LUVTruck.com

Hi folks. Are new dash boards a thing of the past? Or are they still available. I purchased a restored 75 w/SBC in 91. The dash was new and installed as part of the restore. It was perfect and black. Now, many years later the typical cracking has begun. I knew at the time that the dash was probably the hardest part to get. What are the options today....

Thanks
Tracy

I'm a new member to luvtruck, and have begun to revist some the issues i have had after putting 82K on my v-8 LUV- 5-lug conversion/disc all around, coil front end, .... some other goodies. Hope to chat with some of you soon. Thanks again

the place that was making them said they are done with them just didn't sell enough .... $600 from down under to oregon when i got mine last year

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My old but now gone Luv...

I got one of the last ones through Chevy before they discontinued them in 1992. All you can do now is try to find the aftermarket fiberglass reproduction, make your own or hope to find someone who has had one stashed (does happen once and a while) all this time.

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Click on C.M. logo to go to my webpage


RIP R.J.B.

Thanks for the info guys. I will keep my eye out. ctmandu, was that a dash restoration specialty shop... I found one online that was located down under?

Tracy

yes it was ... sad thing was when he first made them he said $375 delivered to usa then 2 years later it was $600 and now no more to be made

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My old but now gone Luv...

It is too bad, if the price wasn't overkill they could have sold more. I am sure if a NOS one turns up on eBay it will be pretty expensive. I am sure I would bid at least $400 or $500 on it. I think the last time I saw one on eBay was about 2 years ago and it was still in the box too. I think it went for over $500 if I remember correctly. I can't believe there isn't a company in the US that can make them.

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http://www.purerockradio.net/

If you patched up an old one it wouldnt be too hard to make a mould would it???


All you would need then would be someone who knows a bit about foam and rubber chemicals.


Any auto trimmer worth their salt would be able to trim it.

Or you could patch the carcase and have it retrimmed. But again youd need some know how to get stuff to bond to the soft stuff thats about the same softness.

Fair enough on the fiberglass but its meant to be padded. Saftey regs, here you would be breaking design rules, id say youd be against it in some (if not most) US states as well.

Bob.

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Current project, 1979 KB Isuzu Ute.

Daily driver, '86 Rodeo Spacecab.
Chasing parts for Isuzu Impulse.

I had to put a dash cap on mine and then I put a dash mat that matched the color of my interior on top of that.

FYI...You can get them both pretty cheap on ebay.

It's not bad looking, and is a huge improvement to what it looked like before, but obviously a whole new dash would look better.

It's too bad the replacement dash isn't available anymore....and they were so darn expensive when anyone still was able to get one.

There is definitely a need for them. I personally have yet to see a Luv that doesn't have a pretty sad looking stock dash.

Can't you just strip the dash and rhino line it/something to that effect?

Yeah...but it wouldn't look as good. Plus the loss of padding would really suck if you ever got into a serious fender bender.

Thanks for ideas, I did like the "coating" effect in the bare steel. Taz, is the cap fairly thin... or does it bulk up the dash, and it appears the cap only covers the top?

I will try to post up a pic of what i have. Its not bad. Many years ago someone tried to rip off my stereo and in the process rip the area around the stereo hole. I fixed it as best i could with the goop/heat/texture method to hide the rip. I would have given "the asshole" stereo, knowing that the dash itself is the real prize. I'm still pissed and its been a dozen years or so.

Perhaps someone will offer a replacement someday........(hoping)

Looks like i have to post a couple of more times to upload photo urls. Here is #4 I think.

And post #5? I'm new

Ok, here it goes.
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc15 ... vedash.jpg

Here is a couple of more...

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc15 ... ashtop.jpg
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc15 ... erdash.jpg
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc15 ... ipdash.jpg

Thanks for lookin.

Looks great!

You know that clown from Aus could have sold hundred of those dashes for a reasonable price. Instead he tried to get rich of the first couple and look what happened. I tried to tell him, what's better? Selling 5 @ $500 or selling 100 @ $100? He replied 5 @ $500, so there you have it.

He's bent at me because I wouldn't endorse them either. Why would I endorse something that cost me $500 and didn't fit?

your dash looks great but if you hate the tear just have your dashed re skinned with new vinyl, call dashboard restoration in washington and ask or you might find some there that has a heat shrink machine the size you need for the dash
Dashboard Restorations USA
26334 NE Rawson Road
Brush Prairie, WA 98606
Telephone: (360) 892 4075



and ben have you checked with these guys
Just Dashes
5941 Lemona Avenue Van Nuys CA 91411

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My old but now gone Luv...

A dash cap is just a thin textured black plastic cover to glue on over your dash top. In your case where your dash is tore up around the stereo opening, it won't help you much.

Neither will a dash pad, since it basically does the same thing as a dash cap, and covers even less of the dash top.

Compared to a lot of them, your dash looks REALLY good. I think a trim shop could repair/patch the small tears you've got...

Do you have photos of the back of your gauge panel? Or drawings of what you did there? It looks great...

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"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison