Dash Pad

[Steeveedee]

OK, I'm not seeing a thread dedicated to upholstery. My dash pad is pretty much toast after all these years, and having various schlock items attached to it over those years. I'm looking at the dash pad at LMC, and am curious about people's experiences with it. It would appear that it attaches over the old one, by the description. Knowing what a pain in the keister it is to get to the fasteners, attaching over the old one (somehow) would seem to be less trouble. Any thoughts?

https://www.lmctruck.com/1967-72-che...h-pad-assembly

[tutone]

I never used one of those. I did order a new complete replacement one from Southern Ky Classics for the old blue truck in my build thread. It was good quality and after the fact, I wish I had ordered a new glove box liner and some defogger vent hose. I took out the glove box door and liner, defog vent and was able to access everything short of 3 nuts under the dash. I didn''t have to pull the gauge panel, just used a various few 1/4 inch extensions. The one in the far left corner is all by feel. 2 and a half hours tops. And that was on a 100 degree day.

[1967-C10]

do it right, remove and replace, or recover.
I have a 67 pad available you could have recover, and then swap them out.

[kev2809]

i think you are reading it wrong. it looks like the same one i installed (bought mine about 8 years ago and just installed it). it wasnt a cover though, you pull the old one off and install the new one in its place. im guessing with the way its worded. they should just call it dash pad assembly.

[Steeveedee]

OK, reading it again (and scrolling down) I see that there is a cover and a cover assembly. The assembly is what I would want, I guess. I'm not excited about the labor for that, though.

[kev2809]

ya...its tough to get to the corner ones for sure. i still havent fully tightened those 2 all the way. the rest are pretty simple. much easier if you pull the cluster and glove box liner

[LNP]

I got my new dash pad assembly from Classic Industries.

[OL SKOOL]

Pretty proud of those covers compared to the whole assembly. The difference in price will buy a lot of beer for those sit back and reflect moments. You know before you go and get the BIG hammer.

[Steeveedee]

I'm mystified by the black assembly being cheaper than the cover.

[LNP]

The OER one I got from Classic Industries was $75.99 and it attached to the dash with nuts and screws same as my original one did. Even looked the same in every detail.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by LNP

The OER one I got from Classic Industries was $75.99 and it attached to the dash with nuts and screws same as my original one did. Even looked the same in every detail.

Good to know. Since I have three-point restraints, I'm thinking of making a wood dash "pad". Can't get a head bonk, if your head can't reach the dash. I have enough wood and tools to make that happen. It "wood" match the new instrument cluster, if I go that way.

['68OrangeSunshine]

In the dark days before the Internet and even LMC Truck. I had a long thin strip of saddle vinyl left over from reskinning the '69 T-Bird electric seat in my '68 C/10 Stepside. My original Dash Pad was shedding big flakes of silver-fawn plastic every where I touched it. So I accelerated the process with a putty knife and had it back down to bare foam. The form of the foam was still good, so I measured my Naugahyde and saw there was enough for a full wrap around. I shot the foam with 3M 77 contact cement and shot the same stuff on the under side of the vinyl. I carefully applied it. I had to make little hospital corners on the ends. These I tacked down with leather rivets.
So the Dash Pad matches the Seat. Same bolt of material.
I then reattached it to the dash, and it's been there for about 40 years.

[Steeveedee]

Sadly, my pad has dents from things being installed onto it over the years. Yours looks nice!

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

Sadly, my pad has dents from things being installed onto it over the years. Yours looks nice!

Hey Steve -- If you want to reskin it yourself, you could build up the foam by shooting aerosol 77 glue on the depressed area, then layering on some fresh foam. Then with an electric foam knife, trim the excess foam off. Repeat in any other areas that need it. Trim until you like the form, and reskin.
www.sciplus.com P/N:93201...Styrofoam Cutter.....$22.95

But if that's too much hassle buy the replacement pad from a reputable vendor.
LMC's got a p/n:38-8120 for $69.95
Funny, they also carry ''Dash Pad Covers'' ...P/N:38-2606 for $169.95...
A hundred bucks more for just a cover? No thanks.
The Dash Pad Assembly is a much better deal.

