Wanted: Dash Pad (blue).

[Steve's Lariat]

The dash pad on my '85 F150 has the typical problem of cracked plastic speaker mesh. Willing to pay top $$$ for a mint blue factory dash pad. Contact: [e-mail]

[kramttocs]

Do you have photos of yours?
The problem is that you'll be throwing money at something that will end up with the same issue eventually. The factory dashes are just unavoidably old. There are ones out there in perfect shape visually but they are just one light finger poke away from having a hole in the speaker mesh.
Not trying to be discouraging but possible you'll be better off repairing or living with yours.

[Gary Lewis]

You are right.  Ask Shaun about the pristine dash pad he bought, took it home and blocked it up evenly on the shelf, and later he came back and it was cracked.

I wouldn't pay much at all for an old one.  Big Blue is running a cover, but Dad's truck will probably get a new pad.

[Steve's Lariat]

You guys know you're stuff. You're describing exactly what happened to me. I spent months looking and finally sourced a mint dash pad to replace the cracked one on my truck. But in moving it around to do the install, damnit if a chunk of the speaker mesh didn't break off. It's not as damaged as the original one on the truck now, but still. It's more than a little crack in the webbing.  

I hear what you are saying about throwing good money after bad. I appreciate the warning and advice. But at the same time, my goal is to restore the truck to original condition or close to it. It's going to bother me to have a cracked dash or an aftermarket cover.

Why are they so darn brittle? Just age? And assuming I do source one and install it without incident, will it be as fragile once installed? I've seen plenty of Bullnose trucks and Broncos for sale that still have nice dashes. They must have been carefully cared for.

[Steve's Lariat]

...or one finger poke away from broken.  

[kramttocs]

Location, location, location

Plain old age of material is absolutely a factor but location has a very large impact as well. Sun and heat - be it climate or general storage.

Everyone has their preference but I have a fuzzy-ish dash cover in mine and feel it fits the era enough to have grown on me. Can take it off for truck shows but put it on the rest of the time.

[Steve's Lariat]

Just wanted to update you guys. I ended up buying a new dash pad from Dennis Carpenter rather than trying to source an old, OEM, brittle one. Hope that works out -- at least the material will be fresh. Thanks as always for your wisdom and advice.

[Gary Lewis]

Let us know how it works for you, please.

[viven44]

I doubt it is a blue one. I don't think you can buy a new dash in any other color except tan and black. Coverlay covers are available in all colors however.

The blue one on my parts truck was unbelievably clean. I did sell it however as I believed the same.. an old dash will crack soon if it hasn't already.

[Steve's Lariat]

No, it's not blue. That would have been easy! The choices were black or white. I got a black one and am dyeing it blue. We'll see how it turns out.

[Gary Lewis]

What process and materials are you using to "dye" it?  I ask because I've had good luck with SEM products.  And we have the SEM PN's listed on our page at Documentation/Specifications/Interior Paint as well as a recommended place from which to order it.

Having said that, I find the SEM instructions, which you can find on that page on the Instructions tab, to be quite confusing, especially when you compare the instructions on the can to another can or even those for that can online.  So the tab called Gary's Thoughts compares the instructions from online to those on the Plastic Adhesion Promoter can, and then adds how I do it.

Plus, for no extra charge, there's a tab called SEM Numbering & Products where I list the products I have and how the numbering system works.