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RHD dashes

Started by nathan, 11 January 2012, 01:40 PM

Squiggle Dog

I have to admit that it worries me that most of the interior is made of self-skinning foam. What do we do when all of our dashes, door panels, and header panels have cracked and replacements are scarce/outrageously expensive? Undamaged interior parts seem mega rare and expensive already. Even the dashboards have a limited color selection.
Stop paying for animal cruelty and slaughter. Go vegan! [url="https://challenge22.com/"]https://challenge22.com/[/url]

1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Heated Seats, 350,000+

Big_Richard

#31
.

koan

I worry about dash mats.

Flat black is the best absorber of infra-red but also the best radiator, shiny black is a good absorber and radiator too but not as good as flat black.

You have a nice shiny black dash, that absorbs a lot of infra-red but not as much as a flat black one would, it also radiates some of the absorbed energy

You put on a black mat, not shiny at all, it too absorbs a infra-red that heats it up, the heat will pass down to the dash but the mat is also an insulating layer that prevents radiation of the infra-red and any convection from the surface.

Does a dash mat make things worse?

Maybe I'm over thinking  this one.

koan
Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Amen!

TJ 450

Quote from: koan on 21 January 2012, 02:42 PM
I worry about dash mats.

Flat black is the best absorber of infra-red but also the best radiator, shiny black is a good absorber and radiator too but not as good as flat black.

You have a nice shiny black dash, that absorbs a lot of infra-red but not as much as a flat black one would, it also radiates some of the absorbed energy

You put on a black mat, not shiny at all, it too absorbs a infra-red that heats it up, the heat will pass down to the dash but the mat is also an insulating layer that prevents radiation of the infra-red and any convection from the surface.

Does a dash mat make things worse?

Maybe I'm over thinking  this one.

koan
Many people do believe a dash mat makes things worse, I am one of them. 8)

I'm happy to use a dash mat on an already cracked dash though.

Tim
1976 450SEL 6.9 1432
1969 300SEL 6.3 1394
2003 ML500

Casey

Quote from: Squiggle Dog on 21 January 2012, 01:26 AM
I have to admit that it worries me that most of the interior is made of self-skinning foam. What do we do when all of our dashes, door panels, and header panels have cracked and replacements are scarce/outrageously expensive? Undamaged interior parts seem mega rare and expensive already. Even the dashboards have a limited color selection.

Here you go Squiggle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-used-parts-sale-wanted/311354-brown-116-dash-near-perfect-condition-so-cal.html

Squiggle Dog

Quote from: Raptelan on 21 January 2012, 09:10 PM
Here you go Squiggle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-used-parts-sale-wanted/311354-brown-116-dash-near-perfect-condition-so-cal.html

Yeah, that's pretty nice. I've already got a mint condition brown dashboard that I will be installing at some point. I'd love to find one without the climate control sniffer, though. It just seems to me that if a guy was restoring a W116 with a sunbaked interior and good used replacement parts weren't available, it could cost big money to somehow restore the old parts.
Stop paying for animal cruelty and slaughter. Go vegan! [url="https://challenge22.com/"]https://challenge22.com/[/url]

1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Heated Seats, 350,000+

KenM

Quote from: TJ 450 on 21 January 2012, 02:57 PM
Quote from: koan on 21 January 2012, 02:42 PM
I worry about dash mats.

Flat black is the best absorber of infra-red but also the best radiator, shiny black is a good absorber and radiator too but not as good as flat black.

You have a nice shiny black dash, that absorbs a lot of infra-red but not as much as a flat black one would, it also radiates some of the absorbed energy

You put on a black mat, not shiny at all, it too absorbs a infra-red that heats it up, the heat will pass down to the dash but the mat is also an insulating layer that prevents radiation of the infra-red and any convection from the surface.

Does a dash mat make things worse?

Maybe I'm over thinking  this one.

koan
Many people do believe a dash mat makes things worse, I am one of them. 8)

I'm happy to use a dash mat on an already cracked dash though.

