Pitted interior pieces, quick solution

[diyhemi.com]

Well I was going through my parts bin and found some spare interior pieces. ie handles and lock tabs. They were pitted and not very presentable, but I couldn't bring myself to toss them.

On the far end of my work bench I noticed some di-noc 3M carbon fiber simulated vinyl. I had it left over from doing some interior pieces of a friends truck. Then the gears started turning!

I sanded down the pieces to level out the Pitts, pulled out the heat gun and went to town. Here are the results.

While it not original or concours points material, I think it could be appropriate for a restomod.

[Super Blue 72]

Sweet!  Looks really nice! 

Where did you get this 3M simulated vinyl?  Does it come in differetn designs/colors? 

[Topcat]

Sweet!  Looks really nice! 

Where did you get this 3M simulated vinyl?  Does it come in differetn designs/colors? 

aahem!

Looks better than a bacon dash. 
 

Good idea Yellowfin.
 

[Super Blue 72]

It's period correct bacon dash!    (Yellowfin, you'll get the joke when you see the pic below, something the original owner did.  I would have gone with the Hello Kitty design...    )

[diyhemi.com]

Sweet!  Looks really nice! 

Where did you get this 3M simulated vinyl?  Does it come in differetn designs/colors? 

I purchased it directly
From 3M.
 http://www.carbonfiberfilm.com/

Go to their website to see the color options. There are 7 colors I have graphite, black and brown. Supposedly they just came out with a glossier black. Watch their videos on their website and you can see how awesome this stuff is. Not some of the cheaper simulated vinyl. Theirs actually has texture and the reflective effects of actual carbon fiber. With a heat gun, it is very forgiving and molds to fit tons o shapes

[diyhemi.com]

That bacon dash is awesome! Ahhaha

Check out this steering wheel I covered

[usraptr]

Very nice.     I also did some pieces inside my 'Vette.  Looks a lot better than that OEM silver plastic.  If my 'Cuda wasn't numbers matching, I'd be tempted to do that on it's interior pieces, but it will be bone stock.   

[Super Blue 72]

Thanks for the info, Yellowfin! 

It's really nice but it gets pricey.  I was thinking what it might take to do a Challenger hood in carbon fiber, cost a couple hundred maybe? 

Don't see simulated bacon?   

[diyhemi.com]

Found another low budget interior restoration idea that works well. When I got my car it had quite a few dry rotted interior panels from the Texas elements. You know, that chalky mess that seems to crumble at the slightest touch.

Well, a a little patience and a heat gun can bring them back to driver quality. I'm still  working on them but you can see a difference. Notice the drivers panel has a chalky area left for comparison.


The key here is to go really slow! Too much heat, too soon will level out the grain pattern and it won't look as original. It is refusing the dried plastic back into the base. With massaging you can even get scratches to blend out

['Cuda Hunter]

They have it in RED! 

Thanks for showing me this.
Can you take a picture of the back side of the lock and handle.
Wondering what the termination edges look like.

I really like the heat gun idea.  That's great.
I will have to try that on a green one I have.

[Gumby]

It's period correct bacon dash!    (Yellowfin, you'll get the joke when you see the pic below, something the original owner did.  I would have gone with the Hello Kitty design...    )

Is that a Pioneer Super Tuner buried under all that bacon? lol.

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Is that a Pioneer Super Tuner buried under all that bacon? lol.

Pioneer Super Tuners were the bomb back in the late 70's.   

[Super Blue 72]

Is that a Pioneer Super Tuner buried under all that bacon? lol.

Yup!  Haven't had it hooked up lately but when I tried it out several years ago it still worked.  Got the Englebert Humperdink 8-track in there I think.  Got a bunch of 8-tracks for free off craigslist too.

[Gumby]

Freddy Fender and Tony Orlando and Dawn rocked as well! lol. I actually got to be very good at repairing 8 tracks in the day. They didn't last too long if you left them on the dash...

[diyhemi.com]

Back side of lock tab