I <3 Sharka!
I <3 Sharka!
So... where were we? Oh yeah, a cracked dashboard.
My fault.
Out came the brake fluid to strip the plastic treatment off.
The crack went all the way through. Bummer. I roughed up the dash with some 220 and wiped it clean.
Coroplast patches from a big sheet I adopted last election day. I decided to use this lightweight stuff
rather than the heavy black ABS sheet that the coroplast is sitting on.
Plastic welded into place.
Stress relief holes drilled.
Vee'd.
Filled with plastic welder.
Sanded flat.
None of those little spars broke in 20 years.
And then I came along with my dremel.
A whole hide of black leather. The dash and a gallon of contact cement are present for scale.
Rough shape traced out with lots of extra.
Checking the trace a final time before cutting.
Rough cut. Beep approves.
Excess cut off. Beep is skilled with those shears.
Outside for glue. I decided on my back yard rather than the garage. The more open air the better.
The first layer painted on. I did the whole center at once. The small details around the edges were done
more carefully and slowly.
Leather!
Ready to be sliced open.
Defroster vent covers. Metal mesh ala the M2-1006. This used to be a Target trash can.
Formed to the vents.
Epoxied in place.
Flat against the dash. The defroster tube still bolts up just fine.
Finished!
Like a glove.
Defroster vents.
More defroster vents.
Side defrosters. These were impossible to install. I used leather that's way too thick for the little clips
on the defroster covers. I sanded and wrenched and glued. Nothing held them down. Finally, I decided
on the little bolts. They match other stuff in Sharka's interior and don't look too horrible.
This is what I did with the sides. I just sliced off the leather at a nice angle and called it good. I thought
the leather on the sides might invite squeaks between the dash and door panels. And you never see it
anyway. So... sliced off. It's just a leather dash TOP.
Finished? But the crash pad seems to be missing...
you're awesome and you know it, right?
awesome dash
Wow, that looks fantastic!
Please send me your dash, I'll PM you my address.
I just read your whole build thread...again. Sharka is a lucky car. Your attention to detail, skill, careful documentation, and taste are second to none. That new leather dash is so classy.
Thanks for the kind words everyone! This dash project has not been the speediest thing I've ever done. But at least the end is within sight.
wanna come and do mine?
You bring it out here.
not a bad idea
a first generation dash is the only think sharka needs^^
...i follow this passage cause my dash is cracked in the same place.
true
na6 dash > every other dash
Wow Adam, that's extremely nice!
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