The Dash Thread

[depmike38]

Is the area of instrument panel where the covering is attached a removeable top panel or is it part of the entire assembly? If it is part of a whole assembly does anyone know if it has to be pulled from the car to replace the cover or is it feasible to do it in place? Also is it B-O-W like the seats or a more generic leather?

[Pat Marshall]

I believe you are referring to the instrument pod assembly on the dash that contains the clock, tachometer, speedometer and the 4-way gauge. The pod cover is screwed to the frame that secures the 4 gauges. The three screws are accesible from the ourside top of the pod cover. The pod cover is easy to take off.

The pod cover is the same leather that is used throughout the car. However to properly cover it the leather has to be stretched so tightly that the grain is almost totally flattened.

So, if you're just replacing just the pod cover leather, many leathers will work, as long as they aren't something weird - like perforated, heavily dimpled, etc. Color match is then the most important factor

[depmike38]

I had seen pictures of that piece off in some previous posts and figured it to be recovered off the car. What I'm unsure about is the main panel that runs all the way across. It seems to be of a fairly simple configuration when compared to a modern dash assembly but I don't want to remove it if unnecessary. My dash covering and that of the interior trim around the windshield and side windows will have to be re-done. Thanks for any input, Mike

[Pat Marshall]

The Dash leather is installed in the car. There is a thin fiberglass padding layer underneath the Dash leather, try to not disturb it when you remove the leather.

What's damage does your dash leather have?

[Mad Scientist]

Having had my dash partly disassembled I can say that this is not a job for the faint-at-heart. However if your radio doesn't work this would be a good time to get it fixed also to check to see that the cables from the control counsel are actually working their appropriate vents. I found two bent cables because the valves they controlled were rusted in place.

[depmike38]

The dash covering has dried out and split in several places so re-covering it is a must. The damaged interior mouldings have done the same. If it's installed in the car how do you get it to stretch into place? :confused:

[Mad Scientist]

I cannot imagine doing a decent job without taking it all apart. :( The leather is wrapped around the molding, etc. and is then contacted cemented in place. This prevents the cut edge of the leather from being seen along the edge of the molding.

[depmike38]

I see the needed procedure with the mouldings. Most of the ones in my car are off and in the trunk. What I'm unsure of is the main area of the dash and is it possible to do a good job with it in place or does the complete dashboard assembly have to come out. I think Pat referred to a fiberglass part of some sort. Is it possible that it's removeable?

[Shawn Newcomb]

FWIW this may give you some idea as to construction...

While my mouldings (the grey color that turns greenish) are in decent shape for an old hulk and securely in place (rusty fasteners aside), the dash leather has shrunk to the point that it and the brads that tacked it in place are now visible to anyone in person and are clearly not covered by the mouldings anymore. I realize that this photo isn't great (only one I have), and the heads are hard to see in it, but they stick up in each of the brown holes where the backside leather is showing through.

[Pat Marshall]

The dash structure ]is not removable unless you cut it out with a torch[/B]. It is a permanent part of the cabin structure. The dash components consist of the underlying permanent dash structure, a thin fiberglass layer of padding and the dash leather.

There is a wooden strip underneath the inside windshield molding. The leather is stapled to that strip. It is then pulled back towards the front seat and wrapped under the dashboard overhang and is glued to the underside of the dash structure in the same areas where the instrument brackets, radio frame and glove box are screwed into the underside of the dash trailing edge.

[depmike38]

Thanks guys, that's what I needed to know!!

[Shawn Newcomb]

There is a wooden strip underneath the inside windshield molding. The leather is stapled to that strip.

Are all of your cars stapled? Mine is very clearly upholstery tacked with no signs of stapling. How about your earliest one? Maybe it only took them say about 240 more cars to invent the staple?:D


Barry, yours is within about 5 units or so of mine according to the database feel like pulling a couple screws from your moulding to see what's inside? edit: Nevermind. That was dumb of me I think you told me yours was redone for a color change (or two?) at some point. Keep it together and shiny for the Concours. :)

How about Tom P or Mr. Beardsley do you guys know?

[Barry Wolk]

I haven't contributed to this thread because I've never had my dash that far apart.

I have discerned that all of the Lincoln dashboards were removable, but the exploded drawing of the Mark II body clearly shows that the dash was an integral part of the body.

From what I see it would be fairly easy to recover the dash with the hardest part removing and reinstalling the instrument pod.

