Lockleaf Posted July 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2017 I purchased marine grade vinyl from JoAnn's for the actual upholstery. It has really high UV resistance, I've seen it used on dashes before, so I'm hoping it will hold up well. I got enough to mess this up a couple times. I figured it would take me 4 pieces to get the fitment I wanted. Top, each side, and a strip to go under the big front lip. I cut those out with what I thought was plenty of extra. I don't have any pics of the sewing stage. I cut the top piece so it had a kick up where it goes across the kickup in the center of the dash. Then I sewed a straight piece across the front of that, so I wouldn't have to try stretching the fabric to make it fit those corners. The sides were held up and out lined around the edge of the dash pad. By the time of the pics below, I had redone one side 4 times, twice with the first end piece i made, twice with a second one i made. Sewed it twice with the machine, and twice by hand. Then I did a double stitched french seam in "steel" color thread to try to make it pretty. I have not installed the upholstery. I have not decided if I am installing this cover. I am leaning heavily toward starting from scratch. I'm not satisfied with the corner fitment or with the appearance of the double stitch. I need a sewing foot with a shorter nose so I can get around the curves better. I will decide in the next couple of days. But regardless, it's a pretty far sight nicer than what I started out with. 1 Quote Link to comment
hobospyder Posted July 3, 2017 Report Share Posted July 3, 2017 Alright so this is just me but I like the yoga mat look honestly. And good right up 3 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted July 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2017 My sister said the exact same thing :thumbup: If I had purchased a black one, then I might even have considered it, but I am violently opposed the bright blue dash pad the yoga mat gives me. 2 Quote Link to comment
sebpv Posted July 4, 2017 Report Share Posted July 4, 2017 can the vinyl be stretched with heat to shape itself on the dash in one piece? 1 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted July 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2017 Not in such a fashion as to make me happier than what i have. But yes, a person could likely do so 1 Quote Link to comment
Draker Posted July 4, 2017 Report Share Posted July 4, 2017 Looks like someone paid the photobucket ransom? Dash is looking good by the way! Someday I'll try this repair myself. 1 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted July 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2017 Looks like someone paid the photobucket ransom? I take umbrage at this! Actually i have no idea why none of my photos have been touched by 3rd party hosting ban, but not a single one has. I've checked all my threads (and I'm hoping i stay under the radar). I'm not paying those rat bastards a dime! Screw them and the horse they rode in on! That last set of photos from today was hosted on postimage.io. simplistic, no phone app, but i leave a web tab up open to the website for uploading and posting and it works great. Quick uploads speeds too. And thanks for the compliment. I appreciate it. Everything but the cover itself has been easy, just time consuming. Padded dash filler might have been easier than upholstery, especially if you're good at body work. 2 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted July 4, 2017 Report Share Posted July 4, 2017 I would be down loading your pictures if you do not have them already. It is only time before yours go to ransom. Next dash you do try using the minimal expandinding foam to work with. Great Stuff 12 OZ Gaps & Cracks Minimal Expanding Foam Sealant 157900 Takes a little searching to find but is a real time saver. Picture was copied and posted from another website. 1 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted July 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2017 Good call Charlie. I will have to try that. If it's not as porous that would also make it a better option. 1 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted July 5, 2017 Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 It has been over a decade since I redid a dash with the minimal expanding foam but I think if I remember correctly because it does not expand as much it has much smaller air bubbles making it much smoother when working. I used wood rasps for rought shaping and then finished with various grits sand paper. I used cheap thin automotive carpet over the repaired dash top. JUst spray glued the carpet on trimming as needed. This was a 521 dash top. Now I just use the metal 520 dash tops in my trucks. 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted July 5, 2017 Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 Why not just get one of these? http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Accu-Form-Precision-Molded-Dash-Cap-FOR-70-73-DATSUN-510-/371520297261?fits=Make%3ADatsun%7CModel%3A510&hash=item568055d92d:g:Qd0AAOSwhkRWgvKp&vxp=mtr 1 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted July 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2017 Because i have time to learn new skills and dont have $100 for a dash component. They are pretty nice I've been told though. 1 Quote Link to comment
