For those of you that have bought and are using the ABS core dashpads, are you having any issues with them?
I don't want to buy an ABS core only to be replacing it in a few years because of issues that could have been avoided by spending more now and getting a steel core. Getting a steel core is going to cost double of what the ABS is, which is why I'm considering one.
Thanks
In my opinion :stop:
Quote from: JS29 on May 05, 2023, 10:32:37 AM
In my opinion :stop:
I second the above opinion!
I have not heard any long-term praise for them. The heat will eventually warp the core.
That's kinda what I thought. Steel core it is. Thanks!
Any recommendations on who would be the best for having a steel core pad done? I'm in Canada if that makes any difference.
Get out your wallet, https://www.justdashes.com/ :bigthumb:
I'm needing one too but Just Dashes gets so much money for one that it's practically cost prohibitive. And I've heard that they still aren't perfect, just nice.
We need someone else to enter the market and help bring prices down through healthy competition.
It's been a while since I bought my dash pad but I got mine from Roseville. If they still sell them, I would recommend them. Great customer service. They are also a site sponsor so give them a look.
As to the original question. I have not heard of anybody being completely happy with the ABS core dash pad.
Roseville is no longer dealing with the dash pads :'(
so does that mean steel cores have gone up in value? ;) I've got one taking up space in the corner of the garage!
Lately, I have seen people selling them at inflated prices. Used to be they were worth around $50. I think $150 is more like it now.
These are the places I've found so far that do steel core dash pads.
Just Dashes
Dash Pad Pros
Year One
possibly ABC Moparts
Prices I'm seeing so far range from $1095 - $1699 with ABC being the lowest and Dash Pad Pros being the highest. I still need to get a quote from Just Dashes. I am aware that some of them require my core, which is no problem.
Are there any I'm missing and, the most important question, who provides the BEST quality/service?
I'm also in the process of getting my dash pad re-done. Just Dash quoted $2000 starting and adding in the A/C vent cutouts with my supplied steel core dash along with a 9 month wait. For me round trip shipping would be $6-800. So... $3k+ for a dash pad :/ I'm not excited to jump on this project.
Dash Pad Pros was another I looked into which was around the $1700 range including the $400 steel core deposit, 2 month wait according to their website.
I use ABS cores for first Gen Camaro dash pads and they are ok, decent quality, $6-800, never excellent but I'm ok with that. I would expect to change it out after a few years.
"Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten."
Quote from: 70 Challenger Lover on May 06, 2023, 01:20:52 PM
Lately, I have seen people selling them at inflated prices. Used to be they were worth around $50. I think $150 is more like it now.
Yeah, Just Dashes used to offer $50 for a core and provide a box & shipping. That was several years ago, may give them a call. Wouldn't mind getting it out of the way ;)
Quote from: Deezel on May 06, 2023, 01:26:23 PM
These are the places I've found so far that do steel core dash pads.
Just Dashes
Dash Pad Pros
Year One
possibly ABC Moparts
Other than Just dashes which recovers your old cracked pad, I think you'll find the others are all manufactured by the same company in ElPaso Texas. :alan2cents:
Are they still in business? I haven't heard from them in six months.
I'm not excited to move my projects forward either. I picked up my yellow 71 barracuda and it included a new dash in the box. That was almost as big a motivator to buy as the car itself!
Next time I find nice dashes as a show, I might just buy several. Damn things go up in price faster than our cars it seems.
And since no one does burnt orange (they paint them), I'm probably going to change my Challenger to black interior when I get there just to guarantee I have a nice interior for years to come. I don't mind painted plastic but I don't think I can go with a painted dash pad.
I was very very fortunate to find an OE steel core '70 Challenger black, non-air, 3-speaker dash pad from a stalled project car. Perfect unblemished condition no damage of any type. And, alls the guy wanted was $100.00. He had it wrapped up in plastic in his garage. Deals like this dont exist nowadays.I put it in the car as soon as I could.
They call colors on dash pads "dyed". I don't know if that's just a fancy word for painted?
