[grandam1979]

1968 dash pad who has the best one? The GTO we are putting together needs a dash pad the one that came out has a big crack in it and is cooked from the sun.

[68gtoMN]

I think mine is FANTASTIC. Er...wait...what? I think you're asking who has the best product to purchase new, correct? I don't know that but I AM a big fan of a northern US state original take off - not usually sun baked.

any ideas guys?

[68pongto]

General Motors! The reproduction ones I have seen are absolute garbage. Just Dashes will recover an original, but they look fatter than an original. Look for a nice original, they are out there.

[marxjunk]

i have an NOS GM pad...it aint as good as ya think it should be..and i am using it before anyone asks...but GM is the best option out there..

ive had used orig pads better than my NOS pad thats been in a box its whole life...

i have bought a couple out of canada in the past and wow...nice stuff..i have a blue used pad i could be talked out of..its a used GM piece i got when i bought a bunch of stuff for my beaumont..no-a/c

[dataway]

Yep, I've never seen a reproduction that isn't crap. And even the top dollar recovers can be spotted a mile away ..have that kind of "pillow" look to them.

Mine has one crack but the color is good .... I treat it like gold.

[north]

The trick is to find a northern car that had soft ray glass, it somehow protected the pad. Gold and red seem to hold up well, green blue and black ones seemed more likely to crack.

[ponchjoe]

Originally Posted by north

The trick is to find a northern car that had soft ray glass, it somehow protected the pad. Gold and red seem to hold up well, green blue and black ones seemed more likely to crack.

Tracey,

Check with GTO JOHN in MN.

How's Ricks car coming?

Joe

[grandam1979]

Thanks for all the info I would be interested if anyone has one for sale. Mark I did pm you about the blue one.

[marxjunk]

i replied..i gave you my cell

[marxjunk]

unfortunately ,m ine turned out to be cracked in 2 weird spots obvious a stress crack from mounting to me..such a shame...i have had it for so long...thinking i was protecting it etc.....

[sd7369]

The OER one really sucks, made poorly, fits like hell and you can tell right away. The problem with used or NOS originals is they are all still approximately the same age but some are better than others. Biggest obstacle you will encounter when buying one even if it is perfect is getting it shipped without it being cracked. I have had a very poor luck no matter how well it was packaged. Even if you get it in one piece, an original can crack at any time once exposed to heat and sunlight. My vote is with just dashes and it comes with a warranty.

[68ragtop]

I had a perfect dash pad I removed from a 68 lemans that I scrapped about 13 years ago. I had it tucked away in my garage attic in my last home. Later that year I was putting a new roof on the garage & cut vented ridge cap into the peak of the roof. A small 2" board fell through the opening & guess where it landed.......

I found the dash cracked when I sold the house & was moving things out out the following year. I was very upset that day.....

Only piece of wood that fell into the attic in a 26' span & it had to land on the dash pad....

[locomotivebreath]

Any chance the originals started out a bit more puffy any just shrunk over the years ?

[dataway]

Well they were definitely softer ...but not really any puffier. I distinctly remember a young lady in 1976 pounding on my dash with her feet to some rock tune ... if that happened now it would crack in a dozen places.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by dataway

I distinctly remember a young lady in 1976 pounding on my dash with her feet to some rock tune ... if that happened now it would crack in a dozen places.

And so would her skull probably.
I remember having girls ride in my '68 and since no one wanted to ride in back, one would sit on the console lid. I wouldn't think of letting them do that now...lol

[grandam1979]

Thanks ponchjoe I will. His car is going good all detailed under hood. Rearend is back in car with new gears. Just got the shortblock back so we need to install cam, heads, chain,ect. We will have to install new exhaust also.I think it will run by the end of April or sooner. I need to take more pics of build but never seem to.

[grandam1979]

Still need a dash pad also.

[Sidponcho]

I had a perfect 68 dash pad that I carefully removed from a parts car. It cracked from just sitting in my garage. I'm thinking of covering it with shag carpet

[68ragtop]

Originally Posted by Sidponcho

I had a perfect 68 dash pad that I carefully removed from a parts car. It cracked from just sitting in my garage. I'm thinking of covering it with shag carpet

Well, that makes me nervous. after mine was ruined years back I found a nice used one. Its been stored in my basement for over 10 years...... Now I am afraid to go look at it

[Verdoro 68]

A dash cap is always an option while you save up for Just Dashes or look for a nice original.