Dash overlays

Does anyone have experience with installing one of those glue-on vinyl dash overlays? My recent OPGI catalog has one for my car but I'm wondering how good it looks once it's installed...the catalog claims it's a "perfect fit". This seems like a much easier option than removing the dash.

Also, since it's only available in black I would have to paint it. What's the right way to paint a part like that?

If it's done right, you cannot even tell. I did it on my 74 Chevelle.

i wanted to buy one of these myself, but then i decided to cover the dash with leather instead. it was severely cracked, so it had to be reinforced with some sort of synthetic fibers first, then covered with a thin sponge and leather.


it looks and feels really good, better than any of those plastic covers i have ever stumbled upon. it cost me around 250 - 300$ (reinforcing and dressing, including material), which is about the same as the cover would cost me, provided that it would have had to be shipped overseas.

i did have to remove the dash however, but it was totally worth it, since i also replaced all in-dash bulbs, fixed the ductwork and remove a sh*tload of wires and plugs that were there from the previous owner, a car stereo enthusiast i believe.

I have installed them in a bunch of Pintos, and for them they work great because of the size and the shape of the dash.

Bought one for my Chevelle hoping for similar results but no. Not bad for the money, but due to the shape and size of the dash it looks like a cover (in both my cars).

Bill

I'll keep my cracked up ugly dash for now & maybe one day save up enough $$$ to have just dashes do it right. I've heard good & bad about the dash caps, but never seen one up close & don't feel like spending that kind of dough & time for a gamble.

Check out the pictures of my process on my old Chevelle for reference if you decide to do it. I got my cap from NPD.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2464904/1974-chevrolet-malibu-woodhaven-mi-us?p=2

The dash in my Monte Carlo is 100% mint, so I don't have to worry about this stuff anymore

Lol.

74MonteCarlo wrote:Check out the pictures of my process on my old Chevelle for reference if you decide to do it. I got my cap from NPD.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2464904/1974-chevrolet-malibu-woodhaven-mi-us?p=2

The dash in my Monte Carlo is 100% mint, so I don't have to worry about this stuff anymore

Lol.

how does this feel to the touch, is it soft like an original one or is it hard?

It was hard plastic. But grained to look like vinyl.

I see you had your entire dash assembly removed...is that the best way to do the install?

here are some photos of what it looks like in leather:










if your budget allows you, i really suggest you to go with leather, because it looks and feels superior to hard plastic.

never heard of just dashes before, what do they do, make a new dash or rebuild the old one?

thats great!