just dashes - why not the w123 dash - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

KAdams4458 · #31 03-14-2009, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Section106

Yeah. There's that. I guess I'm saying once all the cores are gone from the slavage yards it might be a good idea?

What about other interior pieces that aren't made anymore or are just too expensive? I've got an '82 300CD where the vinyl molding around the seatbelt insertion point (where the B pillar should be) is deformed and split away from the plastic backing. I'm sure tracking down new parts is difficult and expensive.

By the way, I know nothing about interior restoration so type slowly.

Well, half the fun of owning one of these things is hunting through salvage yards in search of parts. The other half of the fun is getting your wallet plundered. If you don't find either of those things to be fun, well, you're not cut out for old Merc ownership. LOL!

All kidding aside: There will never be enough demand for original dash shells to be worth making new ones. After all, if you need a refinished dash, you obviously have an old one that can likely be refinished. If you are missing a dash, you almost certainly have nothing but a parts car on your hands.

Injection moulded interior bits are a world apart from vinyl dashboards, and are currently beyond my ability to reproduce. I'm having trouble envisioning the part your describing on your CD, but on a sedan, there's no vinyl there. There is a metal trim insert around the hole where the seatbelt runs on the B-pillar trim, and the rest of the B-pillar cover is a metal panel with MB-Tex stretched over it. If the CD is the same way, that black metal piece seems like it is covered in a black plastic sprayed-on finish of some sort. Mine are a bit worn and have the black finish tearing away, and I plan to powdercoat them if they are not available new.

panZZer · #32 06-03-2009, 07:15 PM

Bump

KAdams4458 · #33 06-03-2009, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panZZer

Bump

I'll see your bump, and raise you another bump.

A little FYI on the dash progress: It hasn't happened, yet. The friend's car in my shop is three months behind schedule, and will fall further behind, because the "fresh" forged motor he spent a great deal of money on and had shipped halfway across the country has trashed bearings and scored piston bores. I can build a new one for him, but the custom pistons have one heck of a lead time, and until the car is out of my shop, I have no room to work on the Mercedes.

At best, it will be three months before I can hope to get started on the dashboard, and that's only if I start the interior before I perform the motor swap, which isn't the order I had planned to do things in.

56speedster · #34 06-04-2009, 01:07 AM

www.dashdesigns.com

today, i spoke with someone at an interior shop who advertised in hemmings about a cover to protect my dash from the UV light and they recommended
www.dashdesigns.com

i was told they make covers for the w123.

Dee8go · #35 06-04-2009, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panZZer

Pull your head out and look into it! the post is about everyone who needs a real dash resto to forget about the caps and make the effort --CONTACT-- Just Dashes to realise what a HUGE product possibility they are leaving unfilled.. Just Dashes does NOT do Cap Covers , THEY REDO THEM LIKE FACTORY, by making a vacuum tool that molds on a new skin just like a origonal.

Oh, sorry. I guess I didn't look at their site. I thought this was about caps.

panZZer · #36 06-04-2009, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KAdams4458

I'll see your bump, and raise you another bump.

A little FYI on the dash progress: It hasn't happened, yet. The friend's car in my shop is three months behind schedule, and will fall further behind, because the "fresh" forged motor he spent a great deal of money on and had shipped halfway across the country has trashed bearings and scored piston bores. I can build a new one for him, but the custom pistons have one heck of a lead time, and until the car is out of my shop, I have no room to work on the Mercedes.

At best, it will be three months before I can hope to get started on the dashboard, and that's only if I start the interior before I perform the motor swap, which isn't the order I had planned to do things in.

arrrGGh, I hate it when that happens!

crs82 · #37 11-18-2010, 03:27 PM

I know, I know, this thread is well over a year and a half old, but...Dashboard Restorations in WA gave me a quote of $600 to recover both the dash and glovebox door.
Someone will use the SEARCH function and pull this up eventually.

KAdams4458 · #38 11-18-2010, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crs82

I know, I know, this thread is well over a year and a half old, but...Dashboard Restorations in WA gave me a quote of $600 to recover both the dash and glovebox door.
Someone will use the SEARCH function and pull this up eventually.

Not an awful price, but I have reservations about using them. I looked them up some time ago, and they have some awful reviews out there. Anyone seriously considering these guys should look in to claims that their customers have made about things like five to sixth month turn around, missing and broken parts, and the dashboards just not fitting in the car anymore.

Speaking of long turn around times, I'm still bogged down with other things that have prevented refinishing my dash. Now that I have a reminder about this thread, I might remember to provide a little more information. I never did get around to putting up a picture comparing the vinyl I intend next to the original dash for comparison.

My friend's car? Yeah. Still in my shop, but it can roll in and out now.

crs82 · #39 11-28-2010, 02:38 PM

Just took a look at a dash they did for a guy I met at a swap meet. Looked fantastic! He said turnaround was 4 weeks.

I had heard some bad things about them as well, but I looked into some of the complaints and about 60% were about long turnaround times only 40% were about poor workmanship.

It seems they may have gotten their act together at this point, but I would recommend anyone look hard into any service that costs that much and has possession of your item for that long.

Just another avenue to look into.