Upholstering SWB dash looking for some pictures

[718RSK]

Spend time today trying to upholster my SWB dash myself. Getting close to wrap up the first part but would like to figure out and duplicate how the factory finishes the sides of the dash and especially how they made the various cuts. My dash had been badly redone when I got the car so I have nothing to go by. Hoping someone out there might have a SWB dash with original upholstery that is off the car they could take some pictures off

TIA,

JK

[bob joyce]

it looks like you are off to a good start .... for the sides, its just simple "relief" cuts. V shaped too get the bulk of the material out of the way and provide you wth a "tab" or piece of material to pull and glue to the underside. It is very intuitive and no real tricky secret way... P.S. hair dryer hels to smooth the operation...

[718RSK]

Thanks Bob, so far it has been an enjoyable process. Doing most of the other interior pieces myself prepared me for this one.

Hoping to find some good pictures as especially the second part of the dash still is not 100% clear to me. I know the metal gets covered by a thin mat and the vinyl glued to the bend thin piece of sheet metal. What I am for example unclear about is if the thin mat covers the thin sheet metal piece and the tabs you bend down to hold it? I would think so as otherwise you run the risk of the tabs showing through the vinyl. My other question if was only the "binnacle" covered with the cloth underneath or also the passenger part of the dash? Inquiring mind want to know

[steve shea]

Joris take a look at "Mike's Restoration' on Youtube. Start with video 67. I found it very informative in parts.

[ecostellodo]

+1 for Mike!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJyR...&index=73&t=0s

Joris take a look at "Mike's Restoration' on Youtube. Start with video 67. I found it very informative in parts.

[Will 1967]

+1 too for Mike's as well!
I removed my original vinyl couple of months ago, and decided to leave that to pro as that curve above dials is quite tricky bit. But I have another dash and will try to do that myself just for fun. What I know about that difficult bit is that you vinyl streches better at 45 degree angle to roll (some vinyls) so easier if you use vinyl that is cut like that to strech it around dials.
Those metal tabs are covered originally with very thin mat like foam (I have that somewhere still), otherwise tabs would be seen. To make it looks original, you need to use VERY this foam underneath. (Often way too thick foam is used, as its easier to do with it) Back bit of dash (with that curve above dials) did not have thin foam underneath, but its very difficult to do without it as structure needs to be perfect.

[718RSK]

Thanks for all the help and the link to the video, very useful.

I have the liner as pointed out by Mike in his video ordered. I decided to cover straight over the horsehair which I reinforced and used bondo to shape where required. I resonate with what Mike's points out that using a very thin foam to cover it is preferred. I was unable to source something in the 1-2mm thickness range and did not want to use anything thicker as it would loose the subtle shapes. Something which also happens when 99/100 of the shops out there re-do seats. The issue with covering straight over the horsehair is indeed it showing through the vinyl, I have 1-2 tiny tiny spots where this happened but will gladly chuck it up to originality and first time idiot operator error ;-)

Next issue now is the piece with the speaker holes. The piece I sourced from Germany with the holes pre-cut was cut to short so will not work. I am now going back and forth with them over that. If anybody out there is willing to measure the dimension as indicated in the below picture on a known original dash it would be very much appreciated. I believe it should be in the 24mm range

[preS]

[Eminence Gris]

I found it useful to create a steel "U" shaped piece to go on the rearmost side of the dash top. The area of the speaker perforations tends to arch upward when installed, and the steel keeps it flat. I'm sure it could be done some other way, but I did it with materials at hand.

[718RSK]

Richard,

Thanks a lot for posting those pictures, very helpful. Any chance you could take a measurement from the edge of the most bottom speaker hole to the other edge?

Some minute dash trivia. So far I have seen two color used for the steel frame, grey and black. The bottom sided of the dash appears to have been covered with the same material as used to line 356 convertible tops on the drivers side and a thin piece of black vinyl on the passenger side. This was probably done to prevent rattling.

If any other people out there have a known original dash I would be interested in your measurement also

TIA

JK