North American Turbocoupe Organization



My take on the accu-form dash cap
fiveliter8 Offline
Senior Member
#1
Well, overall, the fit is very good. It needed quite a bit of trimming of the areas where the speaker grilles and the center plate go on. I had to remove basically all of the material around the inside perimeters of these openings, leaving just enough of the "rolled" edge. I left the side window defroster vents as they were and it looks just fine (plus I couldn't figure out how to pop them out).
On the bottom side of the cap and top of the dash, I sanded with 220 grit paper at the points where silicone was going to be applied, then cleaned both cap and dashpad with generous amounts of alcohol. After applying the sealant to the cap and installing it, I immediately re-installed the instrument cluster bezel. That helped tremendously pushing the cap into place. I then used sheets of paper towel to wedge in between the base of the windshield and dash cap to press the leading edge in place. Rolled up newspapers worked great for the trailing edge of the main defroster vents. For the trailing edge of the dashcap on the passenger area, I used a pole between the seat and cap to hold it in place till the sealant cured. A strip of wood was placed at the end of the pole to distribute the load at the cap and another piece of wood between the pole and the seat to protect the fabric. Once this was in place I adjusted the seat forward to put some pressure on things. Finally, for the ends of the cap, where they wrap around the sides of the dash, I rolled my windows down, closed the doors, then balled up some paper towels and wedged them between the door and dash cap. After sitting overnight to cure, everything was removed and the dash looked great! Popped in the speaker grilles and center plate, hit the pad with some dash cleaner and she was good as new! The cap comes molded in black, so it will need to be painted to match. My interior is a dark blue (I think that's what it is) but I'm leaving the cap black. If I get a wild hair later, I might try and match it. Sure is nice not having to look at hideous cracks anymore! I just hope the silicone and cap stands up to the sun in the summer. We shall see soon. [Image: smile.gif]

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www.stangnut.com
1988 Tcoupe
1984 20th Anniversary GT350 Mustang 'Vert
1984 Mustang GT T-roof
1965 Shelby Cobra Replica


[This message has been edited by fiveliter8 (edited 01-12-2005).]
www.stangnut.com
1988Tcoupe-ye will be missed
'09 Flex SEL
1984 20th Anniversary GT350 Mustang 'Vert
1984 Mustang GT T-roof
1965 Shelby Cobra Replica
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Pete D Offline
Administrator
#2
Good writeup. Do you have any pictures yet?. Can we put this in the FAQs?
Pete Dunham


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fiveliter8 Offline
Senior Member
#3
Be my guest Pete! I'll get some pics up too. I'm putting the pics as an attachment, but they should probably be hosted separately since our personal accounts allow only 10 pics.

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www.stangnut.com
1988 Tcoupe
1984 20th Anniversary GT350 Mustang 'Vert
1984 Mustang GT T-roof
1965 Shelby Cobra Replica
www.stangnut.com
1988Tcoupe-ye will be missed
'09 Flex SEL
1984 20th Anniversary GT350 Mustang 'Vert
1984 Mustang GT T-roof
1965 Shelby Cobra Replica
Reply

EricCoolCats Offline
Member
#4
Hey Pete, not trying to butt in but I just completed a full write-up on my site here: http://www.coolcats.net/stockmod/modified/dashtop.html
Eric - COOL CATS
The 1983-88 Mercury Cougar
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TCorBUST Offline
Member
#5
Very nice job. Do you have any before pictures? My dash has lifted up quite a bit right above the steering wheel. I just wondered if yours was the same way.

We should have a contest for the most cracks! Mine would be a contender [Image: smile.gif]
'88 TC 5sp, K&N cone, t3.60/.63, ported head, Felpro 1035, Walbro 255 hi pres., Kirban FPR., 3g Alternator
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fiveliter8 Offline
Senior Member
#6
It was horrible. Had one right where you mention. Left of that there was a split from the speaker opening to the instrument cluster bezel. There was also one that was dead-center and ran from the back edge up through the opening for that place in the center. On the passenger side it was starting to split from two corners of the speaker openings. I had filled them all with black silicone when I bought the car in an attempt to make it look decent (well, it didn't, lol). I was going to take a picture, but I just couldn't stand to look at it anymore-in real life or in a picture. [Image: biggrin.gif]

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www.stangnut.com
1988 Tcoupe
1984 20th Anniversary GT350 Mustang 'Vert
1984 Mustang GT T-roof
1965 Shelby Cobra Replica
www.stangnut.com
1988Tcoupe-ye will be missed
'09 Flex SEL
1984 20th Anniversary GT350 Mustang 'Vert
1984 Mustang GT T-roof
1965 Shelby Cobra Replica
Reply





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