Dash Pad? cap/skin or new oem style

[Lord Warlock]

Anyone using a dash cap on their 69?  Given that there is almost no dash on these cars to cover, has anyone just used a dash skin or dash cap to cover an old dash pad that is showing wear or age? The original dash had a singe crack which i had filled and repaired using one of those vinyl repair kits, worked pretty well, right side has a compression mark under the skin that shows, someone hit, kicked or rested feet on dash hard enough to leave a mark under the vinyl.  Respraying or coloring won't hide it. 

Saw Dash skins that looked interesting as a possibility, always thought i'd eventually replace the dash pad, but reaching some of the nuts up there can be problematic without pulling the dash.  Not planning on pulling the dash.  Will probably remove the radio, and instrument cluster sooner or later, glove box innards will be replaced with a new one, already took old one out.  I figure the stock pad is good enough for now, but with new seatcovers, front doorpanels, carpet, and recolored upper panels, I'll eventually want to replace it or cover it with something. 

[jaak]

I haven't used a dash cap in a 2 gen. Charger, but I used one in the 73 I had.
They actually look pretty good, and is a cheaper alternative to buying a new pad, but the one problem with most I have seen.....is they are usually too short to completely cover the front edge of the pad. While sitting in the car they look great, but when standing outside looking through the windshield, you can see about 1/2 to 3/4" of the original dash poking out. Here is a pic of one on a 69 Charger I took at a car show, so you can see what I'm talking about....



I have read threads where folks have recovered the original dash in vinyl for driver type resto's. In fact I'm going to try it out on a 68 pad I got here soon just to see how it turns out, if it turns out good, I'm going to use it.

Here is a thread where 'Bobfist' recovered his dash pad >>>> http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,86162.msg971616.html#msg971616


Jason

[fy469rtse]

nah ,
dont waste your money on a cap, pay for the proper pad, mate of mine asked me for help because he couldnt get it to fit , he didnt know any better and got sold a cap , shit fit ,couldnt get it to sit straight, bla bla bla , bad memory

[Lord Warlock]

anything requiring glue to hold it on I usually veer away from, If it was made long enough on top it would snap over the edge and hold itself on.  Will likely buy a new pad, at least they are now available, even if pricey.  As you work your way to smaller decisions that you will look at every time you drive it, the price of things isn't so noticeable.

[Ghoste]

Go with the pad.  Caps are temporary bandaids in my opinion and if its a restoration you are already in deep so go the little bit more and get a full correct style pad whenever you can.

[bill440rt]

Agreed. Your car, your money but to me the cap is just a cheap looking coverup.
With the cluster, radio, & glove box out the pad is not THAT hard to change with the proper tools. Just need some extensions, wobble adapter, etc. With the dash apart it's a 1 hour job at the most.

[Nacho-RT74]

remanufactured Dash Pad.

[Brock Lee]

I have had a cap on mine for maybe 8 or 9 years now. It fits correctly with the only gaps being on the underside by the heater controls (it took work to make it fit right, trimming off high spots where it was blistered and filling in voids with expandable foam on the original pad). While I plan on putting a new pad in it someday, I am in no rush as it looks okay and nobody even notices it. Even Mopar guys never pick it out.

[DodgeR/T]

i knew a guy who put a cap on a 73 charger and i seen it for sale at park and sell a few years later and the cap also cracked!

[Brock Lee]

I am not sure how the 3rd generation caps are made, but it would take effort to crack the 2nd gen caps. It is plastic similar to the A pillar trim. If it dried out and was grabbed or hit I guess it could crack.

[Lord Warlock]

Couldn't believe it, was having the headliner put in after 10 years of waiting, and in the process he was tapping the front edge with a hammer, and the rear view mirror mount vibrated off the roof and fell on the dash pad with a direct hit from the post part of it, leaving a nice hole in the top of the dash pad,  so it looks like i need to order a new dash pad,  PG Classic lists that they have a brown one in their catalog but do not show it online.  Guess i'll have to call them and ask. 

Just spent almost a grand on weatherstripping, new mirrors, windshield install and various other parts.  May as well bit the bullet with the dash pad which is no longer salvageable.

[Ghoste]

Ouch, sorry to hear that man.

[Lord Warlock]

I had patched a medium crack in front of the drivers side well enough to use the dash, it had a wrinkle under the vinyl on the right side where someone pressed the pad with their feet or something, now it has a hole in the top near the wrinkle.  Called PG Classics and ordered the brown replacement pad, don't know when I'll be ready to put it in, wasn't planning on pulling the radio or cluster soon, eventually yes but wasn't on the near term radar.  The heater tends to leak some so had planned on pulling the heater core out and see if i could figure where the leak was from, but had hoped to bypass it for now and get to it later.

The cluster is a concern of mine, it all worked when i parked it, but the wires and plastic are brittle and digging around back there will likely bite me somehow.   Would love to have a rebuilt cluster, the tach was a little off and the clock only moves if you snap the adjusting knob, and the speedo is a little yellow in spots, but was something better left till later.   

Finishing the headliner kicks the project forward, still have to work out getting the dome light to sit flat and tighten up the windshield trim after the glass gets put in, also will have to pull the back seat and remove the right rear door panels, I guess bolting the front seats down wasn't a good idea yesterday. 

[Lord Warlock]

Brown replacement pad arrived, very nice looking piece, can't wait till i can get it in the car.  Windshield and back glass are both installed and ready to go.