Those shenanigans, a more recent example being fordfuelinjection.com, is why I decided I will never purchase a new Ford vehicle unless perhaps they issue a very public apology to all of us. Very sad that Ford decided to attack the very customer base of enthusiasts that would otherwise buy parts and vehicles, and of course otherwise promote their brand. In all the more recent cases I've heard of there was no conceivable monetary damage to Ford from sites running forums or providing information on classic FoMoCo vehicles, and nobody was pretending their aftermarket parts were made by Ford. Very sad indeed.

 

Before I found Dashes Direct I called Just Dashes to see about getting mine restored. They told me it would cost more to restore my original than the price of a new reproduction. He offered to sell me a reproduction, saying they were made from the original Ford tooling. As far as I know Dashes Direct is the only company reproducing these pads using the Ford tooling. There may be other distributors out there selling their products though. As for quality: I'm very pleased with mine. It looks and fits like a factory original. Well worth the cost IMO compared to what 30+ year old used ones are selling for on ebay. The only minor complaint I have is the clips where the screws go through are not included; you have to re-use your old ones.

 

I normally restore mustangs so I have dealt with many "licensed" parts dealers that repop stuff. Dennis Carpenter, Kevin Marti etc. All excellent quality stuff. I like it when the part I buy is the exact part that was put on the car when it was new. I am sure Dashes Direct will be just as good. Glad to hear your dash was as good as the original. As for the clips mine are still in good shape. No rust and it is obvious the dash had never been off before.

 

It may be excellent quality stuff, but it is not the same as what Ford Motor Company used from 1980 - 1986.

I bought a reproduction dash pad from Dennis Carpenter a few years ago, and ended up sending it back. It wasn't too bad; it just wasn't the same quality as the OEM Ford dash pads are. The box it came in had "Dashes Direct" printed on it (www.dashesdirect.com), so it wasn't something Dennis Carpenter made. It was supposedly made from original Ford tooling, but this dash pad is more "bendy," if you will. It wasn't near as stiff as the original dash pads are, and I could just see it flexing and cracking really quick. The grain was a bit different as well, and all of the mounting tabs were missing, something I didn't really want to deal with for my restoration.

The dash pad covers are an entirely different animal. These are not complete dash pads; they are covers that fit over your existing dash. They are glued on, and the two problems I have with these are that the speaker shape is totally incorrect, and you will have to actually cut the cover off if you ever need to remove your dash pad, effectively ruining it.
I am rather picky and I am doing an actual restoration, so I wouldn't put one of these on my truck. But they are a cheap and a good option if you just want something to cover the cracked dash on a "beater" truck.

 

My original 34 year old dash pad is stiff as a board. Probably from sitting in the sun for 34 years. I hope the new one is more flexible. i am not concerned with the mounting tabs as they are not included with the pad and the mounting points on my truck are still intact and all the screws were still in it.

As for the materials used in the construction Dashes Direct claims they use the same supplier as Ford used. When it arrives I will check it out. I have zero interest in a dash cap. This truck is a keeper for me so I wanted to go with a complete new dash. Hopefully I will have the same results as rowdyredneck did.

 

The core of the dash pads is the main difference.

The original ones from Ford were much stiffer, and feel much thicker and stronger. If you hold up one of these in the middle, the dashboard stays balanced and remains straight and horizontal.

The Dashes Direct ones that were made from "original Ford tooling" are much more flexible. The core is thinner. If you hold one of these in the middle, the dashboard would curve down and "flop" quite a bit on both ends. It is also much lighter than what Ford originally used.


The other difference is the grain pattern. The grain on the original Ford pads is tighter, and it matches the grain on the door panels. The grain pattern on the Dashes Direct version is much more noticeable with "gaps", and cheaper looking.

It's MUCH better than the the aftermarket dash caps, but still not as good as the original Ford dash pads. (Unless of course, Dashes Direct has improved it over the years. I think I purchased mine - and returned it - in 2014 or 2015.)

 

What did the inferior pad bought through Dennis Carpenter cost?

 

If I remember correctly, it was about $450. For that price, I was expecting to get perfection, considering that is about what Ford was selling theirs for at the parts counter when they were still producing them. Plus, it was advertised as "Original Ford Tooling," so I thought that meant it was going to be exactly like an original Ford part in every way.

Again, they aren't "bad." At a quick glance, it *looks* like a brand new dash pad from Ford Motor Company. It's just that I was going for a serious restoration with all Ford parts, many of them NOS. I sent it back a week or so later when I discovered it wouldn't sit straight and even when mounted on my dash hull. It was "floppy," so the middle of the dashboard dipped down some when it was mounted. Plus, the grain was noticeably incorrect. It appears that Dashes Direct does use original Ford tooling, because the size and shape of the dash pad and the speaker grill was perfect. The foam underneath looks the same. But they use cheaper materials on the core and vinyl covering is a bit different than what Ford originally used.

So, I returned it. I got lucky and found an OEM Ford dash pad a few months later with no cracks at all and in the the correct color for about $250, so it all worked out great for me.

 

x4. I will be sure and let Dashes Direct know if I get the same poor quality piece you did. I will be returning it if it is that bad for sure.

 

I wouldn't say it is "poor" quality.

In fact, I was very impressed with it at first glance. I didn't notice the differences until I compared it to my original Ford dash pad.

It just isn't as good as an original Ford dash pad. For most people, it is a great alternative. But I am not "most" people. I am cursed with a very sharp eye and I tend to notice things most people don't. Plus, I tend to care about details most people (with the exception of Gary Lewis) could care less about.

 

Many of us are perfectionists with our vehicles. It is obvious the dash pad wasn't up to your standards. I will know next week if the dash pad i get is up to mine. I am looking forward to checking thickness levels, deflection measurments, grain pattern comparisons etc. It should be here by the end of next week I am hoping. I also wasn't able to find an original NOS blue floor mat either so I am stuck with a new one from ACC. I hope it is not a dissapointment as well.

 

I haven't found an aftermarket part YET that is as good as an original Ford Motorcraft part.

 

Is this the rubber floor mat itself, or the accessory vinyl floor mat that could be placed over the mat or carpet?

If it's the floor mat itself, you wouldn't want one...even if you could find a NOS mat.

The mat was rolled up tight, then placed in a box. Over time, changes in temperature caused the mat to harden up and crack.

So, when you take your NOS mat out of the box and unroll it, all you'll have is hardened up chunks of cracked rubber. Not pleasant!

Now, if you want an accessory vinyl blue mat, I might be able to find one.

 

Good info about an NOS mat thank you. The piece I have one enroute that is a complete vinyl floor replacement. The truck is an XL so I want to go with the vinyl flooring. I have the old one to use as pattern and will also probably need to use some of the jute padding. I have yet to buy a replacement floor covering that I was 100 percent pleased with.

 

Spend your money as you see fit. Just sayin' what worked for me.