Dashboard Leather Restoration (aka Replacement)

[Pat Marshall]

Well, I'm about to replace the trashed leather on 1494. So far I have disassembled everything touching the dash leather (KOWABONGA!), and removed the old leather. Other than a chunk out of the foam edge (Mark II- short-passenger-kamakaze-seat-syndrome) which needs filled in, I'm ready to do the leather.

So at this point to flatten my learning curve, I'm asking anyone who has done this to give me some pointers on how to go about this.

It looks like one would follow these steps:

1. Cut a piece of leather to the approximate shape and maybe 10% larger than area to be covered.

2. Securely tack the leading edge of the leather onto the fibre tack strip just behind the windshield.

3. Pull the leather down and glue to the metal dash frame below and under the rear edge of the dashboard structure.

4. Make a left to right slit in the center of the leather covering the instrument pod hole.

5. Carefully slit the leather into sections (strips) so when they are pulled into the pod opening that they conform to the dash irregularities necessary to seat the instrument cluster.

6. Glue those strips to the metal underside of the dash structure.

7. Trim the excess material along the tack line (just behind the windshield).

8. Drink Jose Cuervo Gold!

Anyway, with no experience and in complete ignorance, that's what it looks like to me. Now I'm asking anyone who has done this to weigh in. I'm particularly interested in any tricks you picked up and even more importantly after you were finished, the things you wish you hadn't done, should have done or the ones you wished you'd done differently.

Thanks

[Roger Zimmermann]

Pat, why don't you post pictures to show what it's look now?
No matter how small or how large the surface to cover is, it seems that your description is what I would do in a similar circumstance.
From a previous experience with my Biarritz and leather: when the leather was pulled on the dash, a nasty scar appeared; it was not to be seen when the leather was not stretched; we had to cut another piece of leather.

[AU_MK2]

Roger, that's why Bridge of Weir cows are kept in paddocks with no barbed wire.

Pat you can steam leather to shrink and stretch, which will improve the fit.
Your description is pretty well on the money.

[Rick Payton]

that is how i did mine it is not that bad... just follow the directions on the glue and don't rush it the glue needs a few mins to dry to get real tacky so it hold when you stretch the leather...

Also don't get crazy with cutting your strips don't cut it to close to the edge.:eek:

[Pat Marshall]

Pat, why don't you post pictures to show what it's look now?


Roger, good suggestion, sorry it took so long.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to fill the hole in the foam?

I'll be making a tutorial on installing the new cover.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to fill the hole in the foam?


I would try with expandable foam. Once cured, it can be cut/filed to the required shape. If the existing foam is soft, this may not be the good product.

Anyway, a test is required before you apply the foam on your dash!

[Rick Payton]

I took the old foam off my dash because it was breaking down. I found the foam they use on poker tables to have the right feel and thickness... I would encourage you to replace it.

[Joseph Stebbins]

Is the dash pad leather at the instrument cluster on original cars seamed or is it continuous? I keep seeing a number of cars with restored interiors that have correct bolsters (I figure if they didn't get that right don't worry with the rest) but have seams at the dash shroud. In looking at other original cars I have not seen that detail but I was wondering if it was ever done during production?

[Bob Barger]

The leather on the dash should be one piece, at least mine was (and is).

[Sean Rollins]

Mine is origional and one piece.

[Pat Marshall]

One Piece!

[Joseph Stebbins]

Thanks guys. I thought that was right but I'd rather ask a stupid question than make a stupid mistake! I can't understand why someone would go to all the trouble to change the dash leather out and not put it back stock.

[Bob Barger]

We all ask a lot of questions and none of them are stupid, especially if we all learn sonething from them. The only reason I can think the leather was pieced is they did the dash last and didn't have a piece left that was big enough.

[joeinbcs]

I always wondered about this.
I've seen several cars with pieced leather at the instrument cluster...including mine.
When I got the car I also got a bunch of leather that was left over from trim job, including almost an entire hide. I don't know why they would have done the dash this way...maybe Sal thought this was correct?
I should have fixed this when I had everything apart...oh well, something to sort out next time she's apart!

[Mad Scientist]

The instrument clusters cover has some rather tight compound curves. A thick piece of leather would not lend itself to being bent up in such a manner.
The original leather on my is quite thin thus making is more stretchy.

[joeinbcs]

Sorry, Rich, I wasn't clear...I was not talking about the cluster itself, but the flat part of the dash below it.
My car (and several others I've seen) use one solid piece except for the bit below the cluster, which is a separate piece with seams immediately below the ends of the cluster.

[Pat Marshall]

I redid my dash with one piece of leather. I have the original piece, I'll take a pic. To show how they cut the hole for the instrument cluster and the many small cuts the made to allow the leather to shape to all of the curves in that opening.

[joeinbcs]

That would be very helpful, Pat.

[Pat Marshall]

After much hunting I found where the darned thing was. I had pipes burst in my storage building and we had to pile a lot of things up to get them away from the water and drywall debris. This was at the bottom of everything.

Anyway, here are pictures of the top and the underneath. It's pretty obvious that they glued and tacked the leather dash in place and then cut out the opening for the instrument pod. It looks like they made a "V" cut on both ends and then made a lateral from the points of the "V" across the opening. Then they made numerous cuts shaping the pieces around the contours of the instrument opening.

I hope this is helpful.

[Roger Zimmermann]

And, I'm almost sure, this was done before the installation of the windshield.

[Pat Marshall]

Maybe so, however when I replaced mine I did it after the leather was installed. It was very easy and quick to do.

[joeinbcs]

Thanks, Pat.
The guys at the shop replaced the leather on my dash today with a single piece, and also did the rest of the leather in the dash area.
It looks fantastic. I'm so glad I realized how shitty and incorrect my dash looked before we finished the car!
The lower dash is not in place because we had to send the radio back to Rene to fix the IPod cable. I should have it back together with the new console, which has been painted and lined in leather, by early next week.
I'll post some pics.

[Sean Rollins]

Looking good Joe!