Has anyone reupholstered their stock dahboard

[1batt4u]

I was wondering, has anyone reupholstered their stock/original dashboard, instead of buying a new one?

If so, please post pictures if you have of before and after. As well as step by step process. Does the old material get removed or is the new material glued on top, filling in cracks??

[thirdmanj]

I was wondering, has anyone reupholstered their stock/original dashboard, instead of buying a new one?

If so, please post pictures if you have of before and after. As well as step by step process. Does the old material get removed or is the new material glued on top, filling in cracks??

I saw one that was redone like that, looked kinda puffy. I don't recall where I saw the picture though.

Edi: There's some pictures here: http://www.distantvisions.net/DeLorean.html

[DMCMW Dave]

I saw one that was redone like that, looked kinda puffy. I don't recall where I saw the picture though.

Edi: There's some pictures here: http://www.distantvisions.net/DeLorean.html

Ken Koncelic has done a bunch of them, and even tooled up a punch to make the speaker holes correctly. It goes over the old vinyl so you sometimes see telegraphing of the cracks over time, like on a recovered binnacle, and since it does add "thickness" to the vinyl, the glove box door and binnacle don't fit quite right afterwards. A recovered dash with a recovered binnacle definitly have issue with the final fit.

[David T]

By adding another layer over what already exists it gets bigger looking, giving it the "puffy" look. Just Dashes claims they strip off the original cracked top layer of vinyl, repair the foam and them fit a new layer of vinyl over the binnacle. Of course it is not inexpensive. You could try just filling the cracks and repainting but very soon the cracks just start again. Whatever you use to recover must be relatively thin materiel and stretchy enough to go around curves. I am assuming you do not want to cover the whole dash, just the pod with the instruments in it, the binnacle. Don't recover without doing something to repair the foam or you will just see the cracks right through it. And if you just fill the cracks they will get larger and again you will see them through the covering. Getting NOS is no solution either, those parts are over 30 years old and will crack as soon as you leave the car out in the sun.
David Teitelbaum

[ccurzio]

I saw one that was redone like that, looked kinda puffy. I don't recall where I saw the picture though.

Edi: There's some pictures here: http://www.distantvisions.net/DeLorean.html

Yeesh. What kind of nutjob chronicles every individual thing they do to their DeLorean?

[louielouie2000]

Yeesh. What kind of nutjob chronicles every individual thing they do to their DeLorean?

I wish others would do exactly the same... that way when tire kickers pop into the board contemplating the cost of maintaining a driver DeLorean, we could all easily point to the cut & dry proof vs finding another excuse to bicker/insult each other. I (like most every owner I encountered), kept every single receipt for parts/labor performed my DeLoreans, and for shock value, would add them up & compare notes with fellow owners from time to time. Posting these specifics online is simply taking this documentation a step further. I think it makes for a great resource for owners & enthusiasts alike.

[WelmoedJ]

I've stripped the old vinyl, filled the dash and binnacle cracks.
Had them covered by leather.

The result is in the attached picture(s)
15899 15900

[ccurzio]

I wish others would do exactly the same...

I made the joke because I'm one of those nutjobs. :)

http://www.accipiter.org/projects/delorean.php

[pezzonovante88]

I've stripped the old vinyl, filled the dash and binnacle cracks.
Had them covered by leather.

The result is in the attached picture(s)
15899 15900

Now that's something I'd be interested in. It looks stock and doesn't look puffy. The only problem is I'd want the whole interior recovered in leather....

[1batt4u]

By adding another layer over what already exists it gets bigger looking, giving it the "puffy" look. Just Dashes claims they strip off the original cracked top layer of vinyl, repair the foam and them fit a new layer of vinyl over the binnacle. Of course it is not inexpensive. You could try just filling the cracks and repainting but very soon the cracks just start again. Whatever you use to recover must be relatively thin materiel and stretchy enough to go around curves. I am assuming you do not want to cover the whole dash, just the pod with the instruments in it, the binnacle. Don't recover without doing something to repair the foam or you will just see the cracks right through it. And if you just fill the cracks they will get larger and again you will see them through the covering. Getting NOS is no solution either, those parts are over 30 years old and will crack as soon as you leave the car out in the sun.
David Teitelbaum

I only want the dashboard covered as mentioned, not the binnacle. I already got the binnacle recovered from John Hervey.

[David T]

Doing the dash is a bigger job just because of all of the work involved in removing and replacing it. Since you already had the binnacle done by John, I would contact him so you can use a similar looking materiel. Making the holes over the speakers is not that big a deal, you can put nice looking speaker grills there. You do have to figure something out for the VIN plate. On the Lotus Esprit they used a very nice, rich looking Leather (real leather!) on the binnacle and the dash. It does add to the richness and makes the interior look a lot better than all of that plastic.
David Teitelbaum

[jamesrguk]

15910

I had my dash and binnacle recovered in leather, along with the rest of the interior, several years ago, the photo was taken years ago when I was in the process of reassembling.

A decent upholsterer can get very thin leather so it doesn't have to look puffy, mine's taught, but some prefer that puffy feel/look.

Trick is to find a decent upholsterer.

James

[pezzonovante88]

15910

I had my dash and binnacle recovered in leather, along with the rest of the interior, several years ago, the photo was taken years ago when I was in the process of reassembling.

A decent upholsterer can get very thin leather so it doesn't have to look puffy, mine's taught, but some prefer that puffy feel/look.

Trick is to find a decent upholsterer.

James

That's beautiful!

[1batt4u]

15910

I had my dash and binnacle recovered in leather, along with the rest of the interior, several years ago, the photo was taken years ago when I was in the process of reassembling.

A decent upholsterer can get very thin leather so it doesn't have to look puffy, mine's taught, but some prefer that puffy feel/look.

Trick is to find a decent upholsterer.

James

Very Nice!!

[kings1527]

I only want the dashboard covered as mentioned, not the binnacle. I already got the binnacle recovered from John Hervey.

How do you like the binnacle from Hervey?

[1batt4u]

How do you like the binnacle from Hervey?

So far so good! I haven't installed it yet, because still working on my car, it's a project! Overall looks good. I just got in it vinyl.

[AirmanPika]

15910

I had my dash and binnacle recovered in leather, along with the rest of the interior, several years ago, the photo was taken years ago when I was in the process of reassembling.

A decent upholsterer can get very thin leather so it doesn't have to look puffy, mine's taught, but some prefer that puffy feel/look.

Trick is to find a decent upholsterer.

James

Who did your work? Thats basically exactly what I wanted to do and was imagining simple thin leather too. I want smooth leather like what you find in a modern BMW. Of course if it is thin...I might be able to do it myself if it stretches enough to do the curves right. I really like how those speakers were done in the other post. Tempts me to do a mix of the two some day.

[WelmoedJ]

Now that's something I'd be interested in. It looks stock and doesn't look puffy. The only problem is I'd want the whole interior recovered in leather....

The leatherwork in my car has been done by a professional car upholsterer.
I already discussed "upgrading" the grey vinyl by grey leather.
As the economic situation forces me to do this step by step, I have inquired how to do at a slow pace.

The pro came up with the this solution:
Buy a sheet of leather, sufficient in size to cover all the gray parts in the car.
Then, each time I can afford an spending I go over to him with the parts I want to have covered and the sheet of leather.
When done I bring all parts and the remaing leather home until the next job can be done, or all is finished.

As the leather comes from the same sheet, there will be no difference in color.
This way it seems all the grey parts of the car have been done at the same time.