Awesome! This turned out pretty good and i love how it looks, even the imperfections. I'm glad the video helped and thanks for the comment and feedback. .
Awesome! glad it could help. Be sure to use lots of glue especially if you are using similar material that doesnt have smooth backing. Next time i do it, im going to try the 4-way stretch material with a smooth backer so the glue has a chance to work a little better. My stuff has held up great so far, but i have had to peel back in some places and apply more glue. After that, those places stuck very well.
You've made tremendous progress in the last two months with this bird project. It's all coming together now, you're on the final stretch. Thanks for documenting it all, It's been a cool thing to watch Nate.
You bet! definitely would like to try a thinner material next time. might even try my hand at sewing. Some of those corners and curves were a bear to get things stretched right.
Thank you! I like the wrinkles now. It makes it look real. Not just plastic with texture. I’m working on the center console now( next video) and it’s gonna look great!
Sailrite sells 4 way stretch vinyl. I bought a few yards, to do my Challenger dash. Been working on filling, and sanding, and almost ready to cover. Seems like its going to work realy well. Its almost identical to the original dash texture, and soft to the touch. ...we shall see
I appreciate that! ive got a little bit of delamination going on now, but ive fixed a couple spots with more glue and its holding great. Next time im going to use a thinner material that stretches better and has less texture on the backing. I think it needed a ton of glue due to the texture and where it is delaminating, i didn't get enough on there.
@HeavyPedalGarage Cool. Is there a thin leather that can be used? We have to do the same for our 79 Trans am. Thanks for the reply. Keep up the good videos. I really enjoy them.
Nice video! I'm about to do the same with my '70 lemans. I started by removing all the old nasty vinyl though, so I'm all the way down to foam. Will be interesting for sure. Thanks for the tips!
Man I loved your video, I then purchased 4 way stretch vinyl, and the same contact cement you used, after hours of gluing, stretching, and rolling, it turned out beautiful!!. Thanks for making your video and this is not a comment to dog on you but a warming to anyone who tried this. FIND A BETTER GLUE. as soon as the sun warmed up, everything came loose, and it all fell off. I'm going to buy a snap on cover to run until I can get the dash professionally rebuilt.
Oh man. Sorry that you had trouble. Mine has held up. I have had to touch up a couple places with extra glue because I feel that I went too light on the first try in places. Did you clean the parts and pieces really really well? I also sanded mine to try to get a better bite. There is that Landau top glue that I mentioned, but I don’t know if that would work any better. sorry you had issues.
@@HeavyPedalGarage The Weldwood Landau top and trim contact adhesive(Spray grade) is much better than that contact cement in the red can. I tried the same Weldwood in the red can first a few years ago, since it was easier to get at Home Depot. But it was worthless for the upholstery job I was doing. It did not stick well at all. I discovered on youtube that professional auto upholsterers use the Weldwood Landau top and trim adhesive, and it's sprayable. I use a cheap harbor freight spray gun with it. It can be brushed on too though. It sticks far, far better than the red can. No comparison.
Use lots of glue. Also , if I were to do it again, I would look for the 4 way stretch material. A few places on my dash have lifted after a summers worth if sun. Had to reglue. But it’s in places where I had to fight the material since it wasn’t 4 way stretch. Still looks great through.
This video is exactly what i was looking for im in the process kf redoing my headliner in a vunil that matches the rest of my interior and want my dash to match but didnt know how well it would work
That looks really good. I had a '75 Formula 400 when I was 16. I had it completely reupholstered dash, center console, everything. 6 months later I wrecked it. Always thought about getting another one. But they are VERY desirable now. If you can find a decent project car it'll cost you. I'll settle with an El Camino.
Right on! Too bad about the wreck. I bought an esprit and put the cool trans am and formula stuff on it. Not ideal, but it wasn’t too awfully expensive, it’s original and I love it. El Camino are super cool too!
Thanks for idea, this dash is way more complex then a first gen bird but if you did this well on yours I am certain I should be able to stretch it over a 1968 pad too.
