Dash Cap

[26th-Z]

MSA half cap in good shape. I had this on 26 for a few years. It fits well and looks good. The front edge tapers on the natural dash crease and it is hardly noticeable. Black ABS plastic with same texture as the dash. Fits 70-73 $25 plus shipping

[MikeW]

Don't need it anymore, eh? Got the repaired dash back in yet?

[TTDRIVER]

Is it wavy or is that frm the pic? Might be interested.

[26th-Z]

Hey Mike!

I have the repaired dash back, but have not installed it yet. Mildly disappointed.

[texasz]

26th-z,

Please tell...I'm wanting to get mine done and would like to know what you think of the end result from Dash Restor.

[240 BeachZ]

I would also like to know your opinion on the dash restoration. I have a few already. Can't find a new one.

[Chino 240Z]

I wasn't interested in the "restore-factor" so used the dash cap in 2 cars and looked just fine for the money, also wasn't wavey either. But ya know I don't leave mine in the sun much... so?

[26th-Z]

I have two dashes and just sent one to Austrailia to have it resurfaced by Dashboard Restorations. I looked at two other companies before I chose DR, and to make a long story short, sent the pad without the frame attached. There are a couple of threads in the archive - including my input messages - that document DR coming to this club. A number of members here have gone through this process recently.

It seems to me that now that I have done two types of dashboard repairs, I know what to do to repair a dashboard and what should be considered for an expected outcome. It really comes down to price. A replacement Datsun series one dash will cost somewhere in the $1500 range. A surface replacement like DR's thorough replacement is half that. A dash cap like like the one I'm selling is less than 5%.

I drove around with the dash cap for years and hardly anyone commented or even realized I had a half cap on the dash. It took me a full afternoon to fit and glue the cap on with silicone seal, block it into place with weights, and 24 hours to let it dry. If I do the DR replacement again, and I may - I have another dash, I would not take the pad off the frame and I would ask DR to fit the covering to the frame as it was originally attached. It is going to take me many hours to fit everything back together, working with a heat gun and contact cement. The glove box area is quite complex. Even if I were not so picky, reassembly of the dash; pad and frame, instruments, wiring, and installation represents a hell of a lot more time the car is "down" as we say. A replacement Datsun dash may actually be faster!

The dash cap is a textured ABS plastic cover and does not look the same as the original dash. If you don't block it into place correctly, it's going to look wavy. The restoration is a textured plastic molded over new foam and it does not look the same as the original dash. The plastic material is thicker than the original material and it doesn't mold as well as the thin cheap stuff that we are trying to fix. I have yet to find anyone with the same texture. A 34 year old replacement Datsun dash is going to look 34 years old and not like the original dash. After 34 years, the thin cheap stuff looks as fragile as it is. Nothing is going to look like the original dash. It's a matter of what comes closest. The ABS dash cap has a really nice texture and the DR restoration is a really good alternative at a really good price. Espescially if you have problems with the foam or cracks inside the instrument clusters.

So my opinion is adjust your expectations accordingly and respect the age of our cars. We are very lucky to have repair alternatives to the very complex original dash design and construction.

Thank you and Good Day - Oh! - buy my dash cap!