[rasilverbird]

I saw an original one at Carlisle last year that looked its age. Owner wanted $400 for it. It needed to be completely re-done. I half considered it even though my car isn't an AC car, just in case I wanted to convert.

[Verdoro 68]

Via Dashes Direct:

This dash pad is a vinyl over foam. We use a plastic insert for the main part of the dash pad with metal in the vent areas.

I was hoping for a metal insert, but at least it has an insert. The last repro I had didn't have one at all it was was really flimsy.

[Sidponcho]

Originally Posted by Verdoro 68

I got this one from a vendor on eBay called Top Flight Automotive, it was $400. Not dirt cheap but also not close to Just Dashes territory. Summit carries Dashes Direct products, but I couldn't find the GTO dashes on there. Seems the Dashes Direct mostly focuses on Mustangs.

400 for the AC or non AC version?

[Verdoro 68]

A/C Version.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1968-GTO-Le...k/273483762712

[cdnroundport]

Nice complete system

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-auto-p...ationFlag=true

This a friend of mine and I can deliver to Norwalk

[Verdoro 68]

Took delivery of the dashpad today. All in all it looks pretty nice.

First impressions:

• Way lighter than the original because it doesn't have a metal core.
• It's vinyl over what looks like a dense urethane foam which is bonded to a plastic structure.
• The inner foam seems more dense and hard than the original.
• Dimensions and contour seem accurate.
• You have to reuse the original metal clips, but the bosses for the clips are cast in place.
• The courtesy light isn't cut out for some reason, but that's not a big deal.
• No metal substructure means you'll have to ground the courtesy light.
• The prongs on either side of the pad are plastic and likely prone to snapping off.
• Center vent cut out looks a little wonky, but no more so than the dash cap in my car now. There's also a little flashing to remove which might help.
• Grain texture looks to be in the ballpark compared to the original core.
• Box said made in the USA

It's obviously not as nice as what you'd get from Just Dashes using an original core, but it seems like a decent quality part and a viable option. I'll try to find the time to fit it up this weekend.

[Verdoro 68]

More pics...

[Verdoro 68]

Last batch for now...

[dataway]

Hmmm ... yeah, not bad. Way better than the typical puffy dash recover. Will be curious to see how those clips fit in, and if the side clips stay on.
I don't know how many of them they have made ... but with a few tweaks could be a real nice piece.
Looking forward to the installation photos.

[Greg Reid]

Yeah, it looks very acceptable to me. Keep us updated on fit when you get to it.

[bkmont]

Thanks for the feedback about the 68 dash pad. Good to know that we have some options and it comes in red although my OEM pad is more of a maroon.
Bryan

[Verdoro 68]

Originally Posted by dataway

Hmmm ... yeah, not bad. Way better than the typical puffy dash recover. Will be curious to see how those clips fit in, and if the side clips stay on.
I don't know how many of them they have made ... but with a few tweaks could be a real nice piece.
Looking forward to the installation photos.

The clips are held in via tension in the OEM version. If I need to, I can use a little epoxy to hold them in place on the new one. I'm a little more worried about the side clips. They look like an auto body fastener which tend to be pretty brittle.

I'll probably start by fitting the A/C vents and do a mock up to see how it lays on the dash first. I'm hesitant to do any mods or drill any holes in the pad until I know I'm going to be satisfied with the fit. They seem to have captured all the necessary bosses and fastener surfaces, so I'm optimistic.

[Verdoro 68]

Pulled my old dashpad and did a loose test fit. Overall it looks like it will fit well.

I started swapping over the a/c vents and ran into my first issue when fitting the side vents. The opening is a hair too small to fit the outside bezel. The opening is off by at most 1/16". These bezels fit really tight on the factory pad so I'm not surprised. They're also super fragile - mine are cracked and need to be repaired.

I'm debating trying a heat gun to soften the material to see if I can get them to fit. The alternative is not to use them, but then you see some of the ducting and it doesn't look as finished.

[north]

The biggest issue with those plastic core pads is the expansion, first day in the hot sun the pad expands between the top mounting studs and warps. Perhaps it might be good not to tighten the top studs completely to allow slip and instead use a two sided tape to stop the pad from rattling on the top of the steel dash panel.

[dataway]

Wonder why they went with plastic, I can't imagine that is a very complex piece to stamp compared to a fender or floor pan. Probably just as much work coming up with a mold for the plastic.

[Verdoro 68]

Well, this all went to crap pretty quickly.

I got the a/c bezels fitted with a little razor blade and Dremel massaging, I had to shim the duct housings with washers to get them to sit at the correct height. It took me a couple hours per side to get the vents fitted. The clips went into place pretty easy.

The trouble started when I went to fit the dash to the car. It just doesn't fit well at all. The top doesn't lay down on the metal portion of the dash, the pad doesn't extend enough in certain areas, and generally it's just loose even when clipped in and fastened down. Too bad because it looked like it had potential. It's disappointing that stuff like this even makes it to the market.

Too good to be true as usual. I'm going send the feedback to the Dashes Direct with pics and see if I can get a refund. In the mean time I'll reinstall my pad with the cap on it.

[Greg Reid]

So close..
Thanks for the review..That helps us all!

[dataway]

Yep, thank you, appreciate you being the Guinea Pig for this one.

Someone could make a ton of money if they figured out a good way to recover solid original cores for a reasonable price.

[bkmont]

Appreciate the feedback. Looks like I'll being going the dash cap route when the time comes.
Bryan

[Verdoro 68]

Originally Posted by dataway

Yep, thank you, appreciate you being the Guinea Pig for this one.

Someone could make a ton of money if they figured out a good way to recover solid original cores for a reasonable price.

I figured it was worth a shot. Given that it's got the right mounting points and such, I'm surprised it fit so poorly. Makes me wonder if they even tested it on a car.

The looseness across the top is most surprising. Since the clips go into plastic and foam I'm guessing they aren't able to provide as secure of a grip. The fit around the vents to the dash is poor as well. The metal tabs aren't long enough to clip in so it stands off the dash about 1/2".

I think reusing the metal cores is critical to getting these things to fit securely and correctly.