DARIN 510 Posted July 6, 2017 Report Share Posted July 6, 2017 Don't buy those. They suck. It's not a full covering cap. You can still see the edge where it cuts off in the front 1 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted July 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2017 So i decided to start from scratch on the cover. I took a lot more measurements and spent more time laying out the pattern. After stitching it up i realized i should have made the whole cover like a 1/4 inch or so to small so it would stretch into place. But instead i widened my dash cap by glueing on extra layers of yoga mat to the sides. Over all, the fit and quality is significantly higher than on my first attempt. These pics are after i glued the cover to the dash. I abandoned the double stitch idea. I used document clips on the back and stapled it to the back of the lip on the front to hold it while the glue cured. The seam on the bottom side falls perfectly along the front of the dash panels. I didn't plan it that way but it looks good like that. A quick comparo. How i got it. Once i finished assembly. After resto. And the top. Assuming it holds up at all, I'm pretty happy with the final result. I even painted the heads of the hardware for the metal dash cap with the same paint as the cap itself so they match. It is far from perfect, but I'm very happy with how it looks now. 6 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted July 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2017 There are still little things needing done on the dash but none of them are critical so they will get done as i get to them. Now i need to move into the engine bay and get that finished up. 1 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted July 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2017 Today i had access to torch and a tig welder, so i tried repairing my cracked exhaust manifold. I ground out the crack some for better penetration. I have never tigged before. Cast iron is the perfect beginners metal right? I heated the cracked area with the torch,then welded it. Then it cracked again. So i heated it better and zapped it again. Then it cracked. So i had my friend who owns both tools hold the torch and heat the manifold from the inside while i welded it. Then it cracked. So i had him do it again but keep the torch on it after trying to slow down the cooling. It lasted minutes, then cracked. So i traded him. I torched, he tigged. And then i spent a pretty good while slowly stepping down the torch heat. Probably 15 minutes until i turned the torch off. And his weld held though it aint pretty. That was hours ago and it didnt crack. The true test will be heat cycling under normal use, but hey this was cool anyways. 2 Quote Link to comment
KELMO Posted July 23, 2017 Report Share Posted July 23, 2017 That dash ended up pretty badass, IMHO. 1 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted July 23, 2017 Report Share Posted July 23, 2017 Nice work on the dash. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted July 23, 2017 Report Share Posted July 23, 2017 Saw one where the crack was drilled out and threaded and a bolt threaded in, then another overlapping, and another until the crack was stitched up. 1 Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted July 23, 2017 Report Share Posted July 23, 2017 From what I understand about welding cast(short version) is that it needs to be heated up, then welded, then buried in super hot sand and left alone to cool. 1 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted July 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2017 Saw one where the crack was drilled out and threaded and a bolt threaded in, then another overlapping, and another until the crack was stitched up. Interesting idea. I might have to try that if this doesn't work. 1 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted July 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2017 From what I understand about welding cast(short version) is that it needs to be heated up, then welded, then buried in super hot sand and left alone to cool. I've seen various forms of this idea, but yeah everything I've seen is about long slow cooling to prevent cracking. That is what i was trying to achieve with the torch. I will not argue that there are better, more controlled ways of doing it, but this seemed to work finally. 1 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted July 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2017 Well shit. Looks like photo bucket found me. Now i got a lot of fixing to do just like everyone else. 2 Quote Link to comment
Redrumls Posted July 29, 2017 Report Share Posted July 29, 2017 Well shit. Looks like photo bucket found me. Now i got a lot of fixing to do just like everyone else.I'm going through the same crap in a few forums! Greg 1 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted July 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2017 But moving forward. I stated back under the hood today. I finished up the 720 wiper motor swap. I didn't have the arm for the 510 from the motor to the linkage so i had to retrofit the 720 arm. The 720 looked like this, with a large ball for a pivot on it. Which doesn't fit the 510 linkage. It needs one that looks like this. I ground the back off the ball post and tapped it out of the arm. This happened to be the perfect diameter to be tapped with an M8 thread. I tapped that hole and found a carb stud that was perfect. Correct thread and near perfect diameter shank for the linkage. I threaded that in and snugged out into place. Then threw a nut on to lock the linkage in place. Then i proceeded to install the linkage back on the vehicle like 4 or 5 times. First i had to cut the stud shorter. Then cut the other side of the stud down. Then i had some rubbing so i pounded part of the linkage flat. Then i narrowed the end where it was still rubbing. Then i called it good enough. It still rubs a bit somewhere, though i can't tell where at this point. I will investigate it better at some future date. First time those have been on in quite some time. The tshirt rags are just protecting my windshield from the wiper arms. And the 620 intermittent switch I installed is working fantastically with my 720 wiring and intermittent amp. Very happy about that. 2 Quote Link to comment
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