Right on. Be sure to use plenty of glue so it doesn’t delaminate. I’ve got to redo some spots. Especially if you use the marine grade vinyl that has the fabric backing. Next time , I’m going to buy 4 way stretch vinyl, preferably without a thick backing.
I know they use contact cement for gluing laminate to counter tops. In that application, they use plain wooden dowels between the counter structure and the laminate to separate them while they position them. I've also heard that Kraft paper will help keep the contact cement from joining the parts, and then slip it out a little at a time to make a good join. I'm pretty sure the four-way stretch vinyl would help you too. All in all, though, that looks great, especially for a first effort. I'm looking forward to seeing it all put together. I know it's going to look really nice.
Came out really nice! I agree that a wrap is absolutely the best way to restore a dash pad. Honestly that particular dash has to be the or one of the most complicated dashes to wrap in vinyl. I had a much simpler dash for a 1971 Plymouth Road Runner wrapped by a place in Oregon in 2001 and it cost me nearly $600. I did notice the vinyl was 'softer' or more pliable or stretchy. I think that's key. I have used Sunbrella and marine vinyl on my truck interior for the seats and its great stuff. There's a few online fabric wholesalers and I brought it to my upholsterer. I've seen people use that really thin foam for floor underlayment or something like roofing felt on the dash top to smooth it out under the vinyl. Yours really turned out nice for a first attempt. That's a tough dash to do. I'm sure you saved yourself $1500-$2000.
For sure. Thanks for the feedback. When I do another dash, I’m definitely going to shop around for a more flexible vinyl. Also I think learning to do some simple stitching/sewing could go a long way in fitting the vinyl to the complex curves. Thanks buddy!
where did you buy the 3m closed cell foam, and show where you butted the two pieces of foam together.. Would like to see if a line is visible. Thank you
Nice job! Wondered how that would work for a while now. Firebird has many complex curves. Splice around the gauge cluster will disappear with a butt joint. Once the widows are in and the rest of it is in place defects won't be noticeable.
The best way to do this is with vacuum forming, but you have to use a different material that will heat and soften and form into place. I'm pretty sure that is how they are done in the factory.
Wow! Outstanding job. How did you do the face to the gauge bezel. In one of the videos you said it was a carbon fiber face? My 73 has a wood veneer face and I like yours way better. I have seen machined aluminum but they have the extra holes for oil pressure and water temp. I’d like to keep mine but reface it.
Good job. The reason there are puckers is because you must stretch the vinyl tightly across the dash first becasue the vinyl will strtch but it wont SHRINK! . Here is my tip, I hope it makes sense: Secure the dashboard squarely to the table, glue the highest ridge of the dash but do not put glue on the sides or try to contour any parts at this point. CLAMP the vinyl to the side of the table. Stretch the vinyl over the dashboard across the width of the table so the vinyl is on the highest ridge, on the glued area, stretch the vinyl with a bit of heat from a heat gun, stretch it to it's maximum and clamp it tight to the table, let that glue dry. You want that vinyl stretched tight and the glue dry, now you can figure where to contour and you can see how much stretch is needed to keep the vinyl square. Do not cut your hole all the way at first, just cut the center and make a few cuts as you go, and stretch it as you go, use a heat gun as you go and the vinyl will be plyable. you can clamp the contour with spring loaded clamps just pad the clamps a bit.
Very cool! That was crazy difficult Nate. Some serious curves there. I was wondering why you went marine grade instead of auto vinyl? I just ordered some samples myself for my seats.
Thanks buddy. I got the marine grade since it was in stock at the local hobby store. Looked good and I took a gamble that worked out. If I were to do it again, I would definitely look into the 4 way stretch material.