For what it's worth, I got a dash pad restored by Just Dashes for my convertible 5 or 6 years ago, I think they charged me around $75 extra for burnt orange.
It's fine, looks good and no deterioration of the color or anything since installing.
I put a El Paso dash pad (I don't recall now what name they were using then) on my T/A when I restored it.
Having used both, I prefer the El Paso only because they are less expensive. Both have flaws, neither are perfect OE and both could be better.
If price was equal, I'd go Just Dashes just because the El Paso guy has been somewhat flaky and Just Dashes seems more ethical. But given the price difference I'd go flawed flaky El Paso over expensive but also flawed Just Dashes if I was needing a dash pad now. :alan2cents:
I dealt with the El Paso guy once. He was at a show so I got to see it before buying. Put it in my RT before selling it. It was pretty decent overall.
I've heard so much about that guy that I don't think I'd buy from him unless I got to see it first like at a show.
End of last year I called and emailed Just Dashes and they were very helpful, they answered all my questions and were very professional to deal with. Not pushy, informative and insightful. I don't doubt their service would be excellent through out the dash pad restoration journey with them. I haven't seen their quality in person, but if there was a problem with quality I feel good that they would stand behind their work. When the time comes I'm leaning toward picking up the conversation again with Just Dashes, I'm not here in the project yet.
I got a quote from them not long ago and the to my door price after sending mine in was going to be around $3,000. And from what I've heard, the product is nice but not perfect and still looks a little different from factory.
Maybe I've lost touch with reality but for $3k, I expect it now. Now nine months later and I expect it to be concours perfect.
I've talked to upholstery guys over the years who say they could do the job nicely if I wanted them to try. Not crazy about throwing money out there just to see what happens. My fear is that it would look nice but also look custom which I don't want.
I've wondered how hard it would be to do a dash yourself. If one could perfect the process of getting the right density foam laid down and sculpted, glueing the material couldn't be that bad. Or does it really need to be 'vacuumed' down to keep firm as it bakes in the sun?
Has anyone tried or had a shop try? Seems like the trickiest part would be the stitch across the front.
There's no way I'll go $3K USD on a steel core dash pad. I'll take my chances with an ABS core before that happens. If it was for a rare car, I wouldn't bat an eye and just spend the money but the truth is, it's going into a higher quality driver that I want to enjoy and maybe hit a few show & shines with.
I've reached out to a couple different vendors on pricing & availability. I'll make a decision based on what I hear from them.
Thank you everyone for your input so far. :twothumbsup:
I think $3k is just greed. I'd be buying a dashcap or get a kit to repair the cracks in the original if it wasn't too bad.There comes a point when it just doesn't make sense anymore and $3k for a questionable part is that point.
Even at $1699 USD, that will be very close to $3000.00 CDN by the time it's shipped here. You can recoup some of that shipping your core back to them as a core charge of $395 equals about $535.00 CDN minus the $200+ return shipping cost... :dunno:
Quote from: 70 Challenger Lover on May 07, 2023, 05:36:27 AM
I've wondered how hard it would be to do a dash yourself. If one could perfect the process of getting the right density foam laid down and sculpted, glueing the material couldn't be that bad. Or does it really need to be [/youtube][/youtube][/youtube][/youtube]'vacuumed' down to keep firm as it bakes in the sun?
Has anyone tried or had a shop try? Seems like the trickiest part would be the stitch across the front.
The only guy I've seen trying to restore a dash pad himself is a YouTube guy called Weird Beard.
He does everything on a budget and a lot of his work I'd describe as swamp repair, but it's always interesting to see and I admire his ingenuity figuring out how to repair and restore things inexpensively, even though his work is as far as can be from concours!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt9qOqIvuJg
No idea how places like legendary do stitching. Also they don't use the correct grain vinyl covering. It's a GM grain. I guess Mopar wasn't enough demand for them to come up with correct grain material and they decided the GM material is "close enough".
Yikes!!!
First quote just came back from Just Dashes, $2400 plus shipping and a 4-5 month turn around. This puts it in the realm of $4K CAD.
