So I've been searching every place I can find for a new dash pad. Found plenty of dash caps, and OEM style pads in every color but jade green which happens to be the color of my truck. I notice you can't even find jade green replacement door panels or armrest pads. Found some jade green replacement carpet though.

Does dyeing, or "painting" the dash pads really work or will it just fade, crack, peel and rub off over time?

What gives, was jade green not a common color, or does everyone just re-paint them? I've always been a fan of black and grey pickups and originally planned to re-paint my '79 black or dark grey but the jade green is growing on me. Thinking now I want to keep it as close to original as possible but the whole dye job thing is bothering me.

 

Ive got the same problem, I cant find anything. I got some black doorpanels and painted them. I also found a green dash cap for my truck, one that just glues on top of the original dash, its a good temporary fix. Its not jade green though, its like forest green or something like that, I got it from JcWhitney. You could also look through junk yards, Ive got a couple of green things from there, like seatbelts, and a couple other little things. Im just planning on repainting the truck a different color, its too hard to make everything green. Good luck!

 

My 78 was two tone green, with the jade interior. Fortunately, the dash pad was still nice. I had a black seat cover, black carpet mats and was going to change the door panels to black. Black looked ok with the jade. I still have the photos in my gallery.

I know what you mean about jade being everywhere. It was a very popular color in the late 70's.

 

I had my dash pad recovered in Jade locally. Looks just like original and feels better. Another alternative is to get one in a light color and have rattles cans of dye mixed at the local auto paint store. I have had very good results with dying but you must prepare the surface and using a clear coat helps.

 

There is only 4 colours available.
Anything that wasn't common (like Green) will have to be dyed the colour you need.

Not really a big problem.

I've done lots of dye jobs with great success.

 

I bought one of those vinyl dash pad covers for about $80, the tan colored one, and painted it with the same paint I used on the exterior. There is a product called Bulldog Adhesion Promotor(http://www.smartshoppersinc.com/auto...een-strip.html) that you spray the vinyl with that allows the regular paint to adhere and stick so it won't peel. I chose to use the same color as the exterior since I had it on hand, and with the tu-tone interior it goes well together. I wasn't too excited about using one of those dash pad covers, but it really does cover it well and looks 1000% better than the cracked one. I got lucky with the new upholstery matching fairly well too.

http://www.samsgarage.150m.com/interior.htm

 

Can you look in my gallery and tell me if my 77 is Jade Green ? All I know is that it is green. I also have trouble finding green interior parts. If I ever need to replace the dash, headliner, door panels, etc, i will just put black ones in it.

 

Guess who has green interior parts ?

There are 2 types of jade Green.

A pukey looking green and an Emerald type green

You're fortunate to have the best colour green.

 

I believe 460 has the dark jade green while I have the light or (pukey?) jade green. I think I'll keep it. When it was repainted the matching paint was called poly green.

 

Fordpickup460--yours looks the same color as mine, the emerald-type jade green. The sun played heck with my picture, and my camera (or photographic ability) isn't that great to start with, the interior is about the same color as the green on the outside of the truck.

 

OK thank you. The paint on my 77 is the original paint. It is in pretty good condition except around where the antena is it is really oxidated. I have buffed and polished and waxed once.

 

mikebon08--, the green on yours is about the same as mine, although like you said, the interior looks lighter, i dont know if it actually is, or if its just the sun. And also I have vinyl seat and no carpet.

 

So don't leave us hanging. How did you do it? What product did you use? Prep work?

I tried to dye a dash cap for a mustang. Brand new black pad/cap. Tried to dye it red. NO DICE. Used upholstery dye for vynil. Used a pre treatment, washed the dang thing and the dye just sloughed off in huge sheets. Tried to redye it several times till I ran out of dye and just said to Hades with it, stripped the pad and told my wife Vermilion and black go together. That was probably the most frustrating part of that resto project. I know I did something wrong but can't pin point it.

 

If I remember right, the dark color was called Dark Metallic Jade. I love that color, but it was terrible trying to touch up stone chips. Didn't flow well due to the metallic content. It was on a '77 F100 2wd that I bought new for $4192. How's that for a walk down memory lane?

76super, it sounds like the dye you used just sat on top of the material instead of being absorbed - was it water based? or.... I'd look closer at the type of dye you had.

 

For 78 the dark green is called Midnight Jade, fortunately no metallic for the home painter to deal with.