Your dashboard was likely recovered at some point without removing the windshield. There is no room to get a staple gun in place so they used tacks and installed them too far away from the firewall. They probably didn't show initially but pulled into view as the leather shrank.

Staples would be better as the pins and the bridge of the staple help hold the material in place. While tedious, it will be necessary to install a bunch of tacks if you don't want to take out the windshield.

[depmike38]

I will try to make a very detailed layout on how to do this as I take it apart and back. This has already been replaced once by the original owner as their chaffeurs poodle ate the dash(so I've been told) when it was left inside it one day. The re-do was at best p*** poor.

[Shawn Newcomb]

I wouldn't ever say anything about my car's manufacture for sure. It isn't a 1 owner vehicle. What you are saying sounds logical and staples would hold better (my picture as evidence).

What I know:

Interior work was done to this car in the mid-80's (nothing since) with 63k on the odometer (not many more on it now), they re-did seats in wool and any bad leather in vinyl--you can spot those changes a mile a way.

What I speculate:

If/when the dashboard was recovered, all of the trim leather in the car must have been changed very early in its life for it to have gotten this bad again with so little use. Anyone poking around would swear it was remaining original stuff. It all matches, has faded and degraded to the same shade of green and become stiff and brittle. It must still taste good though a mouse ate some at the top of the A-pillar last winter.:eek::mad::(:D I believe that has been the sequence of emotions. PS we seem to lack a "who cares", "shit happens" or "c'est la vie" emoticon...

[Pat Marshall]

I have a correction to make the strip to which the leather is stapled is a strong composite fiber material.

The layer between the leather and the metal dash structure is fiber glass/cardboard sheeting which is glued to the metal. The leather is then stapled to the strip, pulled back and over the rear lip of the dashboard and glued underneath. The leather is not glued to the fiber glass/cardboard layer.

[Barry Wolk]

PS we seem to lack a 'who cares', 'shit happens' or 'ce la vie' emoticon...


This one, too.

http://www.expandingknowledge.com/Common/Image/Emoticon/Icon/Beating_a_dead_horse.gif

[Shawn Newcomb]

That's a good one. There are some others I've seen out there I'd use too if I knew how to swipe 'em...

Back to the previously high-jacked thread:

[Pat Marshall]

Peviously Highjacked Thread is back:

Attached are pictures showing the layers of the dash covering. The first shows the leather installed and stapled into the anchoring strip. The second shows the underlayment beneath damaged leather. Third is the underlayment with the leather removed and Four shows the underlayment being removed exposing the metal dash structure.

[Shawn Newcomb]

Nice post Pat. What is tacked in picture 3? And is this considered the padded dash or the standard dash?

[Pat Marshall]

These pictures are from 3 different cars. Picture #3 is from a car that was partially reupholstered in the 60’s at Chino, CA due to sun and heat damage.

Since the strip that secures the dash leather has tacks in it and does not show staple holes, my assumption is that they redid the dash, put in a new strip and tacked the leather to it.

I agree with a previous post and don’t think you can staple the leather to the securing strip without removing the windshield. So, I don’t think they removed the windshield when they redid the dash.

[Shawn Newcomb]

...is this considered the padded dash or the standard dash?

Thanks. These 3 must be standard then? How padded was a padded dash anyhow?

[Pat Marshall]

Yes, those are the standard dashes. I've never seen a padded dash, so I don't know how thick they are.

[thomas]

Anyone on here know how hard it is to remove the dash from a 56 Mark II? Or if its even possible? Thanks...

[Barry Wolk]

Are you talking the instrument pod, or the whole dash?

I could be wrong, but I think the dash is welded in. :confused:

[Doc]

Are you talking the instrument pod, or the whole dash?

I could be wrong, but I think the dash is welded in. :confused:

That's correct; the main "dash" is welded in place; the instrument pod cover on top can be removed to service those units.

[thomas]

yeah I am talking about the whole dash. thought it may be impossible or too big of a job. thanks for the replies...

[Roger Zimmermann]

It's easy: you just have to remove the windshield and drill the spot welds. Assembly: weld the upper part where you drill the spot welds, clean and protect the welds against rust. Have a fire extinguisher ready just in case...

[thomas]

oh ok thanks roger, now that I know that I will get right on it! whew what a relief thought it may be hard...thanks:cool:

[tswrace]

I am looking at a Mark II for sale that has a relatively long crack in the dash covering. Is there a way to repair the dash covering?

[Mad Scientist]

Yes. You can strip and replace the leather.
Or there is a leather “bondo” that’s available that can be used to fill the crack. It can then be dyed to match.