It's no wonder the price of these cars are going up almost daily....
Still waiting on more quotes but if they're anything like the first one I got, it'll be ABS core for me.
:stop:
Not mine. Good original for sale.
https://www.forebodiesonly.com/forum/threads/71-challenger-rt-original-dash-pad-with-frame-glove-box-ash-tray-center-speaker-screen.30012/
Quote from: Skdmark on May 08, 2023, 07:06:41 PM
Not mine. Good original for sale.
https://www.forebodiesonly.com/forum/threads/71-challenger-rt-original-dash-pad-with-frame-glove-box-ash-tray-center-speaker-screen.30012/
Thanks for posting that, I appreciate it! :bigthumb:
I'd be a little concerned with how pliable it is anymore. One would think that after 50 years it's going to dry out and would be more prone to cracking.
Maybe someone can answer this for me as I don't have any understanding as to how these dash pads get put together.
Why does it cost twice as much to have the dash pad installed on a steel core than it does an ABS core?
Made in USA :unitedstates: $$$
Thanks Jay Bee! I had no idea these guys were even here.
I'll get in touch with them today to see if there's something they can do with my dash.
I'm curious how bad yours is. How about posting some pictures. Ya know how we love pictures here.
Looks like I'll need to send some pictures to fibrenew so I'll post some pictures here too after my morning coffee.
I wonder if you could ask them to show you pictures of any dash pads they have done. I read through all the comments, a lot of furniture, car seat, etc kudos but there wasn't one regarding a dash pad. They are obviously a franchise so I hope whoever they have working there is as skilled as the person that did the one I saw back in 2008.
I've sent the required contact info to them. When I hear back I'll ask about their past dash work and some pictures if possible.
Here's what my dash looks like now.
(https://i.imgur.com/UB0oeTd.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/pyij5mF.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/fFnpXmX.jpg)
:o :'(
Ya, it's in rough shape. Whoever had the car before me attempted to make repairs to the big crack in the center and it looks like they made it even worse. The dash is also very brittle where the sun has got to it.
Pretty sure it's going to be a no from fibrenew but they're worth a shot.
*EDIT: Fibrenew got back to me and the dash is too far gone to properly restore.
Damn, at least they were honest rather than giving it a shot and ending up with a sub par looking job after putting out cash.
That one Skdmark pointed you to is looking better. If the seller would remove the pad from the frame that should lower it's price and the shipping cost. Then constantly treat the vinyl with something (303 Aerospace) to soften it up. Just my 2cents.
Quote from: 70 Challenger Lover on May 06, 2023, 06:30:37 PM
I dealt with the El Paso guy once. He was at a show so I got to see it before buying. Put it in my RT before selling it. It was pretty decent overall.
I've heard so much about that guy that I don't think I'd buy from him unless I got to see it first like at a show.
If it is the same place I bought a dash from them quite a while ago, had lots of issues. VIN location foam was too thick for rosette rivets, lower plastic dash pieces wouldn't fit due to foam thickness, same thing with the AC vents, and center speaker grill didn't fit with incorrect profile profile. The grain isn't as deep as the original also.
Looking at my original dash the only issues is a small crack about an inch long from one corner of the center speaker. Probably be best to try to repair instead.
Took a chance and ordered a pad from Dash Pad Pros, aka, the El Paso guy. I asked if it was ok to strip the old vinyl and foam from my steel core to save on shipping costs and they were good with that. Right now I'm at $1950 USD with shipping but should see close to $200 USD back from my core after paying to ship it down. That $200 I'm expecting back will most likely end up in the governments pocket and to the delivery company for brokerage fees.
I'll report back once I have the pad in my hands, on its condition and time it took to get here.
Thanks to everyone who responded to this thread.
I have one of his in my car, 1970 3 speaker. IMO even with the idiosyncrasies I think those are the best way to go. You will have to do some trimming.
Oops, mine's from Ultimate Rides, they might be the same outfit under a different name.
