Easiest way to change the dash trim colour

Cooper69S · 17-07-2007, 01:38 AM

Gday all
after an unfortunate accident in the front of my car with a 10L tin of house paint (fell over going around a corner and the lid came off slightly), I decided it might be a good time to upgrade my interior, so I bought a complete black SR interior (much nicer IMO than the original Forte grey and much more comfortable with seats that haven't been flattened by previous owners).
I've swapped out the carpets, seats, door trims etc and am just left with the dash...
I saw this dash pad on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....om%3DR40%26_tr
and it made me think that maybe I could take off the dash trim from the black one and replace mine rather than swapping out the entire thing..

Would replacing the outer trim be easier than swapping out the entire dash or harder? Considerations are that mine is v8 and the black one is from a i6 so I was told there are some wiring differences. Also since mine is ex-police i'd want to keep my existing cluster and also the stereo.

Is there a doco anywhere on swapping the dash given that I've never done it before?

Thanks

FGII-XR6 · 17-07-2007, 01:56 AM

the whole dash pad has to be replaced the "cover" is not removable . this is heatshrinked onto the frame so it is all one piece

Cooper69S · 17-07-2007, 02:09 AM

is replacing the whole dash pad any different or easier than replacing the entire dash assembly? I have the entire dash there just wondering which is the best way to tackle it...

FGII-XR6 · 17-07-2007, 02:14 AM

the dash pad is whats showing in the ebay pic it is the entire assembly

robbo_yobbo · 17-07-2007, 11:45 AM

the top of the dash comes off of the bottom of the dash. the wiring is on the botom of the dash.

just swapping the top pad is harder (more time consuming) because you first need to take the dash out, then seperate the dash pad from the dash assembly, then reasemble with the new dash pad, then reinstall the dash assemble.

Either way, your going to have to take the whole dash out, and even though more time consuming, id tend to suggest putting the new top on your old bottom, rather than putting the whole new thing in and swapping the wiring, coz its just a pita. fidling with bolts and screws is much simpler then fidling with electrical tape and those stupid clips that break.

If you get the one in the eBay listing, then this will be your only option anyway, because this is the pad only, not the whole assembly

Other option is revynil/upholster/leather your current dash, or paint.

I reupholstered mine white, but the glue didnt hold in some taught spots, so i stripped it back to foam, and painted acrylic over the foam so it gets a good hold and wont chip or peel. im still in the process, but its comming up good so far.

falzoony · 17-07-2007, 11:59 AM

Anyone else notice that it says posts to Australia, Germany?

FGII-XR6 · 17-07-2007, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by falzoony

Anyone else notice that it says posts to Australia, Germany?

yes i'd hate to think of the postage cost to Germany. are the germans fortunate enough to have the AU? i doubt it

falzoony · 17-07-2007, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by au3xr6

yes i'd hate to think of the postage cost to Germany. are the germans fortunate enough to have the AU? i doubt it

Unless someone tries to put AU interior into a VW.

JC · 17-07-2007, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cooper69S

Gday all
after an unfortunate accident in the front of my car with a 10L tin of house paint (fell over going around a corner and the lid came off slightly), I decided it might be a good time to upgrade my interior, so I bought a complete black SR interior (much nicer IMO than the original Forte grey and much more comfortable with seats that haven't been flattened by previous owners).
I've swapped out the carpets, seats, door trims etc and am just left with the dash...
I saw this dash pad on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....om%3DR40%26_tr
and it made me think that maybe I could take off the dash trim from the black one and replace mine rather than swapping out the entire thing..

Would replacing the outer trim be easier than swapping out the entire dash or harder? Considerations are that mine is v8 and the black one is from a i6 so I was told there are some wiring differences. Also since mine is ex-police i'd want to keep my existing cluster and also the stereo.

Is there a doco anywhere on swapping the dash given that I've never done it before?

Thanks

You could always spray the dash with Black vinyl spray - it can be done with the dash in the car - just mask up the windscreen etc.

Cooper69S · 17-07-2007, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robbo_yobbo

id tend to suggest putting the new top on your old bottom, rather than putting the whole new thing in and swapping the wiring, coz its just a pita. fidling with bolts and screws is much simpler then fidling with electrical tape and those stupid clips that break.

I think I'll do this - sounds like there's less chance for big problems if i leave the wiring alone.
about the paint option that you and JC mentioned, I don't really want to just paint the existing one. It sounds easier but since I already have the black dash ready to go in, i'd think it would be a better end result to do it 'properly'...???

anyone have any tips or things to avoid when taking the dash in and out? any special tools required?

robbo_yobbo · 17-07-2007, 04:11 PM

Believe me - the painting option is not the easy option if you do it the way i am.

I experimented with the vynil paint, you need a million and a half cans to get a non-seethrough coverage, and if painting it in the car your just asking for a run.

The more coats you put over the existing vynil, the more prone to chip - Ive seen the flaked ones before, they look hideous.

I have a spare dash pad that Ive stripped all the old vynil off and left the foam padding on, Ive been spraying acrylic dyrectly over the foam so that it can lock itself around the billions of holes and wont peel off.

Problem is because the foams not even like the vynil surface, its a little tedious, because I have to spray layer after layer after layer and sand down inbetween each one to eventualy get a smooth surface.

No point using a primer or filler before the acrylic either, because the reason I did it like this is so that it wont show a different colour if it gets scratched through the top layer.

It still flexes and has the padded 'bounce' because of the foam, and while taking longer to do then revyniling, it wont lift like the vynil did.

Either way, tips:.................

Dont take out the fascia or radio, just leave it all in there untill its out of the car.
disconect the air-con sleeved wire behind the glovebox so you dont snap the clip.
Dont loose your bolts (lol)
UNDO ALL WIRING HARNES PLUGS before you undo the bolts - if you break the clips because the dash dropped when you undid the bolts, they wont lock back in properly, and youll be scratching your head trying to figure out why your car wont start again.

Plug all wiring harnesses back in PROPERLY when you put it back in, - one loose connection will cause all sorts of retarded symptoms.

Set asside a good few hours to get it out, pull it appart, swap around and get back in, and make sure you have a spare set of hands available to lift it around the steering wheel, or youll end up dragging it and ripping seats instead.

And dont forget the earth wire when you put it back either

Other then that, its pretty straight forward, just a few bolts at the top and on the sides to get the whole thing out, and then a hundred million screws that you cant see or get to to seperate the top from the bottom once its out. lol

LOWAU · 17-07-2007, 04:44 PM

Good post and hopefully one day when I remove my dash this advise will come in handy, Thanks.

AU2PWR · 17-07-2007, 07:37 PM

Germans are Pretty Effieceint , the red baron and stuff ..

Umineko · 19-07-2007, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robbo_yobbo

Believe me - the painting option is not the easy option if you do it the way i am.
I experimented with the vynil paint, you need a million and a half cans to get a non-seethrough coverage, and if painting it in the car your just asking for a run.
The more coats you put over the existing vynil, the more prone to chip - Ive seen the flaked ones before, they look hideous.

They way I normally do this in the trade is to use 2K base coat with a plastic adhesion promoter added, this will stick like hell to any plastic surface and the only way it will come off is if you sand it off, base coat itself does not wear well, however if you add between 10 and 20% 2K hardener to the mix it will bind it all together nicely and make it quite hard wearing, also gives it a nice satin finish that matches comercial vinyls quite nicely