Has anyone been creative with dash caps ?

[Greg D.]

I have this 69 912 in the paint shop which is going to be an outlaw, fun car, not original at all... and out of curiosity I pulled the existing dash cap I've lived with to see how bad the original dash was underneath. Bad doesn't come close. If I pull it off it'll break in 5 pieces... I can push into it with a thumbs and go through like butter... Being in the middle of the "proper/original" restoration of a 911T, this 69 912 - my wife's - will have to make do with a cheaper solution - no $1900 stoddard dash for it, that would blow my seats/interior budget... Lakewell apparently is still $1300 or so and few have tried it.... Bare dash looks funny to me.... I was wondering if someone ever came up with some artistic dash cap solution (like pad the cap with insulation foam and use it as "the dash")... Failing that I think I have to reglue it back on top of that mess and possibly cover it with alcantara first. My only issue is that old swollen dash + cap + alcantara adds thickness and on the edges by the doors it's pretty tight...

just wondering if people have found a cheaper way out (with pictures), to see if I can attempt this or if I am wasting my time. Maybe recovering someone else's damaged dash might be better...Mine is not usable.

[Xavier PJB]

You may use old glued one as a model, then use fiberglass to make a new one, put Alcantara, Feutrine or leather on. Feutrine (felt?) was used on the R I beleive and some race cars.

I would guess this is possible to make one from aluminium. But this will be nice, cheap, takes time. I do many of my parts myself in aluminium, and form/shape them with an anvil and a hammer. IT's cool.

Do NOT use wood, it will wave under the temperature changes and will very dangerous in case of crash.

Hope this helps.
Xavier

[Greg D.]

"feutrine", voila un mot que je n'avais pas entendu depuis longtemps...

Thanks, that's the idea... I think fitment wise, if I could find a decent Fiberglass one that might work, but making one myself is not among my skills... I'm leaning towards fining a used cheaper later 911 one (they seem to be more solid plastic), block the center AC vent and cover that in alcantara.

[chris_seven]

The problem is that the 69 dash wraps around on the ends and matches up to the door cappings.

The earlier 1965 - 1968 dashes were flat on the ends and easier to model, also the early dashes were manufactured in two parts and riveted together. Some had steel components and others were formed plastic. They were covered in two parts before being riveted together.

The basic mouldings were covered in a closed cell foam which was not very flexible and which tended to break up with age and damp but it was easy to peel off the vinyl.

We took moulds for both LHD and RHD early dashes so they are effectively undersized and we cover them with a thin layer of trim foam and then Vinyl or Alcantara. The trim foam is needed so the covering can be stretched to eliminate creases.

The mouldings aren't pretty as they were never intended to be visible but when they are covered they come up to the correct size.

There is another benefit in the flat end profiles of the early cars. We build a number of cars with full weld-in roll cages and dash tops with curved ends prevent close fitting of the lateral screen bars or you have to cut the dash top.

They are very light and better than not having the dashtop covered.

The trend in the UK has been to use a fibreglass dashtop taken from a later car and then to flock spray them black. As the mouldings are polyester the curing temperature for the flock is a bit on the low side so the spray coating isn't UV stable and discolours and goes blotchy within about 12 months.

The photographs show the basic moulding and we make the second flat panel from a Foamex water proof sign board and rivet them together.








I don't think this classifies as creative but it works out as quite cost effective and light.

[Mr9146]

You could probably find a good, used SC dash (with small vent) for fairly cheap and just plug the vent hole and quickly wrap it in vinyl. The vent plug may show if not done well, but it's better than what you've got...

[Greg D.]

The vent plug may show if not done well, but it's better than what you've got...

ANYTHING is better than what I've got ;-)

[robmog]

I have a decent one with 2 cracks that aren't too bad.
A good core for recover, $100 + shipping

[Greg D.]

Deal ! Thank you. That's exactly what I need.... PM sent for details..