need info on dash caps
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,617
Likes: 2
need info on dash caps
Can anyone tell me how the dash caps look when installed. I know they are molded plastic. Do they have a shiny finish to them. I would prefer a flat or matt finish. I really need to do something with my dash, and a new one is not within my financial capabilities at this time.
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist
Site Sponsor
Rennlist Member
Rennlist
Site Sponsor
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 11,542
Likes: 4
From: Anaheim California
Ours is a molded hard plastic with "leather" grain finish in a matt look . When installed and glued in place it looks pretty good . Will you be able to tell it is not original .....probably ..Will your buddy from work ? probably not . Will it look good for 10 years probably not . Is it a good fix for $119 ? Yes .
928 Collector
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,270
Likes: 5
From: Seattle
the caps I've seen (I bet they're not from the likes of Intl) looked as if someone had taken a child's toy and glued it with Elmer's glue onto the dash. And then left it in the sun to buckle, shrink, pop and whirr.
Reminded me of a shoesole that had been glued back on.
Reminded me of a shoesole that had been glued back on.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,166
Likes: 0
From: IL
I have one, they do look alittle buckled by the heat vents, so use extra glue around them. I may CNC some vent throughways to finish the appearance correctly. Its a matter of price. On my black dash that is already vinyl and cracked, it blends in pretty good and the urethane or pvc seems durable.
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist
Site Sponsor
Rennlist Member
Rennlist
Site Sponsor
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 11,542
Likes: 4
From: Anaheim California
Heinrich , now that you are heavily into leather and wood ( not that there is anything wrong with that ) you no longer have credibility when it comes to plastics ...... : ) But you are correct that a thin plastic cover is not going to hold up to repeated exposure to sun and heat for as long as the original molded vinyl dash . There is the $50 carpet , the $119 molded cover , the leather $500 install it yourself cover , The $900 dash with new leather , Used to be $2,800 or so new leather dash from Porsche .
Trending Topics
Rennlist Stories
The Best Porsche Posts for Porsche Enthusiasts
Porsche's Top 5 Most Questionable Naming Decisions
Verdad Gallardo
Pogea Racing's 964 Porsche 911 Reimagination Stands Out in a Crowded Field
Verdad Gallardo
6 Convertible Top MYTHS Most People Don't Understand!
Michael S. Palmer
2026 Porsche 911 Club Coupe is Spectacular, And Everything Wrong with the Porsche Market
Joe Kucinski
Talos Takes Your 991 Porsche 911 GT3 to the Next Level for a Cool $1.13 Million
Verdad Gallardo
9 Vehicles Porsche Helped Engineer that Aren't Porsches
Verdad Gallardo
9 Features and Characteristics That Only Porsche People Understand
Verdad Gallardo
I've Written 500 Rennlist Articles: Here's How Porsche Has Changed Along the Way
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Unnecessary Porsches Ever Built (And Why We Love Them)
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,617
Likes: 2
Thanks for the input thus far folks. I will most likely go with the 928 int. cap. I was considering trying to restore my dash myself but I'm sure I would be better off using a cap for a more uniform finished appearence. I may explore the option of having a local upholstry shop stitch up a cover similar to the one that I have now that has dried up and shrunk and cracked and looks horrible. Why couldn't porsche use interior materials that equal the performance of the mechanicals on the car?
Pro
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 513
Likes: 0
From: SOCAL
My 85S has a dash & pod caps...when used w/lots of glue, they look pretty good & it's hard to tell if it's factory or not....I don't keep my shark out in the sun much....probably why the caps are ok...the pod cap had issues binding on the *****....had to do some trimming there...over all not a bad fix for the $$$... in canoga park/reseda CA area there is a place called "just dashes" that will totally strip & restore your dash....not sure how much, but it's another option...
Cottage Industry Sponsor
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 25,818
Likes: 167
From: SF Bay Area, CA
Depending on the original color of your dash, you might want to consider painting the cap in the matching color before putting it in. There are special paints for interior plastics that can be matched to your interior. The better you match it, the less obvious it will be. Just a thought...
928 Barrister
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,772
Likes: 6
From: Sunnyvale, CA
Before you go to JustDashes, ask me about their work. 
&@#$!!((%$*#&^^!!!!****#@**$%%($##@#@
Just go to the bank. Withdraw about $1800 in cash. Come home. Flush the cash down the toilet. Then go out in the garage and smash all of the joints in both hands and feet with a sledge hammer. There. Now you know how it feels to deal with JustDashes in Reseda wherever.
If you still insist on dealing with them, .......sheesh....some people are just born masochists.
&@#$!!((%$*#&^^!!!!****#@**$%%($##@#@ Just go to the bank. Withdraw about $1800 in cash. Come home. Flush the cash down the toilet. Then go out in the garage and smash all of the joints in both hands and feet with a sledge hammer. There. Now you know how it feels to deal with JustDashes in Reseda wherever.
If you still insist on dealing with them, .......sheesh....some people are just born masochists.
Cottage Industry Sponsor
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 25,818
Likes: 167
From: SF Bay Area, CA
Ron:
I'm glad you survived the "just dashes treatment", and hope the wounds will heal. After seeing your dash I can fully understand your frustration. You've got good reasons to feel that way.
It does worry me that the only source I've heard of who is restoring dashes like this has such low standards. In fact, after seeing your dash I'm surprised they can stay in business. Who puts up witih such crappy work for that kind of money? Do most of their dashes go into cars that were built to such low standards to begin with?
Hopefully there will be better options for us in the future. The leather covers are a good start for those who have leather dashes. The plastic cap sounds like a temporary solution. Let's hope that we find lots of warehouses full of 928 dashboards when the time comes to restore ours...
I'm glad you survived the "just dashes treatment", and hope the wounds will heal. After seeing your dash I can fully understand your frustration. You've got good reasons to feel that way.
It does worry me that the only source I've heard of who is restoring dashes like this has such low standards. In fact, after seeing your dash I'm surprised they can stay in business. Who puts up witih such crappy work for that kind of money? Do most of their dashes go into cars that were built to such low standards to begin with?
Hopefully there will be better options for us in the future. The leather covers are a good start for those who have leather dashes. The plastic cap sounds like a temporary solution. Let's hope that we find lots of warehouses full of 928 dashboards when the time comes to restore ours...