Dash cap or new dash pad?

[buie1289]

Hey, newbie here. I'm up to my elbows in the restoration of my '74 Charger. It's going to be a driver car, so I'm not really interested in a concourse restoration. Right now I'm working on the interior and I'm trying to decide whether to just buy one of those dash caps to cover mine up (has a few breaks) or sell my wife and my house to buy a repro one. Thoughts? Anyone else had experience with these caps?

[BMOTOXSTAR]

I am in the same dilemma brother.

[buie1289]

It'd be nice to see some before and after results from real people. The websites that sell those products do have pictures, and they look good, but then again I don't trust any picture as long as Adobe Photoshop exists!!

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Go to the search here  & type in dash or dash pads. There was a post on the glue on caps, on a B5 Blue Charger I believe, & it looked really nice.

[buie1289]

Thanks, BMOTO. I did find that post and based on those results, I think I'm gonna try it. I'll post some pictures as I go, if you're interested.

[BronzeOnSteelies]

Guys I can summarize my experience and what I have read on the site.

A lot of guys were not happy with the reproduction dash pads. Had no steel frame in them so they sagged, etc.

I had my dash pad rebuilt by Dash Restorations in Washington State (I believe) and the use the old frame and put new
foam and vinyl on it. It was $400.00 and they did a great job. It hurt to spend that much but it was worth it.

The previous owner of my car had tried to install a cap and was unsuccessful so when he pulled it off it stripped a lot
of the old vinyl off so I was not going to go that route.

Mark

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Thanks, BMOTO. I did find that post and based on those results, I think I'm gonna try it. I'll post some pictures as I go, if you're interested.

Yeah man, post pic's if you go that route.

[Charger74]

The ones' that Nick's Parts (http://nicksclassicparts.com/) sells are very nice and are pretty much redone cores, meaning they have to metal frame in them.

[Charger1973]

I had a dash cap that came with my first Charger. It did not fit right on the ends (by the door panels) and it never stayed in place.  It didnt look terrible though, and for a driver its an option.  If you want it to look right though get a real pad. 

[Charger-Bodie]

I usually am not a fan of caps, but the RoadRunner I just bought came with one. So I figured Id try it, to my surprise it wasnt too bad. It wont come off either cause I took the insert out of the right side of the das and sandwiched it together along with windshield urethane.....It looks VERY good for a cap, but Like Charger1973 said , the ends arent quite right. For a nice Driver Id say go for it!

[Mike DC]

 
Yeah, the repro pads are crap.


Just one more example of a company making a part so badly that nobody buys it, and then the industry takes that to mean there's not much demand for the part so we don't get any better ones.

[buie1289]

Charger74, I had a look at the pads that Nick's is offering. They do look very good. What kind of money are they getting for one of these?

[Charger74]

I know they weren't cheap, I think between $450 and $600 I think.  Don't quote me on that.  It would be best to contact him and ask.  I know he had a special going but it ended sometime ago.

[Nacho-RT74]

Honestly!!! I WOULN'T GO WITH A CAP ever... they should be called CrAP... is simply a cheap "solution"


better:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1971-1974-GTX-ROADRUNNER-SATELLITE-CHARGER-DASH-PAD_W0QQitemZ160291981036QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item160291981036&_trkparms=72%3A727|39%3A1|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245

( he has/had a group buy discount recently on board I think is same Nick named before )

[Hemidog]

Man, I wish BEA are thinking of making one for a 68.... mine look like someone went crazy with a knife.

[Charger-Bodie]

Man, I wish BEA are thinking of making one for a 68.... mine look like someone went crazy with a knife.

I was told that the 68 pad is almost ready to be released from B/E&A

[Hemidog]

Man, I wish BEA are thinking of making one for a 68.... mine look like someone went crazy with a knife.

I was told that the 68 pad is almost ready to be released from B/E&A

Seriously? that's the best news I've heard all week (or maybe year!) 
Last I heard anything about those, was like a year ago...

[tatrick2me]

How good or bad a cap is depends on the knowlage of the installer. When the time is taken to do it right they look great. I've saw them a mess and I saw so called rebuilt pads a mess. The most #1 important thing with a cap is clean, clean. Did I say clean? #2 the old dash pad is raised a little at each crank. Use a box knife to cut them down level. Then test fit and trim a little [you can't put it back] on the cap until it fits right.

[Nacho-RT74]

How good or bad a cap is depends on the knowlage of the installer.

Not completelly true.. I got for a couple of friends here two diff from two diff manufacturers.

One from Coverlay... did fit nice. However doesn't cover the area above cluster ( seatbelt light insert )
The other one covers that area ( dunno remember the manufacturer ) simply didn't fit right, I don't know how to describe it, but looks like a balloon...

[71_Charger_R/T]

I've seen Caps that look decent but I wouldn't go that route as they tend to pucker up when they are parked in the sweltering heat (like at a show) They are basically PVC and that grows big time when it heats up. I would save up and bite the bullet and buy a repro from one of the new manufacturers that put new material on an original metal core. I was at the Mopars in the park show this spring and saw a vendor with some very nice repops that were in the $400.00 range and he said he would buy B-Body cores for $20.00 bucks each. So if you had some extra cores you could reduce that $400.00 by a bit.  I was fortunate to find an excellent original on E-gouge for $250.00 but that was a few years ago. Just my two cents  You are wise to throw it out there and get some opinions so you can make an educated decision based on some others experience. Good luck... Let us know how it works out for you when you make the decision.

[Nacho-RT74]

I was at the Mopars in the park show this spring and saw a vendor with some very nice repops that were in the $400.00

Somebody on board already got the repro unit from Paddock and was unsatisfied, so got it returned to Paddock

[71_Charger_R/T]

I was at the Mopars in the park show this spring and saw a vendor with some very nice repops that were in the $400.00

Somebody on board already got the repro unit from Paddock and was unsatisfied, so got it returned to Paddock

No, It wasn't Paddock... it was someone else but I can't remember who. I'll have to try and find the literature and post it if I can.

[BROCK]

I got in on Nicks group buy & am very satisfied.

Pics are here:
http://wichargerguy.proboards101.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=interiour&thread=1027&page=1#8131

[AKcharger]

I did mine last year. My advice is if you have $400-600 to spend have your original dash redone, I still don't trust the new ones. If you don't have that much to spend go for a cap. Below is my old post. I'm happy with it and for a total cost $94 it will last me a few years. Here's my old post

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,35447.msg388712.html#msg388712

AK