Any tips on bending the Rally Dash woodgrain plates

[1 Wild R/T]

I bought new wood grained plates for my dash years ago & they are still in the box cause they need to be ben before they can be installed....I've been hesitant to bend them since you get one shot & I hate to trash them....

Anyone got any tips?

[chal340]

Try do bent it around a bottle. I read that it was the same diameter than a coke can.

[Crash520]

I bent mine around a 3/8 round bar from memory, the radius is quite small, just spread the force as even fingers can dent the panel

[ksierens]

I see a company called Performance Car Graphics that ships them pre-bent.  Does anyone have any comments on this company?

[Cuda Cody]

I've done a few now and I do not recall it being very difficult.  Just take a few moments to carefully measure where you want the bend to be (mark it with tape or pencil) and slowly bend it using a round tube.  I normally grab a scrap bar out of the metal bin and text it on an old dash.  Once I have the right size round stock, I cover it with tape so not to scratch the new face plate.  Then slowly bend it.  Go slow and test fit it as you go.  You'll get a good idea when you are about 1/2 way through the bend if you need to make any adjustments to get it to line up right. 

Once you have it bent you can use a little adhesive and some small clamps to glue it in place.  Do not forget the gaskets for the light tubes.  Good luck!   

[ksierens]

I just checked my original plates, the radius is 5/8", or 1 1/4" diameter.

[headejm]

@Cuda Cody Did you make or buy the light tube gaskets?

[Jay Bee]

I used my original as a guide as to where to start the bend. It really helped to have it off. I placed them beside each other (one above the other NOT on top of each other) and used a long enough dowel to go from the original to the flat one. Now to confuse the radius even more - sorry. I used a 3/4 dowel to achieve a 7/8 radius because (1) I wasn't confident I'd be able to make the curve perfectly flush to the dowel and (2) the silver trim is taller than the woodgrain. Here's a couple pics I took today of my original switch panel woodgrain.

[1 Wild R/T]

Thanks guys!  Guess it's time I man up & go bend this trim.....   To give an idea of how long this has been on a shelf, when I bought it PCG only sold the decal at the time... Probably 2004.... Brought it home & put it on a shelf... Then moved & it got misplaced... Just found it a week ago....

[bpsmopar]

I see a company called Performance Car Graphics that ships them pre-bent.  Does anyone have any comments on this company?

Performance Car Graghics has the best quality E body rallye dash woodgrain on the market by far.
Dave offers several different plates, 70,71, 72 & up, prebent on a jig & they are used by the best
restorers in the business. Instrument Specialties, Alan Gallant, Rocket Restorations to name a few.

[Cuda Cody]

Sometimes they come with the lenses, but if not they are pretty easy to make.

@Cuda Cody Did you make or buy the light tube gaskets?

[autoxcuda]

My friend Troy made a full wooden jig to bend his over on. Worked real slick.

He posted pics of it years ago on Moparts.

Steve70 probably has a pic of it. He now owns that FT6 T/A.

[Claudia]

I bought new wood grained plates for my dash years ago & they are still in the box cause they need to be ben before they can be installed....I've been hesitant to bend them since you get one shot & I hate to trash them....

Anyone got any tips?

I just did mine a few months ago.  Nothing to them!  I installed my metal backing plates onto the black plastic bezels first then I added adhesive to the metal backing plates and fitted the end with the 90 degree angle into place on the bezel and then just smoothed the wood grain fascia piece out to the other end forming it right onto the plastic bezels.  I then covered the wood grain fascia piece with a towel, added a bunch of plastic clothes pins and let it cure.  After it had cured completely, I bent over the metal tags on the two ends and done!