Just Perfect Dash Pad and Door Panel Resoration

The Plymouth emblem stamping in the new vinyl is factory exact, and the tri-colors in the vinyl are accurate.

Now completed, the front and rear '63 Plymouth Savoy door panels look factory perfect. Notice how well all the horizontally stamped seams line up from the front to rear panel.

Next, the team tackled the upper dashpad that has suffered from years of sun and needed a restoration. This was largely because the original dashpad foam was manufactured from a porous and open-cell material, which allowed it to expand and contract with temperature changes, creating stress cracks when the surface of the vinyl skin became brittle. After the old original vinyl and foam are ground from the dashpad, Just Dashes craftsmen install new, high-density, closed-cell polyethylene foam that is hand-shaped to provide a perfect base for the new vinyl.

The new closed-cell foam expands and contracts at the same rate as the new vinyl, which is formulated with modern day UV inhibitors and will allow the new dash to survive a lot longer. This pad is now ready to have the new vinyl drawn over it . . .

. . . and to do that, the dashpad is installed in a special thermo vacuum forming machine (much like the factory used) and heated until it is soft and pliable. Vacuum is then applied, and the new vinyl (patterned after the original grain, when possible) is sucked down over the contours of the pad. The vinyl used here is thicker (0.045 inch) than the original and much more durable.

Next, the vinyl is cooled with a spray of water so that it draws/shrinks even farther into position.

The dashpad is then removed from the machine, and the finish trimming and gluing is done by hand.

After the pad is hand finished, it goes to the paint area to be dyed in the exact factory color for your vehicle. The dye is extremely durable and UV resistant.

The interior of this black '63 Plymouth Sport Fury showcases dashpads and other interior items restored by Just Dashes. Whatever make of car you are restoring, chances are Just Dashes can help you with vinyl, plastic, and even instrument cluster restorations.