# 66'-67' Dash pad gauge pod fabrication



## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

Bayou has been nice enough to send me his 67' dash pad to make molds for a three gauge cluster like the one i laid up for my car. His pad is in good shape aside from a few cracks so i decided to make a mold of the foam nose which as far as i know is not reproduced. It has a bullet shape which i was not able to reproduce on mine. Next step will be to mold in the gauge cluster with PVC and clay on his original to get my slug. After that i will make a silicone mold of the cluster and passengers side of the dash. The goal here is to be able to reproduce them in either fiberglass or a gel coat with foam fill so the do it yourselfer can simply graft it on to the dash pad core with panel adhesive and take it to the local upholsterer for a re-stretch....here goes, remember i am an amateur at this.

boxed in with cardboard for foam mold










GREAT STUFF....is great stuff


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

very cool!....gel coat sounds like a good idea, so does a solid hard rubber (like some of the new cars have)... Eric :cheers


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

I was thinking like the Foam core restoration moldings we use in construction, a very thin gel coat with a dense foam backing. It will not need to be paint grade smooth as it will get 1/8" headliner foam before the vinyl gets stretched.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

cut up the dash pad this evening and got the forms in for the gauges, want them to face the driver at the same angle as the eyebrow slopes off at and upwards a bit. I used hot glue to get them positioned right and will mold them in with modeling clay for a smooth transition into the existing pad.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

molded into the pad


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## facn8me (Jul 30, 2011)

Looking Good!!


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## bayou4us (Nov 27, 2011)

Oh no, you cut my dash!! Just kidding. My dash is starting to look good. I can't wait to see the finished product of YOUR hard work.:agree


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

Ok time to get back on this, with the tornado a few months ago i have been swamped with work and have been OTJ either in person or on the phone 12-16hrs /6 days a week so it had to get pushed to a back burner. I just received the mold making materials which consist of a brush on silicone RTV rubber for the release mold and an epoxy type plaster for the mother mold (solid backer to hold the shape when laid). I hope to start the process this weekend and will take pics of the process. The blanks will fit both 66 and 67 dashes if all goes well.


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## bayou4us (Nov 27, 2011)

Thanks for the update.:cheers


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## scoob (Jul 18, 2011)

man that is looking great!!!!!!!!!!!! can not wait to view the finished dash


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

here is what it will look like Scoob, already did a one off for my 66'. Bayou lent me his dash to make the molds for the 67 as they are a bit slimmer than the 66' that way the blanks should work on both years in case anyone wants to do their own for a quite bit less than what the big dash companies get. They may not be perfect but i did mine for around 50.00 in material from Joann fabrics. Or you could mount the pod and have an upholsterer stretch the vinyl (i was quoted 250.00 locally).


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Looks great from where I'm sitting!! Eric :cheers


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

E, The one thing i like VS the stock pads is the vinyl is more like a glove leather than the shell of vinyl. I am assuming that the vendor you got yours from is using a vacuum former and a shell similar to the originals, i think i seen a video of their process. I have used similar set-ups in the past. I may re-do my original with the new mold and actually do it in leather, think that would be nice and i have a cover to slip over it when i am out in the sun.


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Brian, Yes it is vinyl, vacuum formed. I would have liked leather but was afraid if wrinkles and poor fit. Ain't nothin' like real leather! :cheers


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## FlambeauHO (Nov 24, 2011)

Looks great!


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

Thanks Flambeau, i will be starting the mold process tomorrow, i will post the pics as i go, hope to have the first blank popped out by Monday....:cheers


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

i am laying out materials for the silicone as we speak

i will make keys first for a positive mold lock once i lay the Mother mold material over the finished silicone. For this i found an old package from a grinder wheel set as my mold

i have sprayed the master with release and prepped it for silicone.

then the first coat of silicone after some final smoothing of the model with poly filler


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

more to come tomorrow, silicone has a 24 hr cure time I will lay a second coat to get mold thickness to 1/4"+ and set in my keys. Monday it should be ready for the Mother Mold. Will have to run a few prototypes to decide what my best media for the pods will be, will swirl mold some resin and back it with either Fleece (polyester) or some sort of fiberglass then brush in a bond coat of resin to seal it, looking for a thin but rigid part. While we are waiting here are a few pics of the upholstery part of the project.

here is the pod mounted to the base with seam sealer (HD Loctite PL premium advanced construction adhesive) and the seams smoothed with red RTV









Then 3/16" foam headliner material is stretched to shape with 3M 80 foam and rubber spray adhesive, i gut the flat stsrted and worked down only spraying 3" at a time this the curves are the tricky part and where the stretch is involved to keep out wrinkles









same procedure with the vinyl, you want the thinnest stretchiest vinyl they have, almost like glove leather









trim to 3/4" overhang, pull around edges and tack with industrial hotglue









works good on stock pads too for around 50.00 material and a few hrs labor, i even did the sides of my console with the scrap


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## bayou4us (Nov 27, 2011)

Looks good!!! Is that your dash that was covered in black or mine? I think I'm going with a red interior.:cheers


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

thats my old one Bayou, just finished the last coat of silicone, have to put the plaster on it tommorow night, should be able to pull the mold apart wednesday evening and see how it came out, hopefully be making your panel next weekend, you can take it to the upholsterer and have them stretch any color, i would take a seat cover so they can match as close as possible to the interior. you will want to have your gauges and drill the matching size holes before upholstery. make sure they fit depth wise too, i used Summit gauges.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

OK had a slow cure on the Silicone so i let it set up for the week, here it is with 1/4" coverage, the small mold are the keys for registering the silicone in the rigid cast, now for that...


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

finished the mother mold and let set then pulled it apart to see how it came out...


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## bayou4us (Nov 27, 2011)

Looks good so far!!!arty:


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

pressed a first prototype in with the mother mold material for a Master, in case i ever need to make a new glove mold. the parts will be thinner and probably swirled in with resin and shredded fiberglass or polyester.


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## tlillard23 (Nov 22, 2011)

what?? Looks like a fun project though!


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

That second picture looks a little scarey.......:rofl:


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## busaben (Oct 30, 2008)

great work!!! any updates? i'm going to have to get one for my 67 lemans:cool


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## bayou4us (Nov 27, 2011)

Yep. Some updates would be good. LOL:agree


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## busaben (Oct 30, 2008)

anything new on these? im still real interested


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