Quote from: Deezel on May 10, 2023, 05:25:01 PM
Took a chance and ordered a pad from Dash Pad Pros, aka, the El Paso guy. I asked if it was ok to strip the old vinyl and foam from my steel core to save on shipping costs and they were good with that. Right now I'm at $1950 USD with shipping but should see close to $200 USD back from my core after paying to ship it down. That $200 I'm expecting back will most likely end up in the governments pocket and to the delivery company for brokerage fees.
I'll report back once I have the pad in my hands, on its condition and time it took to get here.
Thanks to everyone who responded to this thread.
What's their estimated time frame ?
Same as what's posted on their website, 4-8 weeks.
I'm at least 6-8 months away from needing it, maybe even longer. I ordered now because I've read about some having to wait close to a year to get theirs.
I ordered a dash pad from Dash Pad Pros, El Paso Tx. last October. She told me 6 to 8 weeks. When that passed, I contacted them again. It will be shipped after Thanksgiving. That passed and I contacted them three more times with no replies. It's been going on for 7 months now. I'm still holding on to hope that it'll show up on my doorstep someday. :dunno:
Unbelievable how much $$ these things are commanding! And for $2K you would think they would be perfect...but we all know they aren't going to be.
I remember agonizing over buying my dash pad years ago..maybe it was around $700? Thinking at the time that it was a lot of dough for a dash pad. But, I figured I'm looking at it all the time when driving so I better buy it. Reading this thread makes me feel like that $700 is some of the best money I ever spent on the car.
I sold a mint original pad a couple of years ago for $1800 thinking I was doing good...
Quote from: Marty on May 10, 2023, 09:10:03 PM
I ordered a dash pad from Dash Pad Pros, El Paso Tx. last October. She told me 6 to 8 weeks. When that passed, I contacted them again. It will be shipped after Thanksgiving. That passed and I contacted them three more times with no replies. It's been going on for 7 months now. I'm still holding on to hope that it'll show up on my doorstep someday. :dunno:
Well, that's not instilling a bunch of confidence in my latest purchase. After reading this, I think I'm going to hold onto my steel core until I actually have the dash pad in my hands.
I had a thought regarding these plastic core pads. I wonder if using an adhesive to glue the pad to the frame might help to alleviate the warping problem. Kind of like when installing hardwood flooring, glued and nailed down. Would suck for the next guy replacing the pad, but might be worth a try?
In the past I remember hearing about people having issues getting their core charges back when dealing with the El Paso dash guy.
Hopefully that isn't an issue currently.
I bought one from him years back when a vendor in AZ was sponsoring a "group buy" on cuda-challenger.com. Having a middleman involved helped prevent any problems I think. My recollection is the process went very smoothly. I ordered the dash, and when it arrived, I was instructed to package up my core in the same box the new one came in from him, and make a call to schedule Fed Ex to come pick it up and ship it back.
Easy-peasy. But that was a long time ago, might have been 15 years ago. And the price was $600 or maybe $650.
I guess those were better times!
Though the story I was hearing back then was that people were sending their cores back, and then not getting their core charge. Those of us in the group buy all got our money promptly.
Yes. They sent me an invoice for the full amount. I paid with credit card so I do have recourse if needed.
That being said, I'm not ready to grab my torch and pitchfork just yet. They will be given an allotted time to get the dash pad to me. Once that time has expired, or if they go silent, I will get my CC company involved.
Quote from: 70_440-6Cuda on May 11, 2023, 09:09:10 AM
I would guess if Dash Pad Pros does not have anything listed on ebay they probably do not have them in stock and the turnaround will be delayed as it has been historically.
