I took the basketweave of the front of my dash.

As I suspected in my previous post, the '75 car has the metal plate "inside" the vinyl covering. There is no metal plate behind it, just the dash frame.

This metal impregnated vinyl covering is adhered with double-sided tape.

I want to recover the dash with earlier basketweave (which I have) and do away with the fasten seatbelt light.

So I am thinking I can just glue the vinul directly to the dash frame (being sure to overlap on all the edges so the upper and lower dash bad can hold it in.

But, you will notice in the picture below that the vinyl covering provides covering for the steering wheel column. (i.e., the dash frame does not surround the column).

So what do I do?

I am thinking I can take some aluminum sheet metal and make a small piece in the area where the steering column is and epoxy that to the frame before I recover with new vinyl?

Anyone else done this and have an alternative solution?

yuii

Also note...

Dash is red, car is yellow.

I covered this area with a solid piece of sheet carbon fiber. I was able to elimnate the lighter, radio, glove box hole, seat belt warning light hole, etc. Why not cut a piece of sheet metal (aluminium or what ever works), then glue the weave material to that, then double side tape that piece to the dash, or glue it directly.
The reason I would not glue the material directly to the dash is you have holes and indents that will show when glued down.
Does this make sense??
CCLINJUSTDASHES

Just cut the piece that covers that covers the column and then rivit it to the dash frame.

That's what I am thinking.

Nothing is every easy!

I did what Craig did. Set off some carbon fibre on something nice and smooth then cut to shape and glue on the dash.

Anyone got pics?

This is the early factory setup. Piece of sheet steel cut to fit and rolled just a bit at the top for stiffness.

Chris

none of your controls will fit right. they all need the extra width of the metal face plates to fit right ...

take the old material off the metal plates and glue the new cover onto them.

make sure you use the same thickness double sided tape to adhere to the dash itself.
Andy

I can't take the old material off the metal plates. The '75 and later 914s had a special dash covering that had the metal impregnated inside the vinyl. I guess I could cut it out, but I don't think it is all metal inside.

See the photos.

Any chance you could cut a new metal piece and glue the material to that.
CCL

Yes.. that's what I plan on doing.

I was just responding to Andy.

Yeah, don't let a German tell you anything, that's what got us into this mess.




M

Can you not find an older dash metal plate ('72 '73) and glue your new material to that?
Then just use the double sided tape to put the whole thing back on your dash.
It was quite easy to do for me.

I think you'll find that the earlier basketweave material was not glued directly to the dash but rather to some thin sheet metal which was then attached to the dash frame with double-sided tape. Find somebody with a '72-74 dash he has no use for and ask him for the inserts.

Hey, carbon fiber inserts would be nice too