an item, the price seems way low.  You can have an upholstery shop recover yours or you can cap your for a lot less.

 

IMHO, anything you find in an OPGI catalog can be found elsewhere for less, and they sell a lot of universal stuff that just doesn't work like it should.  Do not take it for granted that all 63, 64, and 65 parts are interchangable.

 

Look at this link for a dash cap. Search for pictures of these installed.

 

http://www.txdashcovers.com/19buridacapd.html

 

As far as other interior products, lots of guy have found that Clark's Corvair offers quality items. 

 

http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/pages.cgi?category=buick&dbkey=24&level=1

 

Clark's website isn't the easiest to navigate, but take your time and browse. 

 

The Riviera has no reproduction parts when compared to a Mustang or Camaro so don't count on anything like that.  Do searches using key words you're interested. Read every thread that's posted. Join the Riviera Owners Assn. so you can access the classifieds in their magazine. Ask about one thing per thread and start a new thread rather than hijacking an existing one. A lot of times posts I'll go unread if they're attached o an old thread.  Don't think that the are questions that are too elementary o be asked.

Edited January 17, 2019 by RivNut (see edit history)

[Byondxtrme]

I have used that dash pad from opgi, was on back order for 10 months before I got it. Quality was ok, couple little blemishes but def WAY better than having cracks, took a little playing around to get the clips/ brackets installed in correct place but worked out just fine, just hate that it cost so much.....

[Seafoam65]

What i always do when I need a dash pad for a car I'm working on is send it off to Just Dashes and get it stripped down to the metal frame

and recovered with new foam and vinyl. They aren't cheap, but the finished product is worth every penny.and you still have your original dash

frame so you know it's going to fit perfectly.

 

 

[frenchy51]

11 minutes ago, Seafoam65 said:

What i always do when I need a dash pad for a car I'm working on is send it off to Just Dashes and get it stripped down to the metal frame

and recovered with new foam and vinyl. They aren't cheap, but the finished product is worth every penny.and you still have your original dash

frame so you know it's going to fit perfectly.

 

 

Can you tell me about how much JustDashes charged and turn around time? Thanks

[Seafoam65]

            Charges depend on the dash design. On a 69 GTO where the whole dash is the pad, not just the top, it runs 900.00. I would think the

Riviera dash pad would be considerably less......If you call them up they can give you a quote. Turnaround time is usually about three or four weeks.

I would be curious if they can source the correct pin point vinyl. The dash toppers and the OPGI dash pad both have a Madrid grain, not the pinpoint. Here's a pic of the dash they did on my 69 GTO. They  stripped down my original dash to the metal frame and put on new foam and vinyl.......ten years later it still looks fantastic...

Edited January 17, 2019 by Seafoam65 (see edit history)

[telriv]

Just dashes by the time your done with shipping etc. can run close to or just above 1K.  The Turbinator just installed a dash topper in his '63 Riv. & is satisfied with it. The ONLY problem was that it had the vinyl pattern for a '64-'65 so for his '63 was wrong, but he was satisfied with what he got.  I'm sure if he reads this he will comment.

 

 

Tom T.

[KongaMan]

The best solution is to buy a car that doesn't need all this work.  It will be cheaper in the long run and more valuable from the jump.

[Seafoam65]

18 minutes ago, KongaMan said:

The best solution is to buy a car that doesn't need all this work.  It will be cheaper in the long run and more valuable from the jump.

 True, but it can be a lot of fun to fix up a car that needs some work, unless it is too far gone to mess with. Those 1500.00 Rivieras can wind up costing

you 60 K or more along with 3,000 hours of your time. After having gone through several frame off restorations, if I bought another car it would have to 

need nothing at all or very little at all.......as I get older time and money become more precious. When I was a kid I used to restore cars that were too far gone to mess with because I didn't know any better and those cars were all I could afford.

Edited January 18, 2019 by Seafoam65 (see edit history)

[frenchy51]

1 hour ago, KongaMan said:

The best solution is to buy a car that doesn't need all this work.  It will be cheaper in the long run and more valuable from the jump.

Actually my Riviera is virtually rust free and still has nice original upholstery except for the drivers seat. Headliner etc is nice. It's always been a California car and I have yet to see a California vintage car or truck that didn't have a cracked dash from sun damage.