Tim

I've taken the view that the dash mat could indeed be more of a problem than a cure, I am going down the chemical prevention path and am applying liberal amounts of 303 aerospace protectant to all the

exposed plastic/vinyl/leather surfaces, inside and out. Haven't been at it long enough to provide any useful data but this stuff is supposed to be the duck's so I figure it has to be worth a go. It does bring

up the shine on dulled tailight lenses very nicely so I'm hopeful.

Grant V

Has anyone ever used a dash restorer?
I know there are one or two specialists in Oz that completely re-foam and re-trim dashes in original materials. I also know of a company in the US.
"You've bought another bloody car?!? We should have you committed!" he shrieked, storming out of the room

Big_Richard

#38
.

nathan

Grant,
we have had two dashes now done. i think they were done in adelaide for about 400 bucks. at the end of the day, only an enthusiast would tell they were not original (slight patina difference) and harder.  when you look close, they aer slightly bulkier, and ie at instrument cluster can make it a bit harder to fit everything (and at glovebox). some pics of goldie before and after.  note that they just reskin the top half (ie above the wood), and leave the lower bit





1979 116 6.9 #6436
2018 213 e63
2011 212 e63
2011 463 g55
2007 211 e500 wagen
1995 124 e320 cabriolet
1983 460 300gd
1981 123 280te

Grant V

Doesn't look like a bad job at all.

I have seen on eBay that you can buy dash caps, which are made from original materials that fit over a dashboard, but I heard that the fit is not great and that it's difficult to fit the vents and gauges afterwards.

When S-Class restores my 6.9 (yes, chaps, I want a good job done), I won't fanny about - I'll get a new LHD black dash. Apparently LHD black dashboards are still available and relatively affordable.

However, I have a 928S Porsche with a badly cracked dash, as well as a Finny. Apparently RHD Finny dashes, as well as 108 RHD dashes, are NLA.

I contacted a guy in OZ quite some time ago - his website doesn't work anymore - and he didn't do any international stuff. However, I came across two sites in the US and one in NZ:

US: http://www.justdashes.com/ and http://www.dashboardrestorations.com/
NZ: http://www.dashboardrestorations.co.nz/

I'm keen to give Justdashes a whirl with the Porsche's dashboard, as mine is navy and RHD. I should imagine that if Porsche still had stock, it would probably be the cost of a kidney.....
"You've bought another bloody car?!? We should have you committed!" he shrieked, storming out of the room

hagar24

Quote from: s class on 11 January 2012, 01:43 PM
Oh my that is beautiful.
Where fit you get it? I need one for my116 in Jamaica

s class

Thanks to AdamB, I now have a perfect black RHD dash.  :lots of smileys:.

I bought it from Adam probably a year ago, and he's been looking after it since.  A member of the local S.A. club brought it out for me this weekend when he travelled from London to S.A.

Both these fine individuals are worthy of a 'golden hubcap' award. 


[color=blue]'76 6.9 Euro[/color], [color=red]'78 6.9 AMG[/color], '80 280SE, [color=brown]'74 350SE[/color], [color=black]'82 500SEL euro full hydro, '83 500SEL euro full hydro [/color], '81 500SL

calvin streeting

Quote from: s class on 15 May 2012, 10:43 AM
Thanks to AdamB, I now have a perfect black RHD dash.  :lots of smileys:.

I bought it from Adam probably a year ago, and he's been looking after it since.  A member of the local S.A. club brought it out for me this weekend when he travelled from London to S.A.

Both these fine individuals are worthy of a 'golden hubcap' award.


That's realy cool... :)

nathan

now now S-class,
the golden hubcaps are just dished out, perhaps an astral silver 735 hubcap.
ok, they do deserve it, an icon golld hubcap to them!
1979 116 6.9 #6436
2018 213 e63
2011 212 e63
2011 463 g55
2007 211 e500 wagen
1995 124 e320 cabriolet
1983 460 300gd
1981 123 280te