73 charger dash cracked

[Texas charger 73]

Pulled my 73,charger dash today and it has 3 pretty good size cracks. Better to try and fix cracks or get a new dash pad? This I believe bolts to metal frame, are there any new ones that do? Who has used new replacement dash pads? Pros? Cons? Seen some that glue on for like $50, that sounds like a piece of crap

 

[hemi#1]

I have a 65 satellite and no one repops. the pad. I peeled off the old vinyl and rebuilt the cracks after chamfering the cracks and used Great Stuff foam insulation to fill the cracks. sand and smooth the insulation after it dries. get ahold of Lengendery auto and get 2/3 yds. of vinyl in the color you need. lay out the pattern. now get some 3m super 76 or super 77 spray adhesive spray both the vinyl and the pad let it tack up put them together. and on a good hot Texas day put it out in the sunshine and let it shrink or warm it with a heat gun for under $100.00 your dash can look like new. just take your time with it

 

[Bb70charger500]

I've used the dash caps that glue on there actually not bad for this dash I've used them on a trans am once it turned out honorable I've done about three on diffrent b body's they look great for way less cash if it's a Hugh dollar car you can buy a repop dash pad but most arnt worth dropping 400-500 or what ever crazy number there asking this week , it's an easy job too , you can do it in the car or out
(I prefer out) get some clamps and some books wood or whatever you can grab, clean it glue it and clamp it they turn out nice every time good luck

 

[Nacho-RT74]

dash caps doesn't worth a penny for a restoration, just if you ask me, for a regular not so good driver or a temporal fix while you get the money for a good job

dash pads are or were available recently as repro on Fiberglass frame. has being told doesn't worth what is priced... doesn't fit straight.

Metal frame repros are not available ( as far I know ), but rebuilt services are available around. The most popular sometime ago was JUST DASHES, but their quotes wen't out to te sky ( $500 to $600 ) and have known their quality has being decreased.

However there is a seller on ebay, which as far I know is well known as "Carolina Dashes" ( although he has changed the ebay id several times ) I have heard goods and bads, but MOSTLY opinions has being good. I have seen pics of their product on the 3rd gen charger board and they look great too me.

they are on $400 rate, and accept cores on $25 or so

- - - Updated - - -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1971-74-MOP...974|Model:Charger&hash=item4878d37fc1&vxp=mtr

- - - Updated - - -

same seller offfering the plastic frames

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1971-74-MOP...5&pid=100005&rk=3&rkt=6&sd=311264772033&rt=nc

Can tell how are these, as far I know the bads were fiberglass I think

 

[nstyle73]

There are several metal frame dash pads available. Classic industries for one has both fiberglass and metal cores dash pads. The $50 glue on ones, if done right, will get you by and are really only obvious to Mopar enthusiasts. I painted one and put it on my Charger when I was 15. 17 years later it finally cracked and I am going to replace it with a real dash pad. Restoring one yourself will probably look better but $/hr, the cheap one wins hands down, especially with a black interior. Mine was medium blue so I had to paint it.

 

[Bruzilla]

I used a cap on mine and it worked great. I didn't see much sense in dropping big $$$ on a vinyl recreation that is just going to end up like the original pad did, especially in the Florida summer.

 

[Bruzilla]

72Fourspeed asked me to post some pictures of the cap in my car and they are below. I've been driving these cars since 1979 and visually the caps are identical to a vinyl cap. When you feel them you can feel the difference between a hard plastic surface and a soft vinyl one, but visually (which is what counts unless you have a bizarre vinyl fetish) you can't tell the difference unless you climb under the dash.

 

[Texas charger 73]

Can you put a cap on with dash in car?,

 

[Bruzilla]

Can you put a cap on with dash in car?,

Yep. Just wipe down the old pad to clean it and cut away any cracked areas or bulging foam so the surface is as flat as possible. Apply glue as directed and also add it to the back of the pad. And make sure you have good ventilation because the fumes are strong!!! Use some books, pieces of wood, or other weights to press the cap down while the glue sets and let it sit overnight. And voila!

 

[72Fourspeed]

Thanks Bruzilla. That looks good enough for my driver. I'd rather do the seats, the body, the paint, etc first. I don't have matching #s, so let the games begin. Where did you get the cap from ?

 

[moparmarks]

I used a cap on my 72 driver. I put it on while a had the dash out of the car and now I can't get the speaker grill back on without pulling the windshield. It needs a new windshield anyway. So if you put one on don't plan on ever pulling the dash out unless pulling the windshield or crawling up under there and pulling the dash pad first. Also my cap cracked in 3 years. They are find for a driver but would never use one on a nicer car.

 

[Bruzilla]

Thanks Bruzilla. That looks good enough for my driver. I'd rather do the seats, the body, the paint, etc first. I don't have matching #s, so let the games begin. Where did you get the cap from ?

I think I got it off ebay. I remember I was going to buy it from Year One but the shipping costs were INSANE. I don't think there are many companies making these, so they're probably coming from the same maker regardless of who sells them.

One thing to keep in mind though... it's been my experience that body work is always better being done last because it will suck the life, motivation, and money, out of you worse than anything else, and the further along you are with making other aspects of your car give you an emotional lift the easier it is to deal with downers like body work. I think I paid like $80 for that dash cap, and the improvement it made to the appearance of the interior was worth a hundred times that much. This is why I always work on the interior first. That way my motivation level is much higher when I start into paint & body.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

definitelly, caps are not for me... two installed down here on couple of 3rd gen Chargers, and one on a Cuda. everyone from diff manufacturers, and didn't like anyone of the three.

Yes you can tell the diff not just touching. The grain pattern is waaaaay dif, you can tell the bulky look of them... sorry definitelly not for me.

just my opinion

 

[Bruzilla]

I've been looking at those dash pads for 30 years, and if someone said my life depended on having to tell an actual grain pattern from the pattern on a cap, I could honestly say I would be dead now. I guess if someone is really obsessive about details like that, there is a difference. As for me, I really couldn't care less as I don't obsess over minutiae when it comes to cars that a factory threw together with whatever they had on hand at the time.

 

[YY1]

There's a cap installed on my 72.

Whoever did it did a GREAT job.

I didn't even notice it was a cap until about the fifth time I sat in the car.

I even had a cap laying around, not installed so I am familiar with what they look and feel like.

I did test fit that cap on another dash, and it looks and feels kinda funny, but I'm not sure if it's the same brand, and it wasn't secured.

 

[Bruzilla]

I just can't imagine there are a whole lot of companies making these.

 

[Texas charger 73]

im thinking i might just keep my original with the cracks i fixed and just buy a black dash mat.. that ways its also protected from the sun from further cracking

 

[Nacho-RT74]

I just can't imagine there are a whole lot of companies making these.

at least 2 or 3 for sure. Some caps just covers the top area, and some other doesn't reach the cluster area ( map ligh insert ). Between those 2, the one which covers just the top, got better fitment, but still bulky look

 

[YY1]

The difference between the two that I have seems to be the area surrounding the vent panel on the passenger's side.

The one in my 72 fits great there, the one I bought for my 74 was tight on the sides and loose top and bottom.

 

[JedIEG]

My pad is in the same condition as yours. I have gone down the road to restoring the vinyl myself and not buy a cap... that being said, for this particular dash, unless you have a degree in industrial engineering with a focus in thermoforming plastics, BUY THE CAP