[70ra455]

Ron ... I have an a/c ATC dash pad with one TINY hole in it that can be easily repaired ... Turquoise ... that if I get a non-atc dash pad then I'd be willing to sell this one or trade for some other '66 parts?

[Heybuck]

OK, here's today's update......

Took both dashes out to The Dashboard Doctor. In simple terms, the dash top without A/C is just taking up space keeping it. It is dead. Not worth even thinking about.

The dash WITH A/C is a different matter. In his opinion it's a mess but salvageable. In short, he has quoted me a figure of up to A$700.00 to completely re-do it in my colour choice. I will be going RED.

He says it might less $$ (ha-ha) but that's where I'm at. As I've mentioned earlier, I'm off on holiday on Friday night (a week in Bangkok), so I'm not expecting to pick up this dash top for about 3 weeks. After this, I'll post up some pictures.

Where is all this taking us???? It started out with me offering to see what can be done on these dashes this side of the pond. I had no real idea of the costs and from what I've learnt today it is very dependant on condition. My dash is/was close to be not repairable so I guess you could say it is on the worst end of the scale. Probably you guys in the US would pass it over and find a better example. I don't have that luxury hence I'm taking the plunge.

But lets think about this in a worst scenario situation. If someone in the US was so desperate that they had no other option, as a working thought it might cost you up around $1000. That would include shipping over to me, getting the job done and me returning it. Shipping is not a big problem. I have a guy here who ships cartons from Mont Clair CA. I've used him plenty of times so I would take an educated guess that to ship a carton from CA to me would cost about $50.00 for a dash top. Return shipping is a bit more difficult but I did a quote today and came up with a figure of about $200.00

Right now, I think its best to wait till mine is ready and we can discuss the end result. If anyone wants to take it further, we can do some more accurate calculations.

Till then.....

Ian

[Heybuck]

Originally Posted by Rapdron

Ian, thanks for all your help!

I still need 2 dash pads, both for a 66 full-size with AC
The 2+2 has ATC which also has a sensor built in it.

Ron

ps
Your NEW tach housing looks great with the NOS 66 tach I just picked up.
Wish I could have bought more.

Thanks Ron

Have a look at my new post about the dash tach cups

Ian

[63gpman]

Ian, is your guy going to simply recover the pad or is he going to create a mold and recreate the pad?

[Heybuck]

Originally Posted by 63gpman

Ian, is your guy going to simply recover the pad or is he going to create a mold and recreate the pad?

He uses the old pad base, removes the old vinyl and recovers it. Colours it to your choice of colour. The end results are pretty impressive.

Ian

[Ragtop Man]

Does he have the color sample for '66? Assume it is same as GTO pad for med red metallic for '66?

[Marv]

If you guys think you're in for a battle, just be glad you're not in my predicament: searching for a '62 Bonneville A/C dashtop in Australia! Unfortunately, my car didn't come with a dash top so it looks like i'll have to pay to get one custom made. Yeouch!

[66 Wagon]

Seems like RD Autoline, who's the Swedish manufacturer of dashpads, has got their website hacked, so it's not working.
They do have an ad on a Swedish sale site:
http://www.blocket.se/jonkoping/Inst...61036.htm?ca=8

However, I just found out in a Swedish car magazine that the dashboard guy has a friend in Valley Center, South California, who might get you these dashboards.
Anders Blomberg is the US contact, and together with his brother, he runs a business where they restore and ship cars to Europe. He also runs a shop in Vista, Calif.
He might be able to help you out or provide with more details, if you can get in touch with him.

Tried to search but couldn't get any more specific details about their location other than this.

[8LUG]

JAN ANDERS BLOMBERG 31339 VALLEY CENTER RD. VALLEY CENTER CA. 92082 BUT NO PHONE NUMBER

[Ragtop Man]

TRANSLATED:


This product is constructed/renovated with ABS / PVC foil and foam just as original. The orginal board is used in the manufacture/the renovation of this product so therefore must be sent to your old us. This is a product for those who want to have the best.
See more information at www.Autoline.se

I don't speak Sweedish. But I do shop at Ikea.

