Just a heads up for thoses that do not already know. Just Dashes sells brand new dash pads for '80-'85 trucks made on original Ford tooling. It comes in White or Black, and while the price is not exactly cheap at $450 but its not bad if you are in need of a brand new dashpad.


Its made just like the originals but the holes in the defroster vent area have to be drilled out yourself. The are from my understanding from my email response marked.


I installed one in a customers '82 F150 that was painted with color coat interior paint for plastic and vinyl in saddle tan to match the door panels. It actually looks very good for what it is.


I will be buying one for my truck but down side is my dash is cracked pretty heavily around the glovebox due to the dealer A/C and having the vent openings cut in the non air dash. Not sure how good it will look on mine painting the whole dash oem color.

 

Last I knew you could buy the Just Dashes unit from Jeff's Bronco Graveyard for $335. I confirmed that with both JBG and Just Dashes.

 

I'll have to post once I get it done. But I just finished peeling the old cracked vinyl off of mine. Fiberglassed the center speak grill over. Now just to get some new fabric, about $40 and some adhesive - good as new.

 

Nice, I knew of Just Dashes and I thought of emailing them to see if they could repair cracked and split plastic dash shell if I were to send mine in. I just don't know if I can fix it myself. I think if I unbolt the dealer A/C vents while I have the pad off I might be able to glue it together and paint over it and be no big deal. Just not sure how long it would actually last.


I also like the price of $335 over $450. Only thing is I have to email Jeffs and see if they offer a white one as I wouldn't want to try and use a dark blue to cover the black.


I think I am going to recoup some of the costs for my pad however as I installed a tilt column in this truck and I tossed the old column in the back of my truck, I am going to clean it up and paint it up make it look nice and throw it on ebay for $300 or so. I figured if a rebuilt tilt unit can go for $750 including the $100 core charge, I am sure a good unit with no slop and a fresh coat of paint should go for $300.

 

Are you sure it's plastic? Mine (1980) is a foam core wrapped in vinyl, so old and brittle it feels like plastic and cracks like it too. You can pick up two way stretch vinyl at a fabric store relatively cheap and the color options are crazy. Just lay it out, cut the rough shape, spray the adhesive as you go, wrap edges under and staple.

As far as dealing with the cracks, after the old vinyl is peeled off you just bevel out the original foam with a knife, fill the beveled out crack with spray foam in a can and shave it down with a knife or similar.

 

Just curious where you found a tilt column at? I've been looking and only found one on ebay so far. Was ridiculously expensive though

 

This is what you'll find under the original vinyl. Use a heat gun/blow dryer to soften it up and it peels right off.

 

I mean the plastic dashboard itself. What the pad bolts to. Mine on thepassenger side since its a non air truck and sports dealer a/c the dash was cut for the vents but since the dash does not have the re-enforcements that the A/C dash has, mine is all cracked and split around the vents and the glove box door. I can probably patch the one on the piece above the glovebox door but not sure how long my patch would last.


The dash pad, I had already planned on just buying new. So far I am looking at $800 roughly for a dash pad, two door panels, door panel pads, glove box liner, and a pair of sun visors. This still doesn't account for the cost of the color coat vinyl/plastic paint that I would need to match my kick panels, and trim pieces on the interior as well as the dash pad to the door panels.


Tilt column we found on ebay it was a used one for $250. Theres a guy rebuilding them for $650 + $100 core.






I also see Color Coat sells a 15043 paint called Shadow Blue. I wonder if its the same Shadow Blue as my interior color on my '82. If it is I am tempted to purchase just to spray my kick panels as they are getting bad.

 

Oh ok, I misunderstood. Could probably fiberglass from the back side and have it last forever but you'd probably still see the cracks.. unless you wrap the plastic in vinyl too? Or possible some high build primer and then top coat.

Sounds nice though man! I can't wait to have a freshened up interior. 36 years old and half taken apart she's a little rough to say the least. Did you find original parts or are you buying new?

That's about the price I saw on the tilt column , more than I spent on the whole truck. Probably the same guys youre talking about. Really think it'd make a world of difference, having the seat back as far as it goes so I have leg room and then the non tilt wheel angled up how it is just doesn't feel right.

Have any plans for the seat upholstery?

 

I try to find original parts where possible.


I haven't decided, currently I have seats that were new for a early 90s explorer that was bolted in back in the early 90s but its in need of recovering. Not sure when I do this if I will have the covering restored like it is now or if I will go with something different color wise. Right now its a dark blue bolster with a silvery blue insert.


I just don't think I will do the interior now because I want to paint the truck and I just know if I do the interior now by time I get to painting the truck I will have to redo the interior again.

 

Did you get more room in the cab when you swapped in the Explorer seats? I'd really like to have buckets and a center console.. seems like so much wasted space with the huge bench, especially with a manual noone will ever sit in the middle. I just found the Harley edition front buckets out of an 06 f250 crew cab for $300 but thinking (without measuring) they may be too big and not free up any more space. Something that would allow the leg room and atleast a hair of recline would do wonders on my lower back while driving. You have a pic of your cab with the Explorer buckets by chance?

 

I do, this is a older picture but these are the seats here. I have not pulled the seats to figure out why the factory seat track adjuster doesn't work but the seat is all the way back and I have no reason to move it closer.


I did just order a an of the Shadow Blue color coat and a can of SEM prep. Think I will try it out on my kick panels and then I might be forced to do the rest of the truck as the color might be way darker than what the dash is currently.

 

Oh wow nice job man, that looks great and way more comfortable. I might have to take a trip to the local upullit and see what they have.

Atleast with these old trucks pulling the interior panels is pretty straight forward if you do end up having to spray it all. Do you have a headliner? Not really sure how to go about making one, it's awfully noisy in the cab.. to the point where you have to yell to talk to the passenger lol. Thinking that may cut down on SOME of the wind noise.

 

No headliner in mine. I planned on replacing my door panels as my passenger side one has a hole in the top from age and sun. The kick panels I have to refinished as no one makes them. The windshield trim panels the A pilliars and the roof panel needs to be refinished as they are not reproduced. The dash pad will be new but that has to be painted and the dashboard itself I will paint it just to freshen it up and make everything match.

 

Must not be very common, I've been trying to find a picture so I've got something to go off to make it look somewhat factory. No such luck yet.

My door panels are done too, you can rub it with your hand and it falls apart along the top where the sun hits it.

Post pictures when you get her all colored up! I'd like to see it.

I've been tossing around the idea of fiberglassing over the foam core on my dash pad so I can mold in some tweeters on the left/right corners. And do away with the factory indicator light pod, glassed into the dash and put some billet indicators led color matched to the factory setup. Then wrap the whole thing with a dark brown weathered leather. Paint all of the plastic or replace with black and do inserts with the same brown leather. I can't decide whether to keep the truck white or go with black (exterior) it needs resprayed either way. I think the brown/black interior would go well with either direction I go with the exterior. It's getting cold out, so this is my time to play with the truck! Excited to get at it.