I am looking to buy a plastic cap for my 87 Turbo Coupe. Of course the three manufactures all say theirs is the best. I am hoping to get input from someone who has actually purchased one and has had it installed for a couple years. I hate that I have to put one on, so I am looking for the best looking and most durable cover. Anyone have any experience with the different brands? Any pictures with the cap installed?
Coolcats.net. has an excellent write up with install pictures and compares the grain and fit to other styles.
I wish you were close. I have a crack free dash on top of my cabinet in the garage. I would bet the dash caps are all made by the same place, but sold through different dealers. I have one in the garage from my last Bird. They can be made to look very nice with some patience and time.
Thanks for the info. Was the write up under Modifying:Dash Repair or was there another article also?
How close are you to Goldsby
I just looked up Ardmore. You are real close to Goldsby. I have a sister-in-law that lives in Goldsby. Somebody in the family is usually out there a couple times a year. Is the dash something you would consider selling? I have an 85 Turbo Coupe I bought new and an 87 Turbo Coupe I have had since 91. The 85 sits in the garage so the dash is in good shape, for now. The 87 dash cracked last year. I waited until it cracked before I replaced the heater core. I figured if it was not cracked before I ripped the dash apart, it would be afterwards
Of course I'd sell it. Mine is crack free in the Sport (It's the second dash for the car). It's dark blue in color. Awesome shape. Came d=from a minty, super low option '88 I got to pull apart a while back. Not sure where Goldsby is. I'll look it up.
http://www.coolcats.net/modifying/dashtop.html
I remembered a side by side comparison of grain differences, but I don't seem to see it now. maybe I made it up.
cracks
I put a dash cover on mine thanks to this thread I remember them ...... Ftl lmao
how pr0ne are the 87/88 dashes to cracking? The 83/84 always had a seam split in the middle, my 87 cat the dash is perfect, i was kind of in disbelief when i saw it. None of the usual wear associated on these cars.
You will be hard pressed to find an '87 or '88 that doesn't have a cracked dash. Yes, there's a few out there, I have one in my car, one in the garage, but those are the only two I have seen around here in years. I found them 4 years apart as well. Most all of them are damaged.
I got my car in 2011 and the Interior was PERFECT. No dash cracks. As soon as it became a daily driver in 2012, it began to crack. :(
I need a dash cover myself.
Had my dashcap for about 5 years now.....looks factory.
The stock dashes are notorious for cracking in these cars. Mine was so bad in some spots I could actually push my finger through it. I cut all the rotten and cracked spots out when I capped it.
Quite pr0ne. Cover the thing in your 87 XR7 or condition it frequently. My Thunderbird's was prefect till I replaced the heater core 10 years ago. Then it cracked. I've got a dash cap on it now. Looks factory again.
Cut away the high areas.
Thanks for the pictures. I learned something today that might be important. A rep from DashTop replied to an email I sent asking if their cover had a lip that slid under the cluster bezel. He said the DashTop does not. A rep from CoverLay replied and indicated their cap does have a vertical lip that slides behind the cluster bezel. My dash has a couple cracks in the dash right above the bezel. I think that made my decision easy.
The one I have in the garage has the lip on it.
Maybe my pictures? Never installed it due to texture.
(http://www.masejoer.com/Images/Thunderbird/Interior/Dash/dash1.jpg)
(http://www.masejoer.com/Images/Thunderbird/Interior/Dash/dash3.jpg)
(http://www.masejoer.com/Images/Thunderbird/Interior/Dash/dash2.jpg)
That was them seek.
I think I overlapped the thread and coolcats write up.
Do you know which brand the red cap shown is?
I will note I had to trim quite a bit of the material around the speaker grills and defroster vents to get the cover to lay the way I wanted it to.
Do you know what brand of dash cap you ended up with? how was the grain match?
Do you know what brand the cap shown in the pictures is? The grain is a pretty poor match
Vinnietbird,
I didn't here from you regarding price if you were to sell your OE dash cover. Assuming you live in Admore, OK as it shows, I might be able to arrange for my nephew come look at it and keep at his house until I make a visit out there. He lives south of Norman right off 35. I may not be able to pay what it is worth, but won't know until I ask. Really haven't search much for an OE dash. I am sure they are rare. You could call me or text me at 765 278 8472 if you would prefer
i just sent a text to you.
I used whoever the color-matching seller was on eBay 5 years ago or so. The color for the two tone dash would have been close-enough, since it covers the old darker-red top area, but the texture put me off. I'd rather have a cracked dash than that hideous thing.
I read somewhere that Stock Interiors.com sells a quality dash "cap". You may check them out. I don't remember where I read but supposedly the grain was a very close match.
Subbed because mine is shot and one of these days ill have to order a cap