I found a website that sells dash pad covers which fit like a glove. I cant list the website because it is agianst the policy of the message board. But here is the info provided from the website......



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Sell one like this
82-92 Camaro Iroc Z-28 Berlinetta Dash Pad Cover Cap





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Sell one like this
82-92 Camaro Iroc Z-28 Berlinetta Dash Pad Cover Cap



This Coverlay dash cover is custom formed to the exact shape of your original Camaro IROC or Z-28 Berlinetta dash . It is installed over top of the orginal dash, and is held in place with silicone adhesive ( provided). The installation can usually be completed in 30 minutes or less with the instructions included. No special tools are required. No orginal parts need be removed. Store is called "The Auto Trim Store"

 

But this isn't a solution, these have been around forever, and they never look that good.

It's still a bandaid fix, unfortunately.

 

I can't decide if this is spam or what... Puma took the words out of my mouth, but I probably would have used some expletives.

 

Spam. Lol. That's a good one Drew. But if it really came down to it and there is absolutely no replacement or way to fix a horribly warped dashboard, wouldn't you consider the option as a last resort?

 

Have they really been around for a longtime? I've been window shopping since 2003 for Camaro parts and today I just realized these cosmetic cover ups are in production.

 

Here is your better option if you don't mind spending the money for it:

http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/ca...dashpad-1.aspx

 

Yup. Don't get me wrong. I would buy it too. But check this out. Go to Thirdgenranch.com and you will find that Denny has a full dash panel and dashboard as a single piece. But you would have to cut the holes yourself. I would choose that over the other. The one that Denny sells is made of fiberglass.

 

Here it is...
http://thirdgenranch.com/-strse-1032...ell/Detail.bok

 

plus its cheaper that Hawks.

 

I would need to see some pictures of it installed but in that one tiny picture, that thing looks rather ugly.

Plus the extra work involved in getting that thing in.... I'll pay the extra 100 and just replace the dash pad only lol

Not to mention if it's one piece... what happens if you need to replace your front speakers... how do you even install your front speakers in it lol..

 

Nuff said! You got me on that one.

 

Wait, new dash pads are really $390? Damn. Looks like I am going to have to start shopping the junkyards.

 

Not all dash pads are that expensive. Hawks is just price gouging the heck out of it to get the highest possible price because the dashpads are not being produced anymore.

 

I put one on my 91 and it looks factory to me. Fits absolutely perfect

 

Picture please. I wanna see how it looks.

 

It looks like spam because it's a cut and paste of the manufacturers ad. They're been around forever, used to be able to get them from JCWhitney. It's a cap that goes over the existing dash. They look sorta ok if you don't look too close or don't know what they're supposed to look like, but it's easy to tell there's something off.

All of my Thirdgens have good dashes, and I've got a minty extra Camaro pad, and a decent extra Firebird pad, if I should need them. If I needed one I'd probably try to find a used one, or fix it myself before buying a cap.

 

IIRC, I think the aftermarket dash pad is junk too, another wonderful repro part from what I've heard.

The fact someone makes such a heinously ****-poor and half-assed part just says it all about how vendors view us. Who signs off on **** like that?

As for the dash pad, I know where a NOS one can be had for the low, low price of $2000

 

Admittedly I haven't gotten one of them yet and installed it, but I figured it would be something kind of hard to screw up. I do plan to purchase one at some point in the near future as the dash cap that I have now is horrendous and I hate the thing. But if I pay 390 dollars for it and it looks like crap, someone is going to get an earful and be refunding my money.

I would love to find a descent used dash, but I don't think I've seen a used dash without a crack in it for sale at a reasonable rate (less than 300 dollars) for over 5 years now. And I do check occasionally. Seems like everytime I see one listed on ebay, it has a crack in it somewhere. Driverside corner seems to be a common place, that is where 2 of the ones I have now are cracked.

 

Sounds good.

 

Don't waste your time. They are a pain to sell. Its hard to get $125 for a clean one shipped.

 

here is an ongoing discussion about these things, with pictures of them installed

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/inte...ps-anyone.html

 

try me. I"ll buy all you have for $125

 

No kidding, show me a clean dash pad with no cracks in it for $125 and I'll be all over it.

 

Pretty much anywhere is cheaper than hawk's

 

I hate to say it but this.

