'66 padded dash question
More Turbo
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 707
Likes: 1
From: Buffalo, Wyoming
Dose anyone have any pictures of their dash after they pulled it off and painted it?
Freshman User
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
From: N.W. Arkansas
I was in the same boat with mine. Used a puddy knife to remove the dash. It was in ok shape. Took it to a local upolstery shop and for $150.00 they recovered and reconditioned my dash. They matched up the vinyl and it turned out as good as new. I'm trying to upload a picture with no luck...but trust me it looks factory new. I looked at buying a new one ..to much $ and then thought about repainting it but the cracks would have looked bad. I am very happy about how this one turned out and you cant beat the price.
Junior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 66
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More Turbo
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 707
Likes: 1
From: Buffalo, Wyoming
Thank you very much. It dosnt look half bad. I think i know what i am doing this weekend.
Elder User
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 581
Likes: 1
From: Montana
My 2 cents. you can buy a padded dash for a 67 for about 75 bucks, 800 for the 65-66. insane to say the least. i have a friend here that is an upholsterer and he said it may be possible to put a cover over the original without pulling it. i need to replace the windshield anyway so am gonna try that before anything else. will let you guys know how it turns out. Dutch
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 174
Likes: 0
I was in the same boat as many of you. I wanted to keep my padded dash but it was cracked really bad. It would even fold up in the middle.I figured out how to recover it and wrote a article in true blue trucks. I think it was the second one out if you can find it. It was extremely simple to do. I used a putty knife and heated the knife up with a heat gun. I then used that between the metal dash and pad to get the glue to give. After that I washed the pad with soap and let it dry for a day or so. I then filled up the cracks with RTV silicone and smoothed it out. I found a piece of black vinyl in a scrap bin at a fabric store. It was the kind that will strech somewhat and not as stiff as some vinyls. I then sprayed headliner glue on the dash and vinyl backside. I put the vinyl on the top of dash then wrapped it over the bottom of the dash. To hold it while it was drying I clipped it with plastic clothes pins. Then around where the speedo was to get it to fit I heated it a little with a hair dryer to get it to fit better. After that it was just fold over a little and trim a little around the edges. It fit good and has served me well for a few years. Total cost was about 20 bucks. Today it still looks good and the only sign it had of cracks is if you rub your hand over the dash you can feel some of the areas. But you can't see them unless you look really close.
Elder User
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 581
Likes: 1
From: Montana
thanks ***** for the update. we're gonna try and do it with the pad still in the truck, but the windsheild will need to be removed . i am going to put a new windsheild in anyway so it will be interesting. Dutch
Elder User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 957
Likes: 3
From: Valley Center, CA
There is a product used in aviation called "Pro-Seal", which is a two part flexable apoxy, it is almost identical to what is used to put in windshield glass-made by PPG.It could be good to use to fill cracks prior to covering.
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Elder User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 957
Likes: 3
From: Valley Center, CA
Hi *****,
If I decide to go with a removal of the padded dash in my '66 F250, are there any surprises waiting for me around the vents in the middle of the dash? Are these metal dashes that are underneath the same as the non-padded 65's? With this recent thread, I'm really thinking about recovering it, but I know these padded dashes can disintigrate pretty easy when removing, and a back-up plan is always good! ;o)
If I decide to go with a removal of the padded dash in my '66 F250, are there any surprises waiting for me around the vents in the middle of the dash? Are these metal dashes that are underneath the same as the non-padded 65's? With this recent thread, I'm really thinking about recovering it, but I know these padded dashes can disintigrate pretty easy when removing, and a back-up plan is always good! ;o)
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 174
Likes: 0
I have never pulled a 250 but mine is a 66. I think if you get the vents,speaker and the trim pieces at the end of the dash you will be fine. Just use a heated putty scraper to get between the dash and pad. if it does pull off chunks just squirt a little RTV between it and the piece that pulled out. Let it dry then recover. Its looks and sounds harder than it really is. It seemed easy to me. Good Luck
Elder User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 957
Likes: 3
From: Valley Center, CA
Removing '66 F-250 Padded Dash
Thanks for the reply *****....
I'm going to shoot a video on removing it and I'll post it to youtube.com
I've restored several helicopters over the years, and I think that many of
those interiors were using the same vinyls and glues, foam etc...how hard can it be right?!
Appreciate the advice in this forum...what a great resource!
Best, Jason
I'm going to shoot a video on removing it and I'll post it to youtube.com
I've restored several helicopters over the years, and I think that many of
those interiors were using the same vinyls and glues, foam etc...how hard can it be right?!
Appreciate the advice in this forum...what a great resource!
Best, Jason
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 4,375
Likes: 5
From: seattle
The differences in the 61-6 dashpad vs 67 up pads is that the later pads are all bolt ons...you unbolt the old dash off of your rig and bolt a new one on. Or you send old cracked one and they redo it...they have a steel core that the pads manufactured onto making the core integral with the pad material.
Thats my guess why the later pads are cheaper then the earlier glue on types like the ones use on our trucks.
- cs65
Thats my guess why the later pads are cheaper then the earlier glue on types like the ones use on our trucks.
- cs65
Elder User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 957
Likes: 3
From: Valley Center, CA
66 Dash pad
There are no other holes to fill in, as the pad is only glued in place originally, and held on the edges by the trim pieces that you'll reinstall
anyways. The trim that goes along the bottom of the windshield hides
several small holes that didn't seem to serve any purpose...you just massage the trim into its clip holes and it hides them. Other than that,
it's very easy. As far as what to use to get rid of the glue, I tried acetone, and MEK worked ok, but ultimately, you'll have to sand the dash anyways to get rid of it all. You could use a razor blade carefully, but I hate to scratch the metal.
anyways. The trim that goes along the bottom of the windshield hides
several small holes that didn't seem to serve any purpose...you just massage the trim into its clip holes and it hides them. Other than that,
it's very easy. As far as what to use to get rid of the glue, I tried acetone, and MEK worked ok, but ultimately, you'll have to sand the dash anyways to get rid of it all. You could use a razor blade carefully, but I hate to scratch the metal.