I'm very curious about hw this ended up. I've used the exact same materials, cement and vinyl. Even prep work was the same. On the test pieces I used, Glove box door, passengers side door panel, and A pillar covers. When first wrapped they all looked fantastic. But after being installed and a week of real world use. They all started to peel and separate. After some research into how or why this happened. I learned it was due to the fabric backing on the vinyl. One of the upholstery shops I stopped at was kind enough to give me a small sample of what they said I should have used. It did not have a fabric backing. I ordered a small amount and recovered the glove box door and A pillars. It's been about a month of real world use and they still look and feel the same as the day I stalled them. So I'm very curious about how exactly you were able to keep it from peeling and separating. Just to be clear I'm not saying anyone is doing this or that wrong or right. I'm just saying what results I personally had. I'm also very aware that location is a factor. I live in E. Texas. Where one would think you live on Mercury yet have the humidity of Venus.
I hear ya! After a summer of hot and humid Ohio weather I did have a few places delaminate. I peeled it back and added more glue and it held the rest of summer and winter. I think the key is to have plenty of layers of glue to fill the fabric backing. Good glue to glue contact surface. Next time I’m gonna find a better vinyl (like what your suggested) something more stretch with less backing. Might try the the actual HHR landau top glue too. Thanks for the feedback on your experience and for the tips!
@@HeavyPedalGarage Thanks for the reply. I've decided to watch from this video forward to see your progress. The fabric I decided to use has a backing that sorta looks and feels like suede leather and stretches in every direction. As I said, so far the results have been great. No delamination and definitely the look and feel we're both going for. Also, just an fyi, I've tried real leather with very good results. Definitely harder to work with. But really good results. Again, I really appreciate your getting back with me on this. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress. Be safe out there 🤠😎
Thats a bummer. Sorry it didnt turn out for you. I know that when i do another project like this, im definitely getting a thinner material and using lots more glue.
Thank you very much. If you try it, be sure to take your time and use plenty of glue to prevent any future delamination. im having to reglue some parts, but the second gluing is holding fast.
Thanks for the video you just gave me the confidence to wrap my boat dash myself.
Awesome! This turned out pretty good and i love how it looks, even the imperfections. I'm glad the video helped and thanks for the comment and feedback.
.
I think you did a great job on this really complex dash pad. Bravo Sir! John
I'm about to upholster my old RV dashboard and this video helped me tremendously. Finally got the courage to get started :D
Awesome! glad it could help. Be sure to use lots of glue especially if you are using similar material that doesnt have smooth backing. Next time i do it, im going to try the 4-way stretch material with a smooth backer so the glue has a chance to work a little better. My stuff has held up great so far, but i have had to peel back in some places and apply more glue. After that, those places stuck very well.
You've made tremendous progress in the last two months with this bird project. It's all coming together now, you're on the final stretch. Thanks for documenting it all, It's been a cool thing to watch Nate.
Thank you! I’m intensely motivated to be cruising by spring!
That looks pretty nice! Doing a great job and can’t wait to see this bird completed.
Thanks buddy!
Thanks for taking the beach and letting us know what worked out for you and what you’d do different.
You bet! definitely would like to try a thinner material next time. might even try my hand at sewing. Some of those corners and curves were a bear to get things stretched right.
U have more patients than me Ids smashed it! U made it look pretty nice sorta like the wrinkles 👍👍🙏🙏
Thank you! I like the wrinkles now. It makes it look real. Not just plastic with texture. I’m working on the center console now( next video) and it’s gonna look great!
Sailrite sells 4 way stretch vinyl. I bought a few yards, to do my Challenger dash. Been working on filling, and sanding, and almost ready to cover. Seems like its going to work realy well. Its almost identical to the original dash texture, and soft to the touch. ...we shall see
Awesome. I’m definitely going the 4 way stretch route. Learning to sew upholstery would be super helpful too. Good luck on the project!
Have to say that you did a great job. That was a difficult job, and you basically naild it. Thanks for sharing
I appreciate that! ive got a little bit of delamination going on now, but ive fixed a couple spots with more glue and its holding great. Next time im going to use a thinner material that stretches better and has less texture on the backing. I think it needed a ton of glue due to the texture and where it is delaminating, i didn't get enough on there.
