walnut dash kit

[wilson31]

How easy / hard is it to fit these "kits". My Woodwork looks rather tired with nasty marks engrained in the timber.?
are there any pitfalls i should watch out for ?

[AlanD]

Hi Wilson,

i fitted one as a few others have, they do look ok for what they are, not perfect though so if you just want to tidy up they will be ok, they are not a perfect fit, and can be a pain to fit around the clocks, and when you remove them they can pull some veneer off, take your time, trial fit with the backing paper on, warm up the wood and the stick on dash with a hair dryer then just stick it on, they should come with instructions. i didnt find any real problems fitting them

hope this helps

alan

[71Stag]

I'd agree with everything Alan says you don't get a second chance if you get it wrong and I made a pigs ear of fitting round the clocks however as a relatively cheap way to tidy up the dash it works a treat and looks like the real thing until you get up close.
Cheers
Bruce

[Bandit1200]

Agree with all above.
Take special care when fitting the veneer to the glovebox lid making sure that there is no overhang at the top otherwise it will frustrate closing of the lid. You can't shave off any overhang as this will compromise the laquer covering.
Also suggest that when you come to fit the veneer to the clocks section you hold the section on edge on a kitchen surface when you offer the veneer so that you can concentrate on getting the other line up right.
As Alan says, the veneers are not a perfect fit but a good effect can be had by painting the edges of the apertures on the panels with black enamel paint before you refit the panels in the dash.
Finally, thoroughly clean the old surface using meths to remove any old polish/wax applied by PO

[Richard Saunders]

I don't know how much a kit costs. I went the other way of buying a replacement set of wood from classical dash (http://www.classical-dash.co.uk/stag.html) which cost me £360 at the NEC show. I went for burr elm. I have to say the standard and quality is amazing and I'm glad I spent the extra money. It fits perfectly, all the screw holes in the right places. No affiliation etc. to Classical Dash.

Some pictures are here: http://maddesthouse.wordpress.com/20...ver-it-is-now/

And here:

wood.jpg

[V Mad]

I wonder about the durability and longevity of the real wood veneer considering the high price you pay (c.f. the kit at about £120). What if it starts to lift or crack after a couple of years?

Compared to this I would expect the 'kit' version would last much longer, albeit under close scrutiny you can see the gaps and any misalignments around the edges.

[Richard Saunders]

Well, so far, so good (though only a year in). It looks as though it was put in yesterday. If it only lasts 8-10 years (and I think it will last longer than that) I'd gladly pay to have another set put in. I'm sure also that if there was a problem after a couple of years due to materials the folks at Classical-Dash would do something about it.

I wonder about the durability and longevity of the real wood veneer considering the high price you pay (c.f. the kit at about £120). What if it starts to lift or crack after a couple of years?

Compared to this I would expect the 'kit' version would last much longer, albeit under close scrutiny you can see the gaps and any misalignments around the edges.

[V Mad]

My project stag came with a real veneer dash, and I just realised that was in storage for 3 years before I bought it 18 months ago. Still looks fine so I guess thats proof enough.

[wilson31]

Thanks for all the info . I think I will check out any deals that may be had at the NEC in November. btw richard , that is one sweet interior you've got.

[KOY 23]

I wonder about the durability and longevity of the real wood veneer considering the high price you pay (c.f. the kit at about £120). What if it starts to lift or crack after a couple of years?

Compared to this I would expect the 'kit' version would last much longer, albeit under close scrutiny you can see the gaps and any misalignments around the edges.

Chris.
My real wood veneer and many others is pushing 40 years old and is not lifting.