I'm going to do a "frame on" restoration just because the undercarriage is so nice. I want to drive it. I do all my own body work and paint and at the moment I'm polishing all the stainless trim and have sent the brightwork out for rechrome. I enjoy working on it and when it's done I'll have lots of hours in it but I enjoy it.. I "restored" my first car when I was 15 years old in 1966 (a $300 Model A that I still have). Had no idea what I was doing. Used 

my dads BBQ brush to "clean" the rust and Hot Rod Black primer to do a repaint. Here it is over 50 years and innumerable cars and trucks later and I'm still enjoying the work and satisfaction and fun that goes along with it. When I'm done with the Riviera I'll find another orphan to adopt and restore. May be harder restoring one than finding a car that doesn't need work.......but what's the fun in that? (-;

[Turbinator]

On 1/16/2019 at 6:31 PM, frenchy51 said:

I need to replace the cracked stock dash in my '64 Riviera. OPG has them for about $500 (plus ship). Any body used theirs? Good quality and fit?  Any other sources that offer them? Any advice would be appreciated before I order one. Thanks in advance for your help!

Sir, I bought a dash skin that fits very well over my existing 63 Riv from Dashtop in Reno NV. With shipping came to $250.00. I carefully removed the old skin and resurfaced the foam rubber with DAP sponge like silicone. I repainted the dash. Painting plastic is specia so read up on painting plastic.

Edited January 18, 2019 by Turbinator (see edit history)

[Turbinator]

13 hours ago, telriv said:

Just dashes by the time your done with shipping etc. can run close to or just above 1K.  The Turbinator just installed a dash topper in his '63 Riv. & is satisfied with it. The ONLY problem was that it had the vinyl pattern for a '64-'65 so for his '63 was wrong, but he was satisfied with what he got.  I'm sure if he reads this he will comment.

 

 

Tom T.

Tom, I was satisfied with the grain. By the time I got the color right the grain was barely visible. A sharp collector m i g h t pick it up. I found out the difference by reading up on one of the Forums threads.

Turbinator

[frenchy51]

1 hour ago, Turbinator said:

Sir, I bought a dash skin that fits very well over my existing 63 Riv from Dashtop in Reno NV. With shipping came to $250.00. I carefully removed the old skin and resurfaced the foam rubber with DAP sponge like silicone. I repainted the dash. Painting plastic is specia so read up on painting plastic.

Is this a plastic pre-formed overlay that you painted? or is it vinyl that you stretched and glued over your core? It looks good.  Thanks

Edited January 18, 2019 by frenchy51 (see edit history)

[Turbinator]

15 hours ago, telriv said:

Just dashes by the time your done with shipping etc. can run close to or just above 1K.  The Turbinator just installed a dash topper in his '63 Riv. & is satisfied with it. The ONLY problem was that it had the vinyl pattern for a '64-'65 so for his '63 was wrong, but he was satisfied with what he got.  I'm sure if he reads this he will comment.

 

 

Tom T.

Tom, I was satisfied with the grain. By the time I got the color right the grain was barely visible. A sharp collector m i g h t pick it up. I found out the difference by reading up on one of the Forums threads.

Turbinator

[Turbinator]

28 minutes ago, frenchy51 said:

Is this a plastic pre-formed overlay that you painted? or is it vinyl that you stretched and glued over your core? It looks good.  Thanks

Frenchy, it is plastic preformed I painted. I scuffed the surface and primed it with primer for plastic. I had the color checked at a paint store and they mixed the paint with DuPont Vinyl Color.

i will advise I had a hard time getting the paint to cure on the plastic.

the painted surface scratched easily. Could be I sprayed it with the temp about 60 degrees F. It does not scratch to the touch, such as wiping the dash for dust. I use Dash Away and no color comes off. I have not tried to scratch with my finger nail. Another concern is when you replace the dash you must be careful not to scrape the dash on the metal windshield up rights OR push to hard securing the dash. My experience is the paint scrapes off, but the way I handle things anything scrapes off.ill send some pics 

Edited January 18, 2019 by Turbinator (see edit history)

[Turbinator]

The dash has to taken out and touched up

[Turbinator]

Here’s another from inside 

[RivNut]

Plastic paints and dyed take a loooooooong time to fully cure.  Paint the dash then find another project to work in for a few days.  Minimally expanding foam insulation is another way to build up the old foam under the cover.  After it cures, it's easy to shape with normal hand tools - saws, files, and sand paper.

