5998DownUnder

Hi everyone.
I have searched the net and forums here but had no luck so I'll ask here.
I have a 1959 Ninety Eight Olds and am after a replacement dash pad as mine is cracked. Can anyone suggest a business that sells these dash pads?
Already contacted Just Dashes and awaiting a reply.
Thanks for this.
J.

59Olds98

Hi there,

justdashes does a really nice job, but they are very expensive, especially if you are getting a dash fixed for a '59 Cadillac ($1,600 for black + $100 for a different color). Ouch. Hopefully they will have a more reasonable price for an Olds 98. There is also another company that I think uses the same process (vacuum press over new foam). I don't know what their pricing is but you can check them out at dashboardrestorations.com. The other option might be a dash cap. I think your 98 is a Holiday Coupe, right? (mine is a Celebrity sedan). When I saw your post I looked for quite awhile online but couldn't find a dash cap for either of our 98's. That doesn't mean that nobody out there makes them and you might have better luck.

Jim

joe_padavano

Considering that no vendor thinks it's economically viable to make repro dash pads for the 1970-72 A-body cars, for which there is a MUCH larger market, I'm going to say that there is no source of a new replacement pad for your 59. Good used or recovered are your only options.

5998DownUnder

Hi Jim,
Thanks for the effort, much appreciated. I contacted Just Dashes, Complete resoration:- $1100 plus shipping and $100-$150 for a colour other than black.

I'll check out the other one.

Thanks again
John.

59-59-59

How can anyone afford this!! That is an insane price

5998DownUnder

Insane, yes possibly because they hold the monopoly on that service. Only a few people provide it. I have contacted a place in Sydney (2 hours from me) I can drive the dash there and pick it up and they can do the dash the same way for $1000. These guys do the same process, create a whole new dash using the old one as a mold, and vacuum/blow the covering onto it. All these places say it takes them a few months to do so I'll be without a dash for that long and some places want me to send the dash attachments like switches etc so they can work out where the cover has to be. That's not happening, can't afford for them to 'misplace' hard to get switches etc.

I'll just keep an eye out in the mean time might find an un cracked dash as has been suggested.

59Olds98

The only guys that come close to the dash restoration pirates, in my humble opinion, are the steering wheel restoration profiteers. $1200 is the going price for most of those jobs, and strangely each one (there about 5 or so) quotes the same figure. I'm not saying that there isn't some significant start up costs for the mold machine, etc., but I can't help envisioning a smoke-filled room full of those guys who meet once or twice a year and decide just how much they are going to charge poor schmucks like us, at least like me. I'm just sayin'................

Oldsmaniac

Because we are crazy insane for our rides and the vendors have us by the ballz. Resto is never going to be cheap for these boats so ya have to just bite the bullet...

5998DownUnder

Agreed: Just need to look at a few of the suppliers of parts like Fusick and US Parts Supply. The prices are not that far apart.

5998DownUnder

^^^^^What he says^^^^^

Yep. Its steep for a dash, however, my way of thinking: gotta have it, you gotta get it.

I have spent some big money on some small items for my Olds but if I had not done that I would not have these small hard to get items, (yes. from evilbay). What I miss on the Merry go round I pick up on the hurdy-gurdy. I scored a set of rear sun visors cheap and they were sent with other stuff I got from this guy in The States. Never seen these rear sun visors prior to buying them, nor since. A rare item indeed.

pete324rocket

I am looking for a really good dash pic for a '59 and can only find partial shots but I see it is a complicated dash. I am trying to see if the vinyl can be stretched and pulled so that you can do it yourself. Vinyl,especially the thin stuff, is very pliable when heated with a heat gun(careful). I know if there was any possible way to do this myself,I would tackle it-especially at that cost. I have fixed a couple dash pads for peanuts in cost but labor patience testing for sure. The last one I did, I decided to leave the old cracked pad on and covered over it,adding stuffing in trouble spots. Use the very best contact cement. Just a thought. That price tag would motivate me to be creative.

oldcutlass

I would be more inclined to attempt what Pete324 suggests. You can also contact a goog upholstery shop and ask what they suggest, because there are options if your not hooked on it being original.

5998DownUnder

I would not mind having a go, I have had a go at the panel roof lining and a few other things. But probably would not just use my dash I would prefer a second dash to have a go at. I have found a wreckers on Ebay that has a dash I want, but he cannot be bothered sending it to Australia, only local, bit too complicated for him I think. Wants me to buy it get it sent to someone in the U.S to ship it for him to me. I've had oversize items from the States previously but it is hard to explain to some that it is not rocket science. But my loss, oh well.

pete324rocket

To size up the job at hand, you would have to determine if the vinyl can be stretched enough without rippling and you can fasten/glue the ends somewheres as there will be a lot of tension on some stretches. You would want to stretch as much as possible, maybe get some of it sewn, all way cheaper than those prices. If the original vinyl is rigid enough, gluing to it directly may be the answer. Maybe find some thin vinyl and try forming it just to see-no harm there,use heat if necessary. By the way, that reminds me of a tip I learned when I fixed my '56 dash. If the original vinyl of a dash is rock hard, heat from a hand held hair dryer or maybe a heat gun will soften it and make it supple again, if that is desired.