You do have to pull out your Instrument Panel. A/C ducting, Heater Controls, Radio, and Glove Box Liner to do a full install.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

Hey Steve -- If you want to reskin it yourself, you could build up the foam by shooting aerosol 77 glue on the depressed area, then layering on some fresh foam. Then with an electric foam knife, trim the excess foam off. Repeat in any other areas that need it. Trim until you like the form, and reskin.
www.sciplus.com P/N:93201...Styrofoam Cutter.....$22.95

But if that's too much hassle buy the replacement pad from a reputable vendor.
LMC's got a p/n:38-8120 for $69.95
Funny, they also carry ''Dash Pad Covers'' ...P/N:38-2606 for $169.95...
A hundred bucks more for just a cover? No thanks.
The Dash Pad Assembly is a much better deal.

You do have to pull out your Instrument Panel. A/C ducting, Heater Controls, Radio, and Glove Box Liner to do a full install.

Yeah, that's all! I'll have to get the tach dismounted from the top of the dash and see how bad it all looks. Hmm, if I tear it all apart, I won't be able to go camping.

[697498chevy]

My O.E. dash pad in my 1969 C-10 is in really sad shape . Gotta wonder how a new one would stand up to the sun ? Anyone have experience with this ? Thanks !

[Steeveedee]

Well, the way my truck is parked, and with the shell over the cab, the dash pad isn't going to see much sun. Maybe I'll have my wife make a cover for it. We went to Mexico (walked across the border) a little over 20 years ago and bought some wool blankets. We'll have one on the seat for protection against scorched hams from that new black vinyl.

[LNP]

Originally Posted by 697498chevy

My O.E. dash pad in my 1969 C-10 is in really sad shape . Gotta wonder how a new one would stand up to the sun ? Anyone have experience with this ? Thanks !

I have a new one in my 69 C-10 and it sits outside all year round. No issues yet after 3yrs.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by 697498chevy

My O.E. dash pad in my 1969 C-10 is in really sad shape . Gotta wonder how a new one would stand up to the sun ? Anyone have experience with this ? Thanks !

I bought a new blue Dash Pad for my '71 GMC Jimmy from Brothers in the Mid-'90s. It hasn't faded or deformed yet. And I live in Southern Arizona.

I did have a Factory Defect issue with the first one they sent me. The embedded mounting stud -- all the way right [very hard to get to] was slagged.
Like the threaded end had been melted by something very hot and no way could you start a nut on it. I sent it back and it was replaced.
Brothers has changed hands recently, but all these vendors use the same sources for parts.

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by 697498chevy

My O.E. dash pad in my 1969 C-10 is in really sad shape . Gotta wonder how a new one would stand up to the sun ? Anyone have experience with this ? Thanks !

I have 2 1970 trucks. Both have been in the desert their entire life. The flatbed's dash pad is roached. The CST's pad has one little crack because it was always covered with a towel.

I'm not looking forward to replacing the flatbed's dash pad. It seems like a massive pain and it's a color that isn't reproduced and I'm trying to keep the original color on the truck as much as I can but color matching some of these more obscure colors make it tough.

So I would say to just keep it covered.

[Steeveedee]

I'm off the hook. My wife doesn't actually care what it looks like, and is fine with a piece of carpet.

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

I'm off the hook. My wife doesn't actually care what it looks like, and is fine with a piece of carpet.

She just doesn't want you to take the towels.

My wife gets really mad when I use one of the good towels to wax the car.

[Steeveedee]

I bought a bag of microfiber towels from CostCo a dog's age ago. That's what I use.

[Accelo]

The one I purchased was from "alknochinteriors.com"
The studs were not positioned correctly. Just another example of crappy design or maybe execution? I had purchased Corvette parts from them in the past and was very happy with the product. On the plus side they made the pad in Parchment and no one else did that I could find. It eventually went on but it was a PITA, like most aftermarket parts. I did have the option of sending in my core, which would have likely avoided my issues. I had thrown it out as I thought "what would I need this for?".

[697498chevy]

Thanks guys !