@HeavyPedalGarage Cool. Is there a thin leather that can be used? We have to do the same for our 79 Trans am. Thanks for the reply. Keep up the good videos. I really enjoy them.
I think you did great on this! That’s a hard dash to recover. Learned a lot thanks !
Thank you. Turned out pretty good, I think.
Good info. That dash makes my 96 f250 dash pad look pretty tame in comparison. Thanks for sharing.
No problem 👍
Nice work and looked like a lot of it too...😉
Thanks buddy!
Nice video! I'm about to do the same with my '70 lemans. I started by removing all the old nasty vinyl though, so I'm all the way down to foam. Will be interesting for sure. Thanks for the tips!
please be sure to use plenty of glue!
Man I loved your video, I then purchased 4 way stretch vinyl, and the same contact cement you used, after hours of gluing, stretching, and rolling, it turned out beautiful!!. Thanks for making your video and this is not a comment to dog on you but a warming to anyone who tried this. FIND A BETTER GLUE. as soon as the sun warmed up, everything came loose, and it all fell off. I'm going to buy a snap on cover to run until I can get the dash professionally rebuilt.
Oh man. Sorry that you had trouble. Mine has held up. I have had to touch up a couple places with extra glue because I feel that I went too light on the first try in places. Did you clean the parts and pieces really really well? I also sanded mine to try to get a better bite. There is that Landau top glue that I mentioned, but I don’t know if that would work any better. sorry you had issues.
@@HeavyPedalGarage The Weldwood Landau top and trim contact adhesive(Spray grade) is much better than that contact cement in the red can. I tried the same Weldwood in the red can first a few years ago, since it was easier to get at Home Depot. But it was worthless for the upholstery job I was doing. It did not stick well at all. I discovered on youtube that professional auto upholsterers use the Weldwood Landau top and trim adhesive, and it's sprayable. I use a cheap harbor freight spray gun with it. It can be brushed on too though. It sticks far, far better than the red can. No comparison.
Great job, thanks for sharing this, I’m definitely going to recover mine over the winter now.
Use lots of glue. Also , if I were to do it again, I would look for the 4 way stretch material. A few places on my dash have lifted after a summers worth if sun. Had to reglue. But it’s in places where I had to fight the material since it wasn’t 4 way stretch. Still looks great through.
@@HeavyPedalGarage My Lemans dash is way less contoured, but I’ll definitely purchase the 4 way stretch just for sanity’s sake.
This video is exactly what i was looking for im in the process kf redoing my headliner in a vunil that matches the rest of my interior and want my dash to match but didnt know how well it would work
Thanks. Glad it could be helpful. Just be sure to use plenty of glue.
@@HeavyPedalGarage ok thanks
Nice, this is something I need to attempt on my 67.
Right on. Im pretty happy with how it turned out.
That looks really good. I had a '75 Formula 400 when I was 16. I had it completely reupholstered dash, center console, everything. 6 months later I wrecked it. Always thought about getting another one. But they are VERY desirable now. If you can find a decent project car it'll cost you. I'll settle with an El Camino.
Right on! Too bad about the wreck. I bought an esprit and put the cool trans am and formula stuff on it. Not ideal, but it wasn’t too awfully expensive, it’s original and I love it. El Camino are super cool too!
Thanks for idea, this dash is way more complex then a first gen bird but if you did this well on yours I am certain I should be able to stretch it over a 1968 pad too.
Right on. Be sure to use plenty of glue so it doesn’t delaminate. I’ve got to redo some spots. Especially if you use the marine grade vinyl that has the fabric backing. Next time , I’m going to buy 4 way stretch vinyl, preferably without a thick backing.
@@HeavyPedalGarage I will do the same. Thanks again
I know they use contact cement for gluing laminate to counter tops. In that application, they use plain wooden dowels between the counter structure and the laminate to separate them while they position them. I've also heard that Kraft paper will help keep the contact cement from joining the parts, and then slip it out a little at a time to make a good join. I'm pretty sure the four-way stretch vinyl would help you too. All in all, though, that looks great, especially for a first effort. I'm looking forward to seeing it all put together. I know it's going to look really nice.
