what's under the dash pad?

Posted By: sharpie

what's under the dash pad? - 12/17/09 05:16 PM

So if I were to remove my dash pad completely, would it look hideous? I am considering removing the broken, disintegrating dash pad for the time being, because it's messing up my windshield with dust and debris and it looks horrid.

Posted By: Pntastar69

Re: what's under the dash pad? - 12/17/09 05:24 PM

Answer to your question, YES!!!! It would look, as you put it, horrid.

Posted By: 440newport

Re: what's under the dash pad? - 12/17/09 05:31 PM

Can you get one of those cheap carpet dash covers for it? They look a bit tacky but better than a wasted dash pad.

Posted By: sharpie

Re: what's under the dash pad? - 12/17/09 05:35 PM

Quote:

Can you get one of those cheap carpet dash covers for it? They look a bit tacky but better than a wasted dash pad.

I don't want to. it had a vinyl cover on it, but that ended up peeling. As long as the pad isn't structural, I think I'm going to go ahead and remove it.

Posted By: rbstroker

Re: what's under the dash pad? - 12/17/09 05:57 PM

I removed the dash pad from my Coronet and welded up the holes. After painting with a "texture" black, you could never tell that it was ever padded.

Posted By: sharpie

Re: what's under the dash pad? - 12/17/09 06:08 PM

any pictures?

Posted By: Neil

Re: what's under the dash pad? - 12/17/09 07:30 PM

The a-body dash frames have rectangular holes along the top. If you take the pad off it would look pretty crappy.

Buy a carpet dash pad cover and replace the pad later on.

Posted By: autoxcuda

Re: what's under the dash pad? - 12/17/09 07:37 PM

Buy some black vinyl, some strong trim/upolstery glue, maybe some of that can expandable foam and recover it yourself. It won't do very well exposed to direct and hot sunlight. But keep it covered and it will buy you some time.

Those custom fitted dash rugs are like $40? or something? Put that over your cracked pad. When you do get a repop $200 dash pad from BEA you should still use that to protect it. So that money won't get thrown away.

Posted By: Neil

Re: what's under the dash pad? - 12/17/09 07:52 PM

I have a refinished pad AND the carpet dash pad cover. No way am I letting the new vinyl dash pad sit in the sunlight.

Posted By: bigblock340power

Re: what's under the dash pad? - 12/18/09 01:52 AM

Brian, I just replaced mine. New pad was well over $200.00. Mine wasn't to bad, just a small crack by the vin tag area. I sold the old pad for $100.00. You want to see what it looks like with the pad off, come on over and I'll show you the naked truth (car only of course). My pad really wasn't that bad, but since everything was all apart I sprung for a new one.
Here take a look at my car now: www.hemibill.com Click on the "resto shop" (in blue, lower left), then the magazine cover with my car on it.
Happy car pounding

Posted By: autoxcuda

Re: what's under the dash pad? - 12/18/09 03:57 AM

Quote:

Brian, I just replaced mine. New pad was well over $200.00. Mine wasn't to bad, just a small crack by the vin tag area. I sold the old pad for $100.00. You want to see what it looks like with the pad off, come on over and I'll show you the naked truth (car only of course). My pad really wasn't that bad, but since everything was all apart I sprung for a new one.
Here take a look at my car now: www.hemibill.com Click on the "resto shop" (in blue, lower left), then the magazine cover with my car on it.
Happy car pounding

pgclassic lists it at $195. I thought BEA was real close. Is the shipping expensive?

Posted By: bigblock340power

Re: what's under the dash pad? - 12/18/09 09:02 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Brian, I just replaced mine. New pad was well over $200.00. Mine wasn't to bad, just a small crack by the vin tag area. I sold the old pad for $100.00. You want to see what it looks like with the pad off, come on over and I'll show you the naked truth (car only of course). My pad really wasn't that bad, but since everything was all apart I sprung for a new one.
Here take a look at my car now: www.hemibill.com Click on the "resto shop" (in blue, lower left), then the magazine cover with my car on it.
Happy car pounding

pgclassic lists it at $195. I thought BEA was real close. Is the shipping expensive?

Shipping is what put it over the top. I don't remember the exact cost though.

Posted By: NicksGarage

Re: what's under the dash pad? - 12/18/09 09:01 PM

It depends on what kind of car you're working on. On early cars, the dash pad was optional and the dash underneath is the same but has holes for mounting. My '64 wagon didn't come with a dash pad, it's just painted metal.

Most of the later cars would look strange without the dash pad unless you did some serious metal work.

Posted By: crlush

Re: what's under the dash pad? - 12/18/09 11:54 PM

I bought a plastic molded cover at the nats for my 66 coronet for I think $50.00 basicly glues over the top of your craked one,my pad was cracked up really bad and now, you really have to look at it to tell its not factory, I dont know what kind of car you have but my coronet doesnt have much detail as some cars do, I wouldnt use it on a 100 point resto but for a really nice cruiser its a cheap alternative, there some people selling them on ebay, but with shipping there more money than the one I bought at the nats.

Posted By: ScottSmith_Harms

Re: what's under the dash pad? - 12/19/09 12:01 AM

Spring for the BEA pad, most wouldn't know one of thiers from an NOS original, VERY nice part for the money.

FWIW the pads PG Classics sells are the same pads as BEA, the price difference is small between the two vendors, but the service difference is off the charts. www.beaparts.com