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To Go to Part Two of "BEEN
THERE, WON THAT!", Click Here
To Go to Part Three of "BEEN THERE, WON THAT!", Click Here |
By Jim McGowan
Some
things stand the test of time better than others.
But eventually, Mother Nature can break even the
hardest rock, leveling the tallest mountains. If
time and the elements can pulverize Granite, what
do you think can happen to your Corvette's dash
board. The double pod dash found in the 1963-'67
'Vette is no exception, and the sun eventually takes
it's bounty with fading and cracking of the original
vinyl.
If you
care about your Corvette interior, there is a solution
to this aging problem. No, not the fountain of youth
rub on elixir, or some drop on fuzzy dash cover,
but a complete reskinning of the surface of the
dual pods and center section, in the correct grain
and color vinyl. Just Dashes is the best kept secret
in the Corvette restoration market. They can completely
restore any Corvette interior vinyl part, to Bloomington
Gold standards, if you can remove it from the vehicle.
In this case we are going to demonstrate the process,
and repair some damage caused by a previous owner's
desire to install gauges in place of the radio!
Resto blasphemy!
The restoration process of any original vinyl part
is labor intensive a s you will see, but the results
must be flawless. The craftsmen at Just Dashes have
been providing concours quality vinyl restorations
for over 20 years, for all makes and model autos
and trucks, and some of the best Corvette interiors
in the country sport a Just Dashes vinyl restoration.
If your interior vinyl parts are literally destroyed,
Just Dashes can strip them down to the core, add
a new surface of high density closed-cell foam and
apply a fresh skin of state-of-the-art vinyl in
the correct Seville grain pattern. Just specify
the original color, and if possible supply a non-faded
color sample, from under the seat for example, and
you will receive an exact match for your interior.
It couldn t be simpler. Just give them a call for
price quotes. |
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(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
After years of exposure to the sun, particularly in roadsters,
the '63-'67 Corvette dash can become brittle, cracked
and extremely faded. Extreme changes in temperature causes
the underlay foam to expand and contract, eventually breaking
through the surface as large crevices, or causing pieces
of vinyl to simply break off the surface. Destruction
by non-preservationists is another story. |
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(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
Here is a typical example of that other story. A
previous owner decided that mounting gauges was
more important than having a radio. A plate was
fabricated and pop riveted to the center section.
Just Dashes can easily repair this kind of damage
as we will see. The top of the pod is also damaged
along the front edge with small pieces falling away.
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(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
The dash is dismantled into three pieces prior to
starting the restoration. Each piece is examined
and all the damage assessed prior to starting. No
matter how far gone your vinyl surface is, it can
be repaired to concours quality. |
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(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
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(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
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| Your original pieces will
receive a new skin of the correct grain vinyl, matching
the original from the Corvette factory. It will
be finished in the correct interior color and ready
for Bloomington competition. |
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(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
The surface is first sanded to add a texture to
the old vinyl. If the surface is cracked or broken,
the area will be repaired first and then the surface
texture added. This rough surface provides a good
grip for the glue and new foam. Any warpage from
heat is repaired at this time. |
(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
The new surface is high density closed-cell foam.
This foam and the vinyl used is state-of-the-art
material, far superior in strength and durability
than the original Sixties technology. A thin layer
of adhesive is sprayed on the foam sheet. |
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(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
The prepared surface of the pod is also treated
to a light coat of glue. The material on this pod
was severely faded and the top area covered with
cracks. |
(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
George, a Just Dashes restoration technician, now
carefully hand forms the foam to the surface. This
is a time consuming but very important point in
the restoration. The foam is the base for the top
skin and must be installed perfectly. |
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Click Here to go to BEEN THERE,
WON THAT!, Part Two.
Click Here to go to BEEN THERE,
WON THAT!, Part Three.
Click Here to go to the magazine
articles listing.
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