1970 Lower Dash - Think this can this be restored?

[Otto's Camaro]

Good luck on this and please share the final product.

 

[80WA7113]

Nice work! How do you keep the resin from sticking on the molds?

I wondered how long it was going to take before I was asked that question! LOL!

I use Meguiar's mold release wax. I've done a lot of glass repair work on Corvettes, and this product is hands down the best I've used so far.

 

[80WA7113]

Again, thanks for all the compliments, they're very much appreciated!

Ok then, back to the dash...we're now of the final leg of this journey.

I'm happy with how the face repair came out, but I wanted to make sure that the face surface was entirely smooth and devoid of any flaws, especially where the resin/glass mix meets the dash, so I decided to put down a layer of clear coat over the entire surface. Once the clear set up, I sanded the face with 600 grit to get the desired finish, then proceeded to shoot a couple of coats of dye.

Here are the results:

And last, but not least, the final test fit of the radio:

At the start of this project, I had a vision of what I wanted to accomplish, but I really didn't know if I would hit the level of quality I was attempting to achieve. All I can say is; I will be more than happy to use this lower dash in my car. I am extremely picky, and this part checks all the right boxes.

 

[71sstom]

Very nice. I had to do similar repair to fix blown out lower attachment holes and a couple holes where someone attached a CB mic bracket on my no seat belt lower dash. Difficult to match grain. Now that you got me thinking, was wondering if the same theory could be done to remove the seat belt light from a newer year piece and blend in a flush piece and match the grain. I do understand the radio holes may not be the same though. Just a thought.

 

[hubedobeedo]

Again, thanks for all the compliments, they're very much appreciated!

Ok then, back to the dash...we're now of the final leg of this journey.

I'm happy with how the face repair came out, but I wanted to make sure that the face surface was entirely smooth and devoid of any flaws, especially where the resin/glass mix meets the dash, so I decided to put down a layer of clear coat over the entire surface. Once the clear set up, I sanded the face with 600 grit to get the desired finish, then proceeded to shoot a couple of coats of dye.

Here are the results:

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And last, but not least, the final test fit of the radio:


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At the start of this project, I had a vision of what I wanted to accomplish, but I really didn't know if I would hit the level of quality I was attempting to achieve. All I can say is; I will be more than happy to use this lower dash in my car. I am extremely picky, and this part checks all the right boxes.

very nice

 

[hubedobeedo]

Thanks for the comments, guys, much appreciated!

Ok, I actually got started on today's escapades of the hole repair last night. This was another step I gave some careful thought to, because replicating the grain was important in getting the repair right.

I decided the ONLY way to get this right, would be to make a plug with the same grain on it to fill the void.

This meant I would now have to replicate the grain. By that I mean, I would need to make a mold of the grain with fiberglass resin, (a negative) and would use that to make an exact copy (a replica, or positive if you will) of the grain pattern.

I made a mold on the opposing side of the radio, as can be seen in the pics below. After the negative cured for a couple of hours, I used that to make the actual replica piece. The replica I allowed to cure overnight.

Side Bar: The plug idea I took from my woodworking hobby. Whenever I use fasteners to attach two pieces where the fastener hole may be visible, (for example, joining two kitchen cabinets together) I make a plug out of the same material I'm joining to make the fastening point virtually invisible. I figured, in theory, the same should work here.

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Tuesday's work:

I measured the hole, and it was just under 1/2". PERFECT for what I was wanting to try as I have a 1/2" bit and plug cutter. So I bored the hole in the dash to 1/2" and cut a wood plug as a test piece to check fitment. The wood plug fit tight, so I moved forward with making the fiberglass resin plug.

I cut a couple of plugs, and of the two, I picked the best matching to work with. Either would have worked, but I gave myself a choice, which allowed me to be picky.

I set the plug in place with a little fresh resin to bond it in and fill any voids around the pug. After it set up for a few hours, I did a little light sanding and removed any flashing around the plug with a pick, to make it blend as best I could with the surrounding grain.

When I was happy it looked ok, I shot it with a little black interior dye to see what the end result would look like. I have to admit, I'm pretty happy with how it came out. It sure beats that unsightly hole!


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get ur done!

 

[Brew61]

Thats pretty amazing job.


Bruce

 

[brooksman9]

Looks great. Job well done

 

[80WA7113]

Thanks again, all. I knew this was going to be a bit of a challenge, but I think the payoff was worth it. Now onto the next conquest.

Oh, and to answer my own question:

1970 Lower Dash - Think this can be restored?

Yes.

 

[CamaroNmotion]

Amazing, perfect restored piece.