Dashpad Referb - Color Selection?

[OneShot]

Hey,

I'm going to fix all the cracks in my dashboard using the method here:

http://www.gmsquarebody.com/threads/how-to-refurbish-your-dashpad.8614/

The pad was tolerable but recent cold weather put a crack straight down the middle of the passenger side and I got really fed up with it really fast. It's my last semester of engineering school and I don't have class on Tuesdays or Thursdays so I have some time to get this done.

I've seen a bunch of threads on here recommend using SEP paint to color the thing once I get all the cracks repaired. Thing is, my dash is red and I don't know which SEP paint to get. I had a custom seat made for my cab a couple of years ago (see below for pictures of dash and seat) and I don't want to mismatch my colors.

Pictures:
http://www.gmsquarebody.com/threads/new-custom-bench-seat.15153/

How do I know which color is OEM red?

P.S. Are my door panels the right color for that package? They were replaced before I was born. No idea if they are the right color. They need replaced anyway.

Thanks!

 

[echo7bravo]

Have you began work on your dashpad yet? I am tinkering with mine and contemplating using t-shirt material and spray adhesive and covering the entire dash pad once I do the whole spray foam thing. Then I can take some poly-resin and coat the material to form a shell that I can skim coat body filler onto.

 

[74 Shortbed]

Have you began work on your dashpad yet? I am tinkering with mine and contemplating using t-shirt material and spray adhesive and covering the entire dash pad once I do the whole spray foam thing. Then I can take some poly-resin and coat the material to form a shell that I can skim coat body filler onto.

Sounds interesting, how bout starting a thread with a step by step and pics, I'm sure there are others besides me that would be interested in this.

 

[echo7bravo]

I thought about that today. So far all I have done is pull the dash pad, trim up the crack and spray in some foam. However, I haven't taken any photos. Maybe I will start a new thread and start taking some photos as I proceed forward.

 

[74 Shortbed]

I thought about that today. So far all I have done is pull the dash pad, trim up the crack and spray in some foam. However, I haven't taken any photos. Maybe I will start a new thread and start taking some photos as I proceed forward.

 

[OneShot]

Have you began work on your dashpad yet? I am tinkering with mine and contemplating using t-shirt material and spray adhesive and covering the entire dash pad once I do the whole spray foam thing. Then I can take some poly-resin and coat the material to form a shell that I can skim coat body filler onto.

I haven't started yet. This is one of those projects where I would like to have all of my components (ex. paint) before I start, because it will go fairly quickly. I already have the foam, resin, and base paint (truck bed liner).

 

[echo7bravo]

I hear ya. I gathered all of my supplies first as well. I keep fiberglass matting and resin handy most of the time anyway. After I did my trimming of the the cracks, I started by putting masking tape over the end speaker grill holes as well as the center one. Then I flipped it upside down and cut fiberglass matting pieces to cover the three holes. Applied resin, let it dry then flipped it back over and removed the tape. Then I just went crazy with the spray foam. Filled the three large holes and all of the cracks that I had trimmed.

I actually took a wooden paint stirrer and tried to spread the foam a little right after I sprayed each crack just to keep it from being too much bulk to trim later on. I will see tomorrow how that worked out for me.

I will take some photos of it's current stage prior to trimming spray foam and sanding. Will try to keep up with photos through the rest of the process.

 

[echo7bravo]

So here is a couple photos from this morning when I got off work. I took one trying to show where I put the fiberglass matting on the underside of the speaker holes and a couple of photos of my nasty spray foam attempt. BTW....do not ever try to spread the spray foam. Just let it accumulate where it does. You can spray more in spots you may have missed. But if you try to spread it around......it creates huge air pockets.

After I trim up the mess, I will probably spray a bit more into the holes created by air pockets.

Once I get the foam trimmed up and sanded down I will take some more photos of stretching jersey knit t-shirt material over the entire dash. I'm going to use contact cement and spray adhesive to lay down the fabric. I will use spray adhesive mostly but will use contact cement around the underside edges and around the vent holes and spots where I need the fabric to stretch and tuck like into the spot where the vent trim attaches on the front side.

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[bucket]

Hey,

I'm going to fix all the cracks in my dashboard using the method here:

http://www.gmsquarebody.com/threads/how-to-refurbish-your-dashpad.8614/

The pad was tolerable but recent cold weather put a crack straight down the middle of the passenger side and I got really fed up with it really fast. It's my last semester of engineering school and I don't have class on Tuesdays or Thursdays so I have some time to get this done.