BOB

[66 Wagon]

Originally Posted by Ragtop Man

TRANSLATED:


This product is constructed/renovated with ABS / PVC foil and foam just as original. The orginal board is used in the manufacture/the renovation of this product so therefore must be sent to your old us. This is a product for those who want to have the best.
See more information at www.Autoline.se

I don't speak Sweedish. But I do shop at Ikea.

BOB

I do speak Swedish and I will ask the manufacturer in person at Power Big Meet in two weeks, where he use to show and sell these dashpads, about the possibilities to sell them in the US.

[Heybuck]

OK, this took a few weeks longer than I had hoped but time is not my friend these days. But about 10 days back I dropped my arm rest pad in to my dash guy and he coloured my finished top to match.

Picked the completed top up today. My total cost was as per his intial quote. A$700 (or about US$658 at today's rate

Here's the result....

[Heybuck]

More pics of my dash top.

I have to say I'm pretty happy with the result. This guy can colour match to any colour you need.

If anyone wants to investigate this further, please just let me know. I'm not in this for the money and if I can help out, I'd be happy to see what we can do.

The big problem is getting the cores here and returning them. Actually, getting them here is not a biggie, but sending them back might cost about $150.00 each in freight. Need to look into that.

Getting cores here is not difficult, I can get them sent over in a container and its not expensive if a group of them were sent. (Steve Peluso might disagree with me on that but I think we finally beat those jokers Steve)

Anyway, look forward to some comments on this

Ian

[70ra455]

very nice job ... I would be interested in getting my '66 a/c dash done in turquoise. Spoke with a gentleman yesterday who has a MINT original but wouldn't let me see it in person before raising my offer? He said that he didn't think it was for a car that was not a 100% car and if I was going to drive my car (which I am) then it wouldn't be for me!

I said "uh ... ok". It was (and is) that an older dash pad that's been stored away for 30+ years and the foam is 50 years old ... that it is more susceptible to cracking when driven in the sun, etc etc. So something new like this is a better option in my opinion ...

What do you guys think???

[Heybuck]

I posted up pics of my dash BEFORE I took it in. Posts around number 50 in this thread but the pics are a combination of my dash that has now been restored and a '65 dash without A/C that was so far gone that The Dashboard Doctor told me it was just taking up space and was far, far beyond resto suitability. That one is now resting in the junk tip forever.

But here's a couple of the before pics again on the dash I picked up today. Plenty of cracks on it and very very brittle but still all there. Dashs for resto need to be similar to this.

[70ra455]

I have two dashes for resto that are in better shape than that.

[Heybuck]

Originally Posted by Heybuck

Dashs for resto need to be similar to this.

Phil, when I said "similar", what I meant was that dashes in similar condition to what mine was are suitable for restoration.

Obviously, dashes with less damage are MORE suitable. From what he told me, my dash was getting close to borderline as to whether it would have been viable to restore at all. Certainly, the '65 non A/C dash I had was far past its use-by date and was only good for throwing out.

As I mentioned above, it cost me $700 to get mine restored and coloured to match my interior.

My dash could be considered a "worst-case" scenario I guess. What they would charge to do a dash with less damage, I suppose you would only know once it was presented to him.

Ian

[70ra455]

Ian I'm sorry if I came across in any way that was rebutting what you were saying. What I was trying to say ... albeit confusingly ... was that my dashpads would also be restoration candidates ... sorry about that.

[Heybuck]

Originally Posted by 70ra455

Ian I'm sorry if I came across in any way that was rebutting what you were saying. What I was trying to say ... albeit confusingly ... was that my dashpads would also be restoration candidates ... sorry about that.

Hey Phil,

NO WAY did I think you were rebutting me. I understood exactly what you were saying. I only wanted to reinforce the fact that what my dash looked like, it was close to about as bad as they can go.

Sleep easy Brother.

Cheers

Ian