BoulderZ

Just Dashes is nearly finished with my '78's dashboard (which was a complete train wreck, more cracks than plumbers' convention). They said it should be shipping back to me within a week and a half (worst case, likely sooner). Will post some pics as soon as I have it.
Dave

jfairladyz

How much did that cost you? I'd definitely be interested in seeing some pics when you get it back.

z_lis

Me too! Can't wait to see the pics!

BoulderZ

Giant box shows up yesterday!
Of course, now that it's holiday season, and I'm also trying to put the driveline and rear suspension back together, let's see how long it takes me to reassemble and install the dash... I may make time for it. Who needs sleep, right?
Dave

wreckedj30

very nice, shiney.

skittle

very very nice...

D83zxt

What did that run you to have it redone?

Thanks,
Donna

BoulderZ

$899 including shipping. That includes dealing with the VIN tag, and they did a great job re-doing the emblem, too. No need to send the gauges with it. Mine was in truly awful shape (I'll try to find the "before" photos somewhere). It was cracked all the way through in a couple of spots and countless smaller cracks.

jfairladyz

all I can say is WOW Thats beautiful.

BoulderZ

So I procrastinated a bunch of stuff I probably should have been working on, and spent last night putting all the gauges back in the dashboard instead. And the fit is absolutely perfect on every one of them. I don't know how they got it so perfect (I didn't send the gauges with it), but it's dead-on. I guess they just use forms of the correct diameter as surrogate gauges, or something. Their fitting and sculpting crews must be borderline clinical Obsessive Compulsive Disorder to get results that perfect. Now I'm really eager to get the car finished. The end is in sight!
Dave

z_lis

Wow, it's perfect! I love it. Where is Just Dashes located? I'd like to check into it sometime.

BoulderZ

Here's their site: www.justdashes.com
They're in Van Nuys, CA
more specifically: http://www.justdashes.com/Map.htm
They've got regular 8-5 (pacific) hours at 1-800-247-3274
Super helpful folks, and I sure can't argue with their quality of results. There's another outfit near Seattle someplace, too. They're supposed to do nice work and have very similar pricing. For me, Just Dashes was cheaper and more convenient. Those were the only two places I found in the States that do this stuff, though. There's also an outfit out of Australia, whose name escapes me.
Dave

snwbrderphat540

so much money... yet so nice...

ZChief

Looks good BoulderZ. Be carefull not to f*&^ it up reinstalling it. That would be my luck.

BoulderZ

Sound advice! I got it installed last night, but it was a huge pain in the back. It would be very easy to damage the dash if you're anything less than very careful. I had to feed it in through the hatch (no seats in yet), and I can just slide in the passenger door.

I got all the gauges back in (easy) before Christmas, but all the holiday hoopla kind of limited the time I had to do anything else. But, the New Year's holiday and this week turned out to be much more productive. Cleaning the ducts is dirty but pretty easy with a Dremel on low and a nylon bristle brush, and the wiring harness goes back in really quickly. Re-soldering the trip odometer reset cable wasn't bad at all, and I had to rebuild the glove box light switch (some one in the past cut the wires and broke one of the connections).

Notes for installing the dash in the car: you really do need to remove the two big bolts holding the steering column to the pedal bracket. It's that tight of a fit. You also need to remove the ignition switch, turn signal switch, and lights/wiper switch, in addition to the steering wheel (obvious). The vent panel and controls should be out, as should the stereo and center console and lower trim panels (right in front of your knees when you're seated). I suppose you could do this with seats in if you have more room to work from the side than I do, but it sure was nice not having them in the way. You do not need to remove the A-pillar trims (but be careful, because if you break them, it's very hard to find replacements). On mine, you could do it with the glove box in or out, didn't make any real difference.

Anyway, I'll try to take a picture of it tonight and post it tomorrow. It was way too late last night for me to mess with the camera.

Dave

theramz

Dave, what did you do to get that price? I called them and they said $1200 plus shipping!

BoulderZ

Dang, $1200?! You can buy NOS from MSA for that, or get a recondition/core swap from zcarsource.com for about $1000. Was it Just Dashes, or the Washington outfit? All I did was call them back in August, and they said $899 (my expense to ship it to them, but that's pretty cheap). I would guess prices would go up some (busy season, fuel and labor costs are up, etc.), but that's a 33% increase, which is huge. I don't remember the name of the sales guy I worked with, but I'll try and look it up for you. I'd at least ask why it's so much more, you were expecting more like 9 bills, is there anything you can do because you'd like to use them but at that price you can't justify it, etc. Maybe there's some wiggle room there. My ceiling was 1k with shipping both ways, because above that I could have gotten one from zcarsource, even though it wouldn't have been the original core.

I just thought of something else: you're in California (yes?), same as them, while I'm in Colorado. If there were sales tax, it might be that they have to charge it to you but not to out-of-state mail-order customers? Just a thought, I don't know for sure. If that's the case, maybe the WA guys would be cheaper in your situation? I suppose it's also possible that they did mine for $900 and didn't make much, if any, on the deal because it was in such bad shape, and now maybe they think "Oh, no, not another S30 dash!" You could maybe convince them that yours isn't as awful as mine was?

Dave

theramz

The whole story is when I called them I asked how much for 2 dashes, a '70 and a '78 thinking I could get a good price and I would deliver them and pick them up. He said $1200 and I thought, wow smokin deal, and then he said each. I couldn't speak or think any more. I think I will have them recovered in black leather with nice stitching around the guages and edges for less than that!

BoulderZ

Yeah, $1200 each is a bad deal. zcarsource.com sells reconditioned ones on a swap basis for at or just under a grand. I saw an old post that two or three years ago they wanted $800, so I could see it going up some, maybe $100, but 1/3 increase in less than 6 months is outta hand. The leather idea sounds pretty nice. I'm trying to decide between new seats (nice, but expensive), or reupholstering the originals in leather (much less money, but they're still not good for lateral or lumbar support).
Dave