Thanks for the tips! And the compliments. Much appreciated!
Came out really nice! I agree that a wrap is absolutely the best way to restore a dash pad. Honestly that particular dash has to be the or one of the most complicated dashes to wrap in vinyl. I had a much simpler dash for a 1971 Plymouth Road Runner wrapped by a place in Oregon in 2001 and it cost me nearly $600. I did notice the vinyl was 'softer' or more pliable or stretchy. I think that's key. I have used Sunbrella and marine vinyl on my truck interior for the seats and its great stuff. There's a few online fabric wholesalers and I brought it to my upholsterer.
I've seen people use that really thin foam for floor underlayment or something like roofing felt on the dash top to smooth it out under the vinyl.
Yours really turned out nice for a first attempt. That's a tough dash to do. I'm sure you saved yourself $1500-$2000.
For sure. Thanks for the feedback. When I do another dash, I’m definitely going to shop around for a more flexible vinyl. Also I think learning to do some simple stitching/sewing could go a long way in fitting the vinyl to the complex curves. Thanks buddy!
where did you buy the 3m closed cell foam, and show where you butted the two pieces of foam together.. Would like to see if a line is visible. Thank you
my brother gave me the foam. I sanded the edge of the foam and no line is visible.
Did this to my w123 dahsboard. My biggest problem was that the dash became thicker, so the cluster and other switches didn't fit
Yup. I definitely had to press fit in in there!
Your a brave man....
Lol. Right on man!
Nice job! Wondered how that would work for a while now. Firebird has many complex curves. Splice around the gauge cluster will disappear with a butt joint. Once the widows are in and the rest of it is in place defects won't be noticeable.
For sure! If I do it again, I’m definitely going to get the 4 way stretch vinyl. Thanks for the feedback!
Looking good Nate, my 76 dash is in need of help also.
Right on. This was a fun project.
@@HeavyPedalGarage You have done a great job on it. Thanks for the videos, definitely inspiring to the rest of us , working on project cars .
Very nice work sure it may not be perfect but looks way better than every overpriced il fitting repro I’ve worked with
Thanks 👍
What kind of material are you using here? I need a stretchy vinyl to cover a boat dash
It’s marine grade vinyl from the fabric store.
a complex shape , well done. Any way, a few wrinkles looks good, a real leathery look. kind of like my face.
Thank you!
The best way to do this is with vacuum forming, but you have to use a different material that will heat and soften and form into place. I'm pretty sure that is how they are done in the factory.
For sure, vacuum forming would be sweet! im sure it would turn out perfect that way.
Wow! Outstanding job. How did you do the face to the gauge bezel. In one of the videos you said it was a carbon fiber face? My 73 has a wood veneer face and I like yours way better. I have seen machined aluminum but they have the extra holes for oil pressure and water temp. I’d like to keep mine but reface it.
I just bought vinyl sticker with a carbon fiber print. Got it off of Amazon.
Good job. The reason there are puckers is because you must stretch the vinyl tightly across the dash first becasue the vinyl will strtch but it wont SHRINK! . Here is my tip, I hope it makes sense:
Secure the dashboard squarely to the table, glue the highest ridge of the dash but do not put glue on the sides or try to contour any parts at this point. CLAMP the vinyl to the side of the table. Stretch the vinyl over the dashboard across the width of the table so the vinyl is on the highest ridge, on the glued area, stretch the vinyl with a bit of heat from a heat gun, stretch it to it's maximum and clamp it tight to the table, let that glue dry. You want that vinyl stretched tight and the glue dry, now you can figure where to contour and you can see how much stretch is needed to keep the vinyl square. Do not cut your hole all the way at first, just cut the center and make a few cuts as you go, and stretch it as you go, use a heat gun as you go and the vinyl will be plyable. you can clamp the contour with spring loaded clamps just pad the clamps a bit.