[Turbinator]

5 minutes ago, RivNut said:

Plastic paints and dyed take a loooooooong time to fully cure.  Paint the dash then find another project to work in for a few days.  Minimally expanding foam insulation is another way to build up the old foam under the cover.  After it cures, it's easy to shape with normal hand tools - saws, files, and sand paper.

Thank you. Should have asked before I hurried the project. Still, feel better then sending off to have the work done. Oh, my Mobile AC correspondence courses are coming along. Heck I have most of the tools ....should learn how to use them.

Turbinator.

[frenchy51]

Thanks so much for the advice. I just ordered a brown one from "DashTop" in Reno. Hopefully the color is close so I don't have to paint. I've seen videos where the cover is glue over the original vinyl without stripping and foam padding it? I'm sure there's instructions to come with the cap but does DashTop recommend your method as best? 

[dr914]

On 1/17/2019 at 9:49 AM, Seafoam65 said:

What i always do when I need a dash pad for a car I'm working on is send it off to Just Dashes and get it stripped down to the metal frame

and recovered with new foam and vinyl. They aren't cheap, but the finished product is worth every penny.and you still have your original dash

frame so you know it's going to fit perfectly.

 

 

Totally agree, Just Dashes is the place

[RivNut]

2 hours ago, frenchy51 said:

Thanks so much for the advice. I just ordered a brown one from "DashTop" in Reno. Hopefully the color is close so I don't have to paint. I've seen videos where the cover is glue over the original vinyl without stripping and foam padding it? I'm sure there's instructions to come with the cap but does DashTop recommend your method as best? 

Instructions come with it.  One note of advice.  When painting the cover, don't use gloss paint, the reflection of the sun off the gloss is a killer.  Use a satin or flat paint.  You'll notice there's no gloss on the original (unless someone has gone crazy with the Armor-all.)

[KongaMan]

Armor-all is just brutal on so many levels.  The gloss is only one.

[Turbinator]

11 hours ago, frenchy51 said:

Thanks so much for the advice. I just ordered a brown one from "DashTop" in Reno. Hopefully the color is close so I don't have to paint. I've seen videos where the cover is glue over the original vinyl without stripping and foam padding it? I'm sure there's instructions to come with the cap but does DashTop recommend your method as best? 

Frenchy, you can put the Dashtop over your existing dash without taking the cover off. My observation was the new dashcover placed on top of the existing cover added bulk. I preferred a look closer to original dimensions. Peeling off the original cover and then squeezing on some silicone filler was pretty easy. Good luck

Turbinator

 

[Turbinator]

11 hours ago, frenchy51 said:

Thanks so much for the advice. I just ordered a brown one from "DashTop" in Reno. Hopefully the color is close so I don't have to paint. I've seen videos where the cover is glue over the original vinyl without stripping and foam padding it? I'm sure there's instructions to come with the cap but does DashTop recommend your method as best? 

Frenchy, the instructions were not all that much. The manufacturer recommends slipping the new cover on the existing dash cover.

i did not care for what I perceived as additional bulk with new cover over the existing cover.

Turbinator

[telriv]

Makes things easier if you remove the A pillar trim 1st. Then you won't have to worry as much about scratching.

[KongaMan]

There's a thread elsewhere on this site wherein a fellow applies vinyl over the curved wheel wells of a 58 Caballero.  Perhaps those posts might be instructive for those who wish to recover a dash.

[Turbinator]

19 hours ago, telriv said:

Makes things easier if you remove the A pillar trim 1st. Then you won't have to worry as much about scratching.

 

4 hours ago, KongaMan said:

There's a thread elsewhere on this site wherein a fellow applies vinyl over the curved wheel wells of a 58 Caballero.  Perhaps those posts might be instructive for those who wish to recover a dash.

