Hello, I am new to this forum.

I am the original owner of a 1980 RX-7. I remember seeing after market wood dash kits for my car, are they still available?

Thanks in advance,

Brett

 

Welcome to the forum. I dont recall ever seeing those kits sorry. Good luck.

 

I have been playiong with the idea lately of creating a Triumph dash set up...cutting a piece of walnut or cherry to replace the dash from the top section down...so you would have the leather/plastic part on top with a flat piece of wood below that...it would require custom gages and some fancy wood work on my part. maybe come spring ill give er a go.

 

I'm planning to do that on the stereo and gearshift surround. I experimented with it last year with good success. Go to a wood mill and buy some walnut veneer (or something else if you like other grains more) and some high temperature adhesive. Start by making a paper cutout pattern and tape it to the veneer (on the side that you will use for gluing). Using an exacto knife, first cut out your pattern on the glue side. Then finish the cut on the top side of the veneer. Next, soak the veneer in hot water for a few minutes and then place it onto the center pieces (first remove these from the car so that you don't get water all over) using them as forms. Secure the veneer into shape using small sandbags (baggies filled with sand) until dry. You could tie them with string or rubber bands, but depending on the wood, this could cause unwanted indentations in the wood. Next, round over the edges of your cuts with sandpaper. Next, finish both sides of the veneer with stain and sealer. I say both sides to avoid cracking. Let the finish harden for several days then you can glue them in place.

Also, make sure for your finish, that you dry sand after the first coat, tack cloth it, then use wet sandpaper and water for subsequent coats. Outdoor varathane (spelling???) works well for the final coats after staining.

 

just get the wood dash sticky kit from jcwhitney or homedepot.

 

If you have access to a scroll saw, it'll make the whole cutting process a lot faster. I got one from the Home Depot for $70.00 Cdn.

 

I looked at those a few weeks ago. They definately are an option. I'd go with the veneer myself because you can get an amazing deep glass like finish that would definately outlast the kit. Plus I love woodworking and being able to say to people when they ask, "hey, where'd you get that?" and say "made it myself from scratch."