I've seen a bunch of threads on here recommend using SEP paint to color the thing once I get all the cracks repaired. Thing is, my dash is red and I don't know which SEP paint to get. I had a custom seat made for my cab a couple of years ago (see below for pictures of dash and seat) and I don't want to mismatch my colors.

Pictures:
http://www.gmsquarebody.com/threads/new-custom-bench-seat.15153/

How do I know which color is OEM red?

P.S. Are my door panels the right color for that package? They were replaced before I was born. No idea if they are the right color. They need replaced anyway.

Thanks!

When I redid/replaced some panels in my '77, I used SEM Firethorn red on the dash pad and Portola red on the door panels. I found those to be the closest to original colors, as they were not a perfect match even when new.

If your door panels and seatbelts are an indicator, your truck originally had the optional red and white two-tone interior. Which means your seat would have been white also.

 

[echo7bravo]

I think bucket is on point with the colors as well as the indication of the seat being originally white. I however, am not a stickler for what once was....But more of a what I want. I wouldn't change the red cloth for anything. I like the black accents to go with the steering wheel, column and flooring. What I would do.....(if it were me and anybody ever wanted my worthless opinion), is buy some $7 acid dye and dye the seat belts black.

Keeping the white door panels and following bucket's advice on the red for the dash pad.

 

[OneShot]

When I redid/replaced some panels in my '77, I used SEM Firethorn red on the dash pad and Portola red on the door panels. I found those to be the closest to original colors, as they were not a perfect match even when new.

If your door panels and seatbelts are an indicator, your truck originally had the optional red and white two-tone interior. Which means your seat would have been white also.

Yes the seat was white! It was cracking pretty badly so I had the red seat fabricated (as seen in the link in the OP).

Thanks for the colors! I'll give those a shot!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[OneShot]

I think bucket is on point with the colors as well as the indication of the seat being originally white. I however, am not a stickler for what once was....But more of a what I want. I wouldn't change the red cloth for anything. I like the black accents to go with the steering wheel, column and flooring. What I would do.....(if it were me and anybody ever wanted my worthless opinion), is buy some $7 acid dye and dye the seat belts black.

Keeping the white door panels and following bucket's advice on the red for the dash pad.

Making the seatbelts black is something I have considered. I want to clean the white and see how it looks and then I'll decide.

I want to refinish the door panels. And keep them white. Any tips on refinishing them? I could get new ones from LMC but boy they are pricey...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[echo7bravo]

Next up is body filler to smooth things out a bit.

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[bucket]

Making the seatbelts black is something I have considered. I want to clean the white and see how it looks and then I'll decide.

I want to refinish the door panels. And keep them white. Any tips on refinishing them? I could get new ones from LMC but boy they are pricey...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

Please don't dye those seatbelts, I'd happily by them as they are. Dyeing a set of common blue belts would probably work better anyway.

 

[echo7bravo]

I want to refinish the door panels. And keep them white. Any tips on refinishing them? I could get new ones from LMC but boy they are pricey...

I worked on mine last week. I took them off and used JB weld on the inside to shore up a couple of cracks. I also reinforced the screw holes buy putting washers on the inside using JB weld. Then I scuffed the outside, wipe a thin skim coat of body filler over the two crack areas, paint adhesive, texture, light sand, more paint adhesive and then paint and clear.

I also had some hard board (peg board without the holes) that I used for the lower carpeted portion of the door panel. I drilled larger holes in my door to accept push in door panel fasteners. I then drilled cutouts for my fasteners in my hard board before covering with some black Toyota truck carpet that I picked up from a fella that worked at the textile mill. It made for a clean snap on install without screw heads visible.

One more thing....I used a black vinyl dye on the padded portion of my door pull (handle part) then a layer of paint adhesive, then matte clear.

And just to be fancy I painted the inside of my interior door latch bucket flat and polished the chrome on the edge as well as the door latch bar. Then I drilled a 3/16" hole in the center of the top and installed a blue LED. So when it is dark I can see where the door latch is. (but that's a whole different topic)

I'm going completely matte black inside and out with the exception of my flag headliner. But, principles are the same.