Awsome advice! Thanks for the feedback!
Do you have a link to the 3M foam you used? That looks perfect for the truck dash I need to do
Unfortunate I do not know where to purchase it. This was given to me by a family member.
Very cool! That was crazy difficult Nate. Some serious curves there. I was wondering why you went marine grade instead of auto vinyl? I just ordered some samples myself for my seats.
Thanks buddy. I got the marine grade since it was in stock at the local hobby store. Looked good and I took a gamble that worked out. If I were to do it again, I would definitely look into the 4 way stretch material.
Somebody had some sore hands by the time that was 👍
@@oldschooltwist18 you got that right! Glad I did the hardest piece of interior first!
Hi, what is the gauge on that roll please? Thank you.
Not sure on the gauge. It was sold as marine grade vinyl. When I do it again, I’ll definitely be getting the 4 way stretch vinyl!
@@HeavyPedalGarage thank you
Do you happen to know about how long the length cut was i have a 79 ta im doing n just want to order enough
I can’t remember. Sorry bout that. I would measure the dash lengthwise and order a foot more. Two feet more to be safe.
@@HeavyPedalGarage gotcha thank you for the reply
I'm very curious about hw this ended up. I've used the exact same materials, cement and vinyl. Even prep work was the same. On the test pieces I used, Glove box door, passengers side door panel, and A pillar covers. When first wrapped they all looked fantastic. But after being installed and a week of real world use. They all started to peel and separate. After some research into how or why this happened. I learned it was due to the fabric backing on the vinyl. One of the upholstery shops I stopped at was kind enough to give me a small sample of what they said I should have used. It did not have a fabric backing. I ordered a small amount and recovered the glove box door and A pillars. It's been about a month of real world use and they still look and feel the same as the day I stalled them.
So I'm very curious about how exactly you were able to keep it from peeling and separating. Just to be clear I'm not saying anyone is doing this or that wrong or right. I'm just saying what results I personally had. I'm also very aware that location is a factor. I live in E. Texas. Where one would think you live on Mercury yet have the humidity of Venus.
I hear ya! After a summer of hot and humid Ohio weather I did have a few places delaminate. I peeled it back and added more glue and it held the rest of summer and winter. I think the key is to have plenty of layers of glue to fill the fabric backing. Good glue to glue contact surface. Next time I’m gonna find a better vinyl (like what your suggested) something more stretch with less backing. Might try the the actual HHR landau top glue too. Thanks for the feedback on your experience and for the tips!
@@HeavyPedalGarage Thanks for the reply. I've decided to watch from this video forward to see your progress. The fabric I decided to use has a backing that sorta looks and feels like suede leather and stretches in every direction. As I said, so far the results have been great. No delamination and definitely the look and feel we're both going for. Also, just an fyi, I've tried real leather with very good results. Definitely harder to work with. But really good results.
Again, I really appreciate your getting back with me on this. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.
Be safe out there 🤠😎
Bro they have. A vynil trim peice that looks like a stitch, this is what u need to cover Lil fopas
Cool. ill check it out. Thanks for the info!
Mine likes like crap😢 i tried doing it but like worse
I'll pay some one else to do it i suck at this stuff 😂 i want either snake skin or crocodile
Thats a bummer. Sorry it didnt turn out for you. I know that when i do another project like this, im definitely getting a thinner material and using lots more glue.
Respect
Thank you very much. If you try it, be sure to take your time and use plenty of glue to prevent any future delamination. im having to reglue some parts, but the second gluing is holding fast.
wrapping multiple surfaces is always such a pain
Yes. It was quite the project. Well worth it though. Thanks for checking out the video.
you got to have large acorns to even attempt what you did,...and you did as good as anyone could.....beats 3 grand at just dashes.
Thanks! it was worth a try and didnt turn out too bad. Ill be using a thinner material and more glue next time though.
Oh dear.
Oh yeah!
Ah yes, the United States Army marine grade, out there little green men fighting for our country with vinyl wrap
It makes the best armor!