Coverlay over missing dash pad

[Blue Boy]

i am toying with this. Anyone tried it? What were the results? I live in the desert and thought that this might last longer than a new pad.

 

[nvrenuf]

I put a Coverlay Manufacturing dash cover on my dash and I’m happy with it. It looks good and literally saved me hundreds of dollars. It’s not perfect but it’s pretty close.

My Blazer is parked inside but I’ve read that constant exposure to heat / sun can make them ripple or bow but I’m thinking that could also be installation.

You will need some original dash pad to glue it to, it’s glue all around the perimeter with RTV so I’m not sure how well that would adhere to bare foam padding.

 

[Blue Boy]

Looks good! I dont have any pad though. Just bare metal. Wondered if i put some padding ( like stick on floor insulation ) in places to make it work. If not ill just bite the bullet and get a new pad

 

[nvrenuf]

Thanks. It really fits good and isn't painfully obvious it's a cover. There are a couple of spots where about 1/8" of the edges of the old dash show but they're at the outboard ends and hidden when the doors are closed.

Bare metal will be tough for this cover, it puzzle pieces on to the existing pad perfectly so you'd probably have a 1/2"~3/4" gap to fill.

What about finding a busted up dash for cheap and covering it?

 

[Blue Boy]

Might give that a try. Thanks!

 

[GTX63]

Take a blow dryer and heat up the underlayment and peel it off. Or watch this guy's video.

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[nvrenuf]

Good video.

I did not remove the skin off of my original dash. I used a utility knife and cut off the edges that were curling up and glued my cover to the remaining skin.

The kit comes with 1 tube of clear 500° RTV, some YT videos say it’s barely enough so I bought some additional RTV and used it generously around the outer perimeter and the vent openings.

Videos will also warn you against spreading RTV throughout the middle / big flat areas as this can cause waves. It’s better to glue the edges and let the middle areas “float”, there’s snowing structural reason to glue any more than the edges because you just want it to stay in place.

 

[GTX63]

The covers are more rigid than the OEM pad. They don't have a lot of "give" or flex so when the sun starts cooking over your truck, the daubs of glue are similar to driving a nail; it causes the areas around it to ripple.

 

[nvrenuf]

That’s why you run a continuous bead around the perimeter and nothing in the center (per instructions).