dmontanagrizzlies

for the 1969 442 that we are restoring? Have all other interior parts and now have noticed that the exsisting dash is so sun faded that it should most likely be replaced. I have searched all over the net, but can't seem to find a place. Any help is appreciated.

Is there a process where one could have the exsisting dash re-dyed, or painted? Thanks in advance.

ent72olds

Look up justdashes on the web.....

derek nesdoly

Not sure about Just Dashes prices,and the shipping costs out to California. Prior threads on this topic suggest that there's no repo's and that it's often best to just get a whole "parts "car and get the dash out[or try to buy a dash at the scrappers]. You can definately paint/dye your replacement to match your car...see prior threads re: interior paints. I'll be pulling my 69 442 dash this winter for just such a freshen up paint job...and to try and repair/replace all that crumbling yellowish foam that keeps falling out from under it?....Derek

cfair

I've used them twice for my 66 big cars. First time maybe $400 about 15 years ago, second about 10 years ago was maybe $500. Both are perfect after their process - no cracks or warping at all.

No, not cheap, but it's a fix you see every time you drive.

cf

Olds64

Every once in awhile I see vinyl repair kits for dashes at auto parts stores. I am not sure how well they work but you might consider searching for one of these. You could also always get a dash cover. They are only about $30.

dmontanagrizzlies

I really appreciate all the comments, please keep them coming. I agree as one poster said this is something on the car that you see all the time.

Just FYI...the dash really is in great condition, no cracks. Just as I said only sun faded. Also if you have suggestions on how to get the dash out, I'm all eyes. Please again keep any and all suggestions on re finishing the dash coming...

70Post

If your dashpad is in nice shape then YES, by all means, paint/dye it. Absolutely no need to spend the big $$ on the dash recovering places.

What color is it???

7244too

What he said! X2
If the dash has no other problems other than fading go for it. Your gonna be taking it out anyway if you were to replace it. So take your time removing it. Double check it for damage and if you are pleased with the condition, prep it good and spray it. I have used PPG brand that can be mixed to any color. If the paint shop you go to has a computer that will color match take a good piece of your interiors color to match it to. There are resto companies that handle interior paints also but they tend to be "close but no cigar". SEM is another very good paint for what you are looking to do. Just don't forget to clean the old dash very good before you paint. I've heard of everything from just dish detergent and water to wiping it down with isopropyl alchohol. Pay particular attention around the ash tray area. If it was ever owned by a smoker there will be tar and nicotine in this area. I am a smoker so this was a no brainer for me. You won't want something too shiny, but you don't want it dull either. Usually a semi-gloss works good. Guys, if I'm way off please advise otherwise. I guess my point would be, if your thinking about buying another one spend a little money and time on this one before you just trash it. You'll be surprised and save $$$$$. Just my $.02. Good luck

dmontanagrizzlies

The color is Code 10 Red

Gary's 2 442-S

I agree with the use of interior paint by SEM.I got that product from Eastwood for painting interior parts. I also purchased the Prep from them,very important step What I did was to first use acetone to wipe off all the grit. If there has ever been armour all on it you are going to need some type of chemical to remove it.and that why I used acetone. Then I used 400 sandpaper and went over them. Then I used the prep,before I painted. The paint comes in aerosol cans. I changed the color on the console and dash,kick panels and liked the results

BosMobile

X2,gh5168! How about getting the dash out? like to try this as well,thanks,BO

70Post

No need for any kind of sandpaper or abrasion on any of the plastic interior parts.

>So...the dashpad itself is red?

Try SEM brand plastic/vinyl paints....you should be able to buy it locally at an auto paint supply place or maybe even O'Reilly's.

The hard part is trying to figure out if SEM has a red that matches what you need. I believe they will custom mix for you also but you have to send a sample to SEM.

Two key things here:

1)Clean parts...super clean parts. Scrub and scrub the parts with HOT water if possible, a good short stiff nylon bristle brush and some type of soap (ie dishwashing liquid soap). SEM also makes some cleaners with a very slight abrasive in them that works well (SEM Soap I think). I would avoid ANY other abrasives on the vinyl and plastic interior parts other than the SEM Soap. You don't need any abrasive and you may end up with sanding scratches showing thru the paint/dye.

