Do You Have a Restoration Trick for Aligning Dash Pad with Console? 1970

[Mark E.]

Is there a restoration trick for making the bottom tip of the dash pad align with the gauge cluster and top corner of the forward console? See photo.

I don't know but think the corner of the dash pad warps with age and pulls away from the console. Has anyone tried to reshape the plastic frame of the dash by breaking and resetting it? Other methods?

The photo is from an internet search of a car with a similar issue I'm having with my 1970 (my console is currently removed). I see this a lot with early C3s. An improved design (1971-72?) interlocked the console with the dash pad for better alignment.

Dash to Console Alignment for Posting.jpg

[Joe L.]

Re: Do You Have a Restoration Trick for Aligning Dash Pad with Console? 1970

Is there a restoration trick for making the bottom tip of the dash pad align with the gauge cluster and top corner of the forward console? See photo.

I don't know but think the corner of the dash pad warps with age and pulls away from the console. Has anyone tried to reshape the plastic frame of the dash by breaking and resetting it? Other methods?

The photo is from an internet search of a car with a similar issue I'm having with my 1970 (my console is currently removed). I see this a lot with early C3s. An improved design (1971-72?) interlocked the console with the dash pad for better alignment.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]108355[/ATTACH]

Mark------


It's not age that causes this. The pads on my 1969 were like this from day 1.

[Dennis D.]

Re: Do You Have a Restoration Trick for Aligning Dash Pad with Console? 1970

My 70 L-46 had the curved horns. My 70 LT-1, not so much. I think it was a bad design, and like so many others, GM fixed it for 71.
My L-46 tips were broken, and I did attempt to reset when I repaired it. The problem was the vinyl gets a memory to it, and fights the adjustment. Looked a little better. Plus I figured, what did I have to lose.

[Joe L.]

Re: Do You Have a Restoration Trick for Aligning Dash Pad with Console? 1970

My 70 L-46 had the curved horns. My 70 LT-1, not so much. I think it was a bad design, and like so many others, GM fixed it for 71.
My L-46 tips were broken, and I did attempt to reset when I repaired it. The problem was the vinyl gets a memory to it, and fights the adjustment. Looked a little better. Plus I figured, what did I have to lose.

Dennis------

Did you try heating the horns with a hair dryer to see if that would soften them up enough to eliminate the curve?

[Dennis D.]

Re: Do You Have a Restoration Trick for Aligning Dash Pad with Console? 1970

Dennis------

Did you try heating the horns with a hair dryer to see if that would soften them up enough to eliminate the curve?

Joe

I have a pic of this somewhere. If your referring to the vinyl, heat does convince it to do what you want
The problem is the original relief cuts that allow for the wrapping around the bottom will only move so far before the cuts are exposed

[Joe L.]

Re: Do You Have a Restoration Trick for Aligning Dash Pad with Console? 1970

Joe

I have a pic of this somewhere. If your referring to the vinyl, heat does convince it to do what you want
The problem is the original relief cuts that allow for the wrapping around the bottom will only move so far before the cuts are exposed

Dennis-----

Yes, I suppose that by now enough of the plasticizer in the vinyl has "outgassed" to render the vinyl "nonconformable".

[Mark E.]

Re: Do You Have a Restoration Trick for Aligning Dash Pad with Console? 1970

Joe

I have a pic of this somewhere. If your referring to the vinyl, heat does convince it to do what you want
The problem is the original relief cuts that allow for the wrapping around the bottom will only move so far before the cuts are exposed

It sounds like you're saying you were able to reshape the plastic frame but were limited by the relief cuts in the vinyl skin becoming exposed... Is this correct?

Can you say more about how you reshaped the plastic frame?

[Dennis D.]

Re: Do You Have a Restoration Trick for Aligning Dash Pad with Console? 1970

It sounds like you're saying you were able to reshape the plastic frame but were limited by the relief cuts in the vinyl skin becoming exposed... Is this correct?

Can you say more about how you reshaped the plastic frame?

This was quite awhile ago. I believe I used epoxy. The break was an inch or so from the tip. I was able to peel the vinyl back enough to force some epoxy in the crack. I didnt want to over fill so it wouldn't squirt out the sides and create a buildup that would show as a bump when the vinyl went over it. It oozed out a bit and I scraped it before it dried. See remnants of it in the pic. Once I installed it lined up better, but still off. I'll see if I have pic of the final install
20211004_171723.jpg
20211004_171809.jpg20211004_171841.jpg

[Mark E.]

Re: Do You Have a Restoration Trick for Aligning Dash Pad with Console? 1970

Update:

I installed the console and was able to improve the alignment between it and the dash pad tips significantly. I don't have "before" photos, but initially the alignment wasn't much better than the black interior shown in the first post.

Here's the "after" photo:

20230817_100830.jpg

All I did was apply a bar clamp to the dash tips, and gently pushed the tips in. I then left the clamp on for a few months in my warm garage, only removing it while driving the car. Not perfect, but a lot better. The clamp treatment is ongoing, so alignment may improve some more.

I recommend using the lightest, cheapest clamp you can find to minimize weight on the console.

20230817_100733.jpg

[Bill B.]

Re: Do You Have a Restoration Trick for Aligning Dash Pad with Console? 1970

Mark,

A little tounge-in-cheek here, but if you make it look too good, you may get points deduction for not being TFP for 1970...!!

[Mark E.]

Re: Do You Have a Restoration Trick for Aligning Dash Pad with Console? 1970

Mark,

A little tongue-in-cheek here, but if you make it look too good, you may get points deduction for not being TFP for 1970...!!

Ha! I wish I had that problem with this car.

Most of the improvement has happened since June when many days were over 100 degrees and my western facing garage gets almost as hot. So it seems to help when the plastic is warm, although I hesitate using a heat gun and risk damaging the material.

[Joe L.]

Re: Do You Have a Restoration Trick for Aligning Dash Pad with Console? 1970

Ha! I wish I had that problem with this car.

Most of the improvement has happened since June when many days were over 100 degrees and my western facing garage gets almost as hot. So it seems to help when the plastic is warm, although I hesitate using a heat gun and risk damaging the material.

Mark------


Of course, it would be very risky to use a heat gun. However, you could use a hair dryer, especially one that has a range of heat settings.

[Mark E.]

Re: Do You Have a Restoration Trick for Aligning Dash Pad with Console? 1970

Mark------


Of course, it would be very risky to use a heat gun. However, you could use a hair dryer, especially one that has a range of heat settings.

My heat gun is the Texas summer applied over many weeks.