Styling Wimmy Or Ben B, Please Help

[MagnaMorbius]

Wimmy and Ben B, you've both covered over the recess in the dashboard ovoer the glove box and smoothed it over, covered it in fabric so that it looks part of the dashboard. How did you go it? Can you give me an idiot proof guide (for the obvious reasons) on how to do it?

Thanksy.

 

[HP]

Is it using a passenger side airbag cover from models so equipped?

 

[MagnaMorbius]

Nope, it's the 80 SX, no passenger airbag.

 

[ben]

I think he means maybe they used the cover from the airbag models to do it?

 

[Andy_sx]

ive done mine aswell, ok so i copied both ben and Wimmy but it does look very nice.

we have all made a covering for the recess out of something fairly solid and robust. iirc Wimmy used some perspex or similar.

i used some thin plyboard and rivited it to the bottom edge then gently steamed it so it could bend correctly then riveted on the top edge. a couple of rivets on each side aswell just to give a better fit. this is only possible with the dash recess removed, which is a pain of a job tbh. the glovebox needs to come out, then you have a selection of 10mm nuts iirc on the front edge and also up the back aswell, which are extermely awkward to get to. you also have to strip the centre of the dash aswell so that it can be removed, a long job, but the end results are worth it. im going to be re upholstering mine this summer as the seude has sagged a little and got a few dodgy marks on

hth

 

[hgt20v]

ive done mine aswell, ok so i copied both ben and Wimmy but it does look very nice.

we have all made a covering for the recess out of something fairly solid and robust. iirc Wimmy used some perspex or similar.

i used some thin plyboard and rivited it to the bottom edge then gently steamed it so it could bend correctly then riveted on the top edge. a couple of rivets on each side aswell just to give a better fit. this is only possible with the dash recess removed, which is a pain of a job tbh. the glovebox needs to come out, then you have a selection of 10mm nuts iirc on the front edge and also up the back aswell, which are extermely awkward to get to. you also have to strip the centre of the dash aswell so that it can be removed, a long job, but the end results are worth it. im going to be re upholstering mine this summer as the seude has sagged a little and got a few dodgy marks on

hth

Very helpful m8. gonna be doing mine in the next few weeks as i'm gonna sink a lcd screen in there as well, but that's very helpful knowing you need to take the recess out, and how to do it.

Cheers

 

[MagnaMorbius]

Well, I picked up the acrylic from B&Q today (yes, the traditional home of modified car parts), and I've picked up some green synthetic leather from Motorworld, so I think I'll have a bash myself. And, since there's a place right near me that sell parts, I think I might end up buying one to work on - if it looks OK, great, I'll fit it, and if it looks absolutely gash, then all I've spent is about £9 on acrylics, £10 on faux leather, and probably a few skinned knuckles.

Ah well, such is life...

 

[MagnaMorbius]

Well, it took me about 2 hours to dismantle my dashboard enough to remove the recess bay (and it was rock hard - there are some bolts in there that you need to be a contortionist to get at) above the glove box, and about 5 minutes to dismantle the dashboard on the driver side to get the cowling from above the instruments.

Then, it took me about an hour to cut out the acrylic, shape it, heat it enough to bend it around the existing plastic dashboard, and then secure it with small screws (top & bottom) and No More Nails tape (along the curve). Give it 24 hours for the tape to set, and then using some special adhesive, sticking down the leather to both sides.

Give it a little time to dry, and voila! A new shape dashboard. Even though the others I've seen have used suede (Wimmy's light blue and Ben B's grey), I decided to use leatherette, since I think it's more of a car material.

What's everyone think?

 

[dillinger39]

nicely done pal

 

[Tom444]

Just out of interest, how large is the space behind the new piece you've put on? I'm thinking of doing it and putting a relatively small amp behind it. Would it fit?

 

[wimmy]

It would have to be a tiny amp, Basically you put the covered well back into the dash.

Found a new way of covering my latest bravo. Rather than spend hours trying to bend a piece of fragile perspex, put the well in a large stocking. Drill a couple of holes in the back and fill with foam filler.

Sand when dried.

Works a treat

 

[jug]

personally i think of the recess as a perfect tomtom area. its like fiat knew that satnav would be a popular option in the coming years so they made a perfect space for it. most portable satnav devices will fit nicely and you can hide the wiring by drilling stright into the recess. satnav is nicer than a big lump, and its really cheap these days, and if you want to be really posh you can fit a widescreen tft screen there for a dvd player, playstation or whatever. its a good wide recess than accomodates a tft widescreen nicely.

 

[Philuk]

almost got my screen finished which is going in there!

7" widescreen tft monitor.. hopefully will be finsihed for donny but i cant promise

hope you guys come see me

 

[brava007]

anyone going to be posting pics of what they have done?? Liking what I have seen so far!

 

[toxic]

Is it using a passenger side airbag cover from models so equipped?

I did that, it's very easy!
some pics of how it looked before:

cover placed without the fabric: (bad picture sorry)

and this is what it looks like now(almost finished)

 

[charlieboy]

I did that, it's very easy!
some pics of how it looked before:

cover placed without the fabric: (bad picture sorry)

and this is what it looks like now(almost finished)

that looks so cool!

out of interest what material are you all using for the finish?

 

[Bravo Boy]

anyone going to be posting pics of what they have done?? Liking what I have seen so far!

Here you go a 7" widescreen tft monitor hooked up to my Dvd player

 

[Andy_sx]

this is mine as of aug last year when i did it. its a wip pic and i dont have any good ones all in really. mite take a couple tonight. at the time i did drivers and passenger side, plus sprayed centre console aswell as spraying a few other lil bits and my marea console

 

[wimmy]

and mine

 

[omot]

one question for toxic!
it looks nice but isn't that to bright colour for the dashboard?
i mean ,there must be some bad reflection at night!
but i think it's a great job