2) The correct adhesion promoter. You should be able to use Bulldog brand adhesion promoter on all the interior plastic and vinyl parts. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE BULLDOG CAN!! You can buy it at O'Reilly's and probably other places in an easy-to-use spray can.

If you can't get a good match with SEM then as suggested above you may need to get it custom-mixed/matched at a local auto paint supply place.

Gary's 2 442-S

Bo,I did not find it all that easy getting the dash out. since I was redoing the entire interior I had already removed the seats,so I had room to work with. I removed the instument panel and was able to reach some nuts that I probably was going to have a hard time getting to. I also had taken the glove box out also.Just take your time. take a look at this post below and you will see what my dash looked like after I used the Sem product, As 70 post said if they dont have your color maybe the paint supply place in your area can do a color match. The SEM Prep is #38353.
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...-question.html

BosMobile

COOL,Thanks for the link.It'll be a winter project,I'm replacing my carpet,so my seats and all will be out too.Seems like every ''one little thing''turns into major projects does'nt it?I dont mind at all,till i run out of money in the middle.Thanks again,70resto too.BO

70Post

Your '70-2 style dash is a lot easier to remove than the 68/69 dashes. OR...maybe I should say it's a pain to remove a 70-72 and a pain in the *** to remove the earlier ones!

I'll look at a loose 70-72 dash here and try and give you a count on how many fasteners, etc.

Money-wise...using the SEM stuff is one of the highest bang-for-the-buck deals on the car. The spray cans typically run about $12 each and they cover quite a bit of area. The Bulldog adhesion promoter is also about $12 a can and one can also covers A LOT.

For just a dash pad...you would need one can of each. And you would have plenty still left in the can.

You don't want to HOSE ON the SEM paint/dye. It's VERY THIN (so it doesn't build up much and fill in all the grain/texture like regular paint would) so it runs EASILY. It's mostly solvent. Medium coats are the way to apply it...not heavy coats (as mentioned..it'll just run). Also..spraying it in 100 degree weather and/or the direct sun should be avoided. Being mostly solvents it flashes off very quick and you want the stuff to blend into itself nicely as you make each pass with the can. 70-90 degrees and in the shade is better for applying it.

If you have to have something mixed at a local paint supply place then you will probably be spending more and depending on whose paint system you use (Dupont, PPG, etc) their can be multiple components to buy.

Finally, remember this stuff IS PAINT....so it's not bulletproof. It'll scuff and scratch like any other paint. There's nothing better than the original color-is-part-of-the-plastic original parts but the SEM, etc is still good stuff.

BosMobile

Thanks again 70post,mines blk so i'mlucky .I do have a big crack ,ever tried to fix one ?I'm a do it myselfer,I believe its worth a try.Any suggestions on materials needed would be appric iated,I like to follow manufactures instructions,I figure they know whats best.[new concept,hahahah]thanks again,BO

70Post

Cracks...I just go find a better dashpad since they are pretty much impossible to completely hide. Still a couple of possibilities you could try(and they are probably plenty of others):

>Find one of those old vinyl repair kits that have been around forever...you know what I mean--they come with a bunch of little containers of different colored goop you put in the crack and maybe some "texturing" pieces that you lay over the goop once you've filled in the crack to impart a texture onto the repair surface. Some might even call for using an iron to help the texture.

>Another method is to fill the gap/crack CAREFULLY with something like JBWeld epoxy and hand texture it yourself. Basically you have to find a pick or something to use to scribe in whatever pattern you want. The dashpads just have a sort of "small wormlike" graining so there's not much variation in it. This helps as you don't have to try and duplicate a bunch of different types or sizes of texture in your filler.

Bondo, etc is too soft probably to properly texture. More rubbery type fillers you will never be able to carve into. JBWeld, once fully cured, is hard enough to cut and grain. It can be VERY TEDIOUS and the results may be less-than-perfect. Another thing--if the JBWeld isn't cured all the way you may find that you can texture it but come back and the texture has pretty much dissappeared as the JBWeld continued to slowly flow and self-level.

I've textured 70-72 Olds dashpads in very small areas that were rubbed down smooth (not cracked) by heating the tip of a pick and sort of melting in the new grain. Again, not perfect, tedious, and it took a while to figure out the technique that would produce a reasonably convincing looking grain (ie--so it wouldn't glare at you and say "THIS AREA HAS BEEN REPAIRED!!). I've retextured a number of the hard plastic console pieces using the fill and texture method and had some good results. In some cases it takes doing the filling/texturing and spraying some color over it to REALLY SEE what the result looks like. It's hard to envision how well your repair will look when the repair is one color and the surrounding material is another. By spraying a light coat over the repair area and the surrounding good material you can get a "sneak peek" at how the finished repair will look. If you dont' like it you can go back and continue texturing (or filling spots that appeared too low) and spray it again.

That's one of the cool things about SEM paints. They are so thin that the part will withstand the experimentation of some light "trial coats" without all your detail (ie texture/grain) getting filled in like it would with a regular paint.

I'll try to post a few pics of a pretty broken up '70 4 speed top-of-console plastic adapter I recently repaired for a guy. The repair took A LONG TIME and I did it in small sessions as it was too tedious to repair in one sitting (along with the fact that a number of pieces were broken off and completely missing so I had to cut, fit, trim and attach those as well).

If I find them and post them I'll try to use the "Paint" feature to outline what was broken off and missing as well as the long cracks that were running along parts of it. I don't know if I still have the pics showing the part as it arrived before the repair. It was a black console piece so I used SEM LANDAU BLACK to shoot it. THAT'S THE SEM COLOR YOU MUST USE ON YOUR DASHPAD as it has the perfect sheen level for that part...the gloss/sheen level varies quite a bit between different BRANDS of vinyl paints (ie Krylon, Duplicolor, etc) and I have yet to find another spray can form black vinyl/plastic paint with a sheen/gloss level as "right" looking as SEM's LANDAU BLACK. It's great for dashes, kick panels and consoles.

BosMobile

Hey,thanks alot!I'm a painter,but i have'nt tried to fix any vinyl in years.The results were less than desirable.I'll try your method,its gonna be a winter project.
So,is your buisness/job restoring oldsmobiles?That would be awsome!Might apply for a job,if i were in texas,anyway,thanks for the suggestions and welcome,your knowledge will come in handy here.Later on ,BO

70Post

Here's a THIRD method...but first

The reason I say "find another dashpad" in the last post is that the two methods I outline above are my SECOND CHOICE. Neither of them will likely prevent the crack from getting larger if that's what it wants to do---don't know if the glues are strong enough to keep it from progressing as the vinyl contracts/expands. Also...the repairs will probably still be detectable. The idea here is to save A LOT of $$ and maybe a dashpad that is otherwise in real nice condition.

If you are dealing with a driver OR the crack is small and/or in a spot where it's not easy to see these methods may be acceptable to you.

THIRD METHOD: This one will cost more but the results may be cosmetically better. Find one of those leather/vinyl repair people in your area and have them make the repair. These are the people that specialize in fixing rips/tears, etc in leather and vinyl auto seats, dashes, etc. They do this stuff every day and a small crack in the dash may not be any big deal for them to fix. With their experience in getting stuff to look right (ie make repairs undetectable) it may be your best option. At least worth a shot to try and find one of them and have them take a look at it.

Again..all of these are for the situation where you can't justify getting the pad recovered or DON'T need to (you aren't doing an all-out show car restoration).

Where is the crack and how long is it?

BosMobile

The crack is just to the right of the driver ,goes from frt to back edge.The car sat outside a few years,ruined the dash.Also leaked water into pass. floor and rotted it out.I'm going to try to fix it,I mostly dragrace,but will be driving some.I'm not expecting perfect results,just major improvment.Thanks again for any advice,later on ,BO