I sometimes wonder why I did not think of removing the trim. Just never occurred to me. The dash came out it should go back in. Thank you for the tip. I’ll need it when I take it out again.

Turninator

[Turbinator]

19 hours ago, telriv said:

Makes things easier if you remove the A pillar trim 1st. Then you won't have to worry as much about scratching.

 

4 hours ago, KongaMan said:

There's a thread elsewhere on this site wherein a fellow applies vinyl over the curved wheel wells of a 58 Caballero.  Perhaps those posts might be instructive for those who wish to recover a dash.

I sometimes wonder why I did not think of removing the trim. Just never occurred to me. The dash came out it should go back in. Thank you for the tip. I’ll need it when I take it out again.

Turninator

[Turbinator]

Mr Konga Man thank you for the thread regarding a gent rescuing a Buick station wagon. I thought he gent did a good job getting the Buick home safe and sound.

I did not read anything about dash covering technique. I probably missed that section on the dash.

Turbinator

[Turbinator]

On 1/18/2019 at 2:30 PM, KongaMan said:

Armor-all is just brutal on so many levels.  The gloss is only one.

 

On 1/18/2019 at 2:30 PM, KongaMan said:

Armor-all is just brutal on so many levels.  The gloss is only one.

Mr Konga Man, a product for cleaning your dash, and other things in the car, is Dash Away. The cleaner works and does not leave a residue.

Turbinator

[RivNut]

If you've dyed or painted your dash, I'd recommend that you just use mild soap and water for cleaning.  You never know what kinds of distillates specialized cleaners have in them. 

[KongaMan]

4 hours ago, Turbinator said:

Mr Konga Man thank you for the thread regarding a gent rescuing a Buick station wagon. I thought he gent did a good job getting the Buick home safe and sound.

I did not read anything about dash covering technique. I probably missed that section on the dash.

Turbinator

I don't know that was a section on the dash. However, there was a section on stretching and gluing vinyl over a complex curved surface (the wheel wells).  I figure that the technique and material used there may well be applicable in other areas.  I also figure that a couple of yards of vinyl is a whole lot less than what JustDashes charges -- and you learn something and have the satisfaction of doing it yourself, to boot.

Edited January 20, 2019 by KongaMan (see edit history)

[RivNut]

If you're going  shopping at your local upholstery supply house be sure to ask for expandable vinyl. It's easy to stretch in all directions. If you want to go all the way, here's a video showing how to use leather to recover a dash.  Lots of compound curves and little out of the way places to fill.

 

 

[Turbinator]

2 hours ago, RivNut said:

If you're going  shopping at your local upholstery supply house be sure to ask for expandable vinyl. It's easy to stretch in all directions. If you want to go all the way, here's a video showing how to use leather to recover a dash.  Lots of compound curves and little out of the way places to fill.

 

 

I saw this demonstration and as an easy as the worker made the job appear I gave the challenge second thoughts.

Thank you for taking the time and consideration to show another approach and solution to a job.

Turbinator

[Turbinator]

4 hours ago, KongaMan said:

I don't know that was a section on the dash. However, there was a section on stretching and gluing vinyl over a complex curved surface (the wheel wells).  I figure that the technique and material used there may well be applicable in other areas.  I also figure that a couple of yards of vinyl is a whole lot less than what JustDashes charges -- and you learn something and have the satisfaction of doing it yourself, to boot.

Yes, thank you. This thread is the one showing how to position the vinyl on top of the fender well. The fellow does right good work. Learning keeps the synapse firing in order keeps me time.

Thank you

Turbinator

[Turbinator]

On 1/19/2019 at 9:15 PM, RivNut said:

If you've dyed or painted your dash, I'd recommend that you just use mild soap and water for cleaning.  You never know what kinds of distillates specialized cleaners have in them. 

Ed, you have that right. I’m a label reader these days. I used Purple Power on my Cast aluminum covers once. Purple power stained the wheel covers. The label says don’t use on aluminum. Use now read later can cost.

thank you.

[RivNut]

As I read this, I remembered something else I used to clean the covers on my 63.  Because they weren't painted and all natural aluminum, I used some Eagle brand aluminum wheel cleaner on them.  There's enough hydrochloric acid in it to etch the surface clean.