Dash Finishing

I really liked how the console came out with the fiberglass applied. See that post for the materials used to finish this part of the interior. The same process and materials will be used for the dash assembly itself.

To start the dash I took it out of the car. To do so I have to remove the dash front and take it out separately from the dash top. Once the assembly was removed I started the glassing process.

First I sanded down all the sharp edges. I wanted smooth curves for all the dash top and front. I used a RO sander with 80 grit paper to round the edges. Once cleaned and prepped I layed two layers of fiberglass. I found from working with the glass on the console that it is best to lay the flat surfaces first then come back and do the rounded areas later. This gives a much smoother final product and makes for less patching later. Bubbles in the cloth is still a problem but I'm hoping that will go away the more I work with fiberglass. Bubbles just mean more sanding and bondo - not a big deal but takes time.

Here's couple shots of the dash top fiberglassed. Not much to look at but that's how it starts. Lots of sanding ahead of me.

At the same time I glassed the two bottom sections of the dash to be ready to prep them while I sanded on the top. Here's how they look with two layers of fiberglass bonded down. Notice the rounded edges. The fiberglass really brings those out and makes it look really good. 

This shot of the dash top shows how it got the curve on the top I was looking for. I used the canned spray foam called "Good Stuff" (from Lowes) and sprayed the entire tip with a good helping of the stuff. This stuff is really sticky and adheres to the plywood really well. Once good and dried I took a grinder with a sandpaper attachment and shaped the foam roughly like I wanted it. This is what will shape the fiberglass. Here's what the foam looks like on the board top.

After two layers of glass it was time to sand and bondo. It probably spend three days solid working on the dash top to get it looking smooth. There are still a couple of pin holes that need to be filled but that will come before the final paint is applied. 

Here's the progress pictures. The first picture shows the fiberglass covering. The second picture shows the bondo application on one end. 

Here's a couple of photos showing the top sanded and primed. Still a few small places to touch up but it's looking pretty good. 

Here's the two bottom pieces of the dash also sanded and primed. 

Finally the day came to put the dash back into the Pantera. I knew that there would need to be some touchup here and there to make it fit again, but I was amazed how easy it came together.  Here's a bunch of pictures of how it looks put together. 

Still need to figure out what parts will be covered with leather and which pieces will just be painted. For now I think I'm done working on this this part of the project. I still need to install some defroster vents on the top of the dash. That'll happen later.