Restoring the W114 part 4

After waiting on a late shipment from FedEx ground I have finally installed the dash despite the cracks that were left from shipping damage. I have installed the dash cap from dashcaps.com and it fits like a glove. Unlike the original dash, this cap covers the speaker grille in one piece. Dash-caps recommend that you glue the cap in place but this did not seem wise because the access through the speaker would be blocked. I sparingly used some clear silicone to glue the cap in place, which held it very secure. This will allow me to peel it off without damage if I need to gain access to the speaker hole in the future. I replaced the heater lever controls with the salvage unit I purchased and every thing went back together smoothly. I managed to custom make carpet pads my self out of regular foam rubber carpet pad. I copied the pattern in reverse minus a little trimming from the passenger side and glued the multiple layers together with 3M-spray adhesive. I then cut, glued & covered the pad with a good old fashion Hefty Bag to seal out moisture. Crude but they work just like the originals! Now with the carpet in and the dash/console in place I will next turn to seats and headliner. Making a trip to the Local Mercedes Salvage yard this next week and will pickup a few odds & ends to complete the interior.

Regards,
Bryan

[Mike Michalek]

Channel1
I have been following your posts with great interest. I have a 1973 280 that I will begin a restoration project this spring. I have always wonder about those dash caps. If they really look like the real dash or if you could tell that something was placed on top of the dash. Your ideal of the carpet pad sounds real good. I think I will do the same. Keep us posted.

Thanks

[ctaylor738]

Your energy and creativity give us all the inspiration to get off our butts! Keep us posted, and keep up the good work.

Chuck

The dash cap does not look like a cover. It is made of a vinyl or PVC Plastic? unsure of the compound, but is about .025 thick. It fits perfect to the original contour and has the same texture and grain as the original. The only giveaway, besides the integral speaker cover, is it does have a slight overhang around the inner lip the instrument cluster. If you were unaware of what the original looked like you would never be able to tell there was a dash cap in place. As soon as I get off my butt to upload some pictures I will have a few detailed photos of the dashcap included.

Regards,
Bryan