59Olds98

5998DownUnder: I would be happy to be your free middleman in the U.S. if you would like the wrecker guy to send the dash to me and just reimburse my shipping to AUS.

pete324rocket: I have a couple of pretty high resolution picks of the dash for my "new" '59 that I am finally picking up on Saturday. For some reason I could only attach one thumbnail here so I just created an album you can check out with both of the dash photos I got from the seller, but the compression didn't result in very good quality so I can send you better ones by email if you would like. I don't think I can attach them to an email or private message sent through the forum here so if you would like them send an email to me and I'll reply with attachments: 59olds98@gmail.com

Oh yeah, I couldn't resist putting one photo in the album of the 54-year-old trunk that is soooooo clean I am going to have my breakfast sitting in there as soon as I pick the car up!

Thanks,
Jim

pete324rocket

Wow, really. But I think I would try it. You would start in the middle and work outwards to both ends. You would need a really oversized piece of vinyl because you don't know which way you will have to turn or how much to get a wrinkle out. For practice and to see if it is possible, maybe start with a clear vinyl,the kind that I've seen that is quite rubbery but stretches well without heat. If that works and you can see that glue will make it all stay put....if you can pull it off ,you will be mighty impressed with yourself. Remember don't get hung up on color too much as the sprays for vinyl are excellent ,at least the local stuff I use.

59Olds98

What are the local sprays to color vinyl that you use, Pete, and does that mean I can't get them in the U.S.? I have a couple of projects coming up that will require vinyl coloring...........

Thanks,
Jim

59Olds98

Whoops, I guess I assumed you were from Down Under.......?

pete324rocket

yeah I'm from Canada. I posted about fixing my dash pad for my '56 on the forum a while back. I used a spray from an auto parts chain here - Canadian Tire,their own brand,about 8 bucks a can,works excellent, almost recovered a perfectly good dash that spraying fixed.

pete324rocket

wonder if the dash here is still for sale.....
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...ldsmobile+dash

59Olds98

I just checked Canadian Tire online and it looks like the product they sell is called Dupli-Color Vinyl and Fabric Spray. http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows....jsp?locale=en

Is this the stuff you were talking about? If so, I found it several places online in quite a few colors...........
Thanks,
Jim

pete324rocket

yes, that is it. My mistake, I thought it was made by Canadian Tire also.

ed burke

Hi Everybody, Just my 2 cents worth. Just dashes did my 58 Olds for $650.00 about 10 yrs ago. Where are these prices going? Its Crazy. Buy the way it took them three try's to get it right. Third time I took the car to them.
Ed

Professur

The thing you have to remember is .... to stay in business, you need to make a profit. That means either high volume, or high price. They've got overhead just like everyone else. I'm not shy to admit .. When I was earning $20/h fixing computers .. my company was charging customers $60 an hour... and premiums. But they were paying me when I wasn't out on calls, paying the guys that dispatched me, managed parts, dealt with accounting, kept the truck fleet on the road, etc. Overhead is a beech, guys. Low volume means high price .... be grateful someone's willing to offer the service at all.... at any price. He's still going to be cheaper and higher quality (thanks to their prior investment in infrastructure) compared to a local shop doing a one off.

5998DownUnder

I contacted Just Dashes, Complete restoration:- $1100 plus shipping and $100-$150 for a colour other than black.

5998DownUnder

Hi Jim,
Thanks for that, however the place where I had my eye on a good dash, he sold it. So thanks for your kind offer, much appreciated.

J.

johns59super88

Sorry to get on this so late but there is another option. I bought a metal dash pad off a Dynamic 88 that was in a junkyard. I have an uncracked (so far) vinyl dash pad that I plan to color and use. I had the metal one painted the same color as the rest of the dash so I would have a spare if and when the vinyl one cracks. The metal one fits poorly but it does fit. Have not tried to monkey with it as it appears to be a pot metal casting. Just thought I would mention this in case you didn't know there is another option. There's also someone on eBay now parting a 59. Not clear what all he has.......

5998DownUnder

Thanks for that, I'll check it out. And good hint also.

Heading off to Canberra tomorrow for a big trip in the Olds, (about a 5 hour run) we'll see how we go. Busted my insides out over the last 3 days to get all chrome back on. She is all good to go now, and will have a photo shoot when I get back and do a photo album from start to finish of resto. I have all the photos, just have to find the best medium i.e Photobucket etc to put them in to post up on the forum here.

5998DownUnder

I have just returned from a 3 day expedition in my 1959 Ninety Eight Oldsmobile. (394ci). About 1000 kilometre round trip.
My nieces' year 12 formal (Prom) in Canberra.


I will try to upload photos again.

RandyS

Sweet Ride!!

Mark57

I just watched a segment on Unique Whips...not a fan of the show...where they recovered a 68 Buick Electra dash with a vinyl product. It had a fair number of curves and such to work into. Looked like it turned out pretty decent. Prior to the vinyl he filled the crack in the dash with what looked to be a type of filler almost like bondo. I would take it to a marine or car upholsterer to get their opinion.