dashboard doctor

[Dave999]

purchased an RT Dash pad for my charger about 2 years ago on Oz ebay.

(when out there one of the first things i did with my car was strip the dash sort the wireing and bolt it all back good and firm. that was my first mistake. in Australia the cars heat up so much in the sun that the dash frames expand and contract which ultimately causes the vinyl dashpad to crack and craze. mine was held on with only the centre bolt. i made the mistake of bolting it down with all 6 after my work on the wireing and had a cracked dash pad within weeks. basically ruined it. henec i needed a new one )

since then it has been passed around various friends in Oz waiting to come home disguised as skis or a surfboard.
too long for normal post and too light to warrant a 2x2m space for normal shipping. would cost the same as an engine to ship

it was cracked as per any dash pad more than 5 years old in Oz but only in 1 place for approx 1 inch and was in a lot better state than my current one

anyway as the initail burn of the purchase died down (RT means double the price) i got it sent to my wifes great uncles place, he runs a franchise buisness in Interior vinyl repair and re-colouring and supplies the tools and materials to francises country wide. he does mainly daily driver and insurance stuff.

one of his associates in this business is

Dashboard Doctor in Melbourne.
http://www.dashboarddoctor.com.au/

who undertakes the resto and custom side of things, reskining re colouring and even building up clear acetate full dash panels filled with pictures and sparkly bits ( or anything)
if thats what floats ya boat

so i got them to reskin it

it will arrive soon (mate is moving home) but should look spanky new like this



if it does fulfill expectations i'll finish off this with a recommendation

given that year one don't supply stuff for aussie Mopars
it would appear that this kind of service is the only option
The UK appears to be lacking this kind of expertise.

leather and walnut no problem vinyl and plastic NO.

i'll let you know how it looks when it gets here

here is a before and after on a ford XY dash pad
http://www.dashboarddoctor.com.au/ba_fordxy.html

Dave

[Ivor]

That's great stuff Dave, I managed to repair the cracks in my dash using the Halfords smart repair kit.

Basically it like some tyre repair patches and super glue gel...it filled the holes but I was never pleased with the result, so a bought a brand new repro dash pad...it was half an inch too short at either end.

Lovely.

Anyway, the only person who seemed to notice was me.

Can't wait to see your new Bananarama! dash...think how easy it will be to wipe the baby sick off...and it won't go down the cracks and give you that distinctive whiff when you get into the Charger on a warm morning in July.

[Gareth]

Can't wait to see your new Bananarama! dash....

Good grief ! Our Chairman seems to have a potty mouth today !

[Dave999]

My thinking exactly (regarding the Sick)

as per mr potty mouth....think he spelt spanky wrong

Dave

[Kev]

Hence all the cars over here with spastic supposedly tailored carpet dashboard covers. When I park me Val at work the sunshade goes up in the window.......Maybe it will work(?)

[Dave999]

well i think it will to a certain extent

suppose it depends how much heat creeps in via the metalwork into the metal base of the pad

but yours may already have loose nuts....in which case...job done

[Dave999]

Hence all the cars over here with spastic supposedly tailored carpet dashboard covers.

good aren't they especially glued down with bostick

one thing that does work to avoid the getting ya bits stuck to the seat when drving back from the beach in ya board shorts scenario

is a woolly sheep as a seat cover. cool in summer warm in winter and absorbs the sweatyness.....

nice

smell a bit cheesy but less middle eastern taxi driver than the beaded seat cover.
although they do lift you out of the puddle by a few mm.

do you wear a vest now you live in Oz? a habit i had to pick up otherwise i sweated through the back of my shirt in approx 40 seconds, i can recommend the chesty bond in blue or white ribbed


Dave

[Anonymous]

so a bought a brand new repro dash pad...it was half an inch too short at either end.

Mine is too Ivor, must have been from the same company.

[Ivor]

Can't wait to see your new Bananarama! dash....

Good grief ! Our Chairman seems to have a potty mouth today !

Very odd I had typed s w a n k y...well, I thought I had!