I did find this one, but also crazy expensive...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/256068912270?hash=item3b9ee5848e:g:ya0AAOSw4XNkOA6m&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4N9cYxpYcrM1WjUwEnzZxYRsWLwTGgysL96V%2FthBxW9q2Gu1drUlYoU2B%2BjnLStORs%2BfAsWzvE3vPJraSyooClvPqi4oBmTdUDnpQzfCbY9GHbVkvnqWpUvQSPEa2p7XlZYqR35HpdpPLUO7A8Etct72Ta%2BJy%2FOoAA16xGI0vPQ6CN1wtsLuVP1eWSnJZoVH53o19hcPkUCQGujb%2BmcWJoAXKLhb1B9H4qTAQ8y45Cj0fIE2PwmmB2s5NMDp8XtvWIRqtoSSpDNHHLWJX1jESMAQM3TSjh23mGjPduq6r8qW%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5aNrbeBYg
Yes, funny how their website lists "Only 1 left!" for each style of the E-body steel core dash pads.
Also, that crazy expensive one listed above would not be correct for 70 E-bodies, which use a script emblem on the right side. :alan2cents:
Thanks for the info, I have to order two, but I hate when companies take my money and sit on it for months at a time....I ordered and paid for PolyGlas tires from Summit last November that now say a Sept arrival date :crazytalk:
Quote from: anlauto on May 11, 2023, 01:53:23 PM
Thanks for the info, I have to order two, but I hate when companies take my money and sit on it for months at a time....I ordered and payed for PolyGlas tires from Summit last November that now say a Sept arrival date :crazytalk:
I hate that also, and to me that is all greed. I'd expect a down/partial payment to ensure sincere but the full amount is just outrageous. Especially since most of these items would likely be easy to find another buyer, the risk is low that they would be out any $$.
Quote from: Deezel on May 10, 2023, 05:25:01 PM
Took a chance and ordered a pad from Dash Pad Pros, aka, the El Paso guy. I asked if it was ok to strip the old vinyl and foam from my steel core to save on shipping costs and they were good with that. Right now I'm at $1950 USD with shipping but should see close to $200 USD back from my core after paying to ship it down. That $200 I'm expecting back will most likely end up in the governments pocket and to the delivery company for brokerage fees.
I'll report back once I have the pad in my hands, on its condition and time it took to get here.
Thanks to everyone who responded to this thread.
Quote from: anlauto on May 10, 2023, 07:02:13 PM
What's their estimated time frame ?
I got my tracking number for the dash pad on the evening of the 17th. I just checked tracking and it still only says a label was created. Hopefully I see it change to "in transit" soon....
I know it's too late now BUT I got thinking. With all the cores that have been popping up in Alan's thread I wonder If it could have been possible to find a "not so bad" one that Fibrenew could have restored. Yeah, it would have taken a lot of picture swapping back and forth though.
Dash pad is definitely on the way! :banana: It's showing that it's North Dakota right now.
Hopefully it gets here before Thursday as I have to leave town for a couple of weeks.
Also got my $395 USD back for the core. It cost me just over $200 CAD to send down and my refund was $540 CAD so I can't complain too much about it.
I'll make sure to post some pictures of it when I can.
So far I really have zero complaints with Dash Pad Pros. Communication has been excellent and the turn around time was very fast. As long as the quality is good, I'll be a happy camper.
Are there known problems with the "ABS" cores or just speculation?
Late 70s/early 80s, pretty much all cores moved from steel to high heat glass-filled ABS or SMA copolymer (higher heat resistance) mostly for energy management during collisions. So there is a long history of plastic cores. Today they are typically made from long glass fiber polypropylene which is lighter and stronger than the ABS/SMA product.
What I don't know is how they would justify a $250K steel injection mold for a plastic ebody core unless the mold they are using is aluminum and would have a limited life. Dimensions of the plastic core may be somewhat variable due to the wearing of the aluminum in that case.
Dash pad showed up today and I couldn't be happier! It looks absolutely perfect and the steel core I received is in excellent condition.
If anyone ever asked me about getting a dash pad, I would definitely recommend them. Start to finish, they were outstanding. :bradsthumb:
(https://i.imgur.com/irSEbup.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/Hz86gtB.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/ADUme0K.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/FDXT9BD.jpg?1)
Great to hear .... :twothumbsup:
Good for you! :bigthumb: Your dash pad looks great.
Hi Runcharger, do you have a source for the repair kit? Am interested.
Thank you