 

Exactly, people want to pay $125 for them shipped. Shipping is atleast half of that. It isn't worth the trouble.

 

that molded full fiberglass shell thing at thirdgenranch is a joke ,right?I can't imagine the time and skill to cut all that stuff out and get it to fit and look right.Thirdgenranch please show me 1 installed that looks good?When someone does make a nice reproduction and they will, keep these price hikers like hawks in mind.$390,yea right.

 

you said "hard to get $125"

big difference.

 

Not true. I bought a old Yamaha DX-21 keyboard. Its about 50" long and it weights about 20 lbs. FedEx only charged $19 for ground shipping back in 2008. The dash pad weights approx. 10 lbs. I doubt the dash pad costs half of $125 to ship.

 

Even if I had to pay 50 shipping, I'd still jump all over a clean dash pad with no cracks for $125 + 50 shipping. Even though I know that shipping charge is a ripoff, I'd be willing to spend $200 for a clean dash pad with no cracks.

I think you'll find the same, if you had any clean dash pads with no cracks to sale, and put them on ebay or anywhere for a $125 buy out and $50 shipping, it'll be sold within a day or two.

 

It really doesn't work out that way though... Thirdgen owners are easily the cheapest of the cheap *** pieces of crap. If you had 50 people on here saying they wanted a dash pad, less then 20 of them would actually pony up the cash when the time comes. Just look at how often people say they want a part and then a week later (or less) the seller says it's still available. It's a complete waste of time trying to sell thirdgen parts anymore. I'm not going to waste my time hiking through junkyards and dealing with the toothless hillbillies that run them, just so I can get jerked around by potential buyers, screwed by Paypal, and screwed by the shipper. In the end 50% of buyers don't even leave feedback. It's just not worth the trouble, anymore.

 

Drew, what are you talking about? So many people on TGO were looking for TGO tshirts and such and there weren't any. I had some made and couldn't even sell 150 of them. Oh, that's what you're saying!!!

 

Drew - don't hold back! Tell us how you really feel LOL!

 

Believe me, that is me holding back. It's been REALLY bad on here the last decade or so. People expect you to jump through hoops, educate them, and sell them something they can't get anywhere else for nothing. I could rant on the subject for several paragraphs.

 

Please do!

 

I don't like ranting, but I'll be honest... I've been on this forum since 1996. I've been selling extra parts almost as long. Over the years I've sold parts on Ebay, I've sold on other forums, even parts for other makes and models. 10 years ago, a person could actually list an item in the classifieds for a fair price, and it'd sell in a couple days. Now you list something, and it gets all kinds of attention. You get replies, emails, pm's, etc. But it's all stupidity, low ball offers, asking if it'll fit on a car that isn't even close, asking what it is (seriously, people will email about a part when they have no idea what it is or what it does), requests for shipping quotes (many times to impossible places, or on items you list as "local pick up only". Many times those same people NEVER reply after you box a part and get a shipping quote. Or they offer pennies on the dollar after the shipping is subtracted from their offer. I mentioned that I also sell other makes/models parts, Mustang guys for example, are right up there with thirdgen enthusiasts of 12-15 years ago. Almost none of the BS that I get selling here. It is really ridiculous.

That should tide me over... Back to the topic...

 

I have sold several firebird dash pads on ebay. I dont sell a lot of stuff on this forum because there usually is too much dicking around. Ebay selling takes some experience to do profitably. I can usually ship a dash pad for $40-$75 depending on location. It takes a pretty big box because they take a lot of packaging to prevent damage. If you have good feedback and have good photos, they sell fast since people know they are rare now.
I know what you guys mean about thirdgenners being cheap, I get a lot of silly low ball offers for rare items, but its part of the business. sometimes i can talk them up to a reasonable price. Some of it is that americans are poor right now so I sell a lot of parts to UK and Europe since most sellers arent willing to ship overseas. Surprising how many firebirds are across the pond.

 

If you thought the dash pad cover was bad, look at this.......

http://www.1aauto.com/1A/Console/Che...07/230118/1987

 

im sorry i would not pay 70 bucks for an arm rest. i see tons everyday theyy really dont wear out or crack that much the sides just bulge out, hell id put a staple through each side and paint over it with some black model paint to save myself 70 bucks. some of the prices on stuff for these cars are ridiculous and all the stereotypes that we are given mention that these cars are cheap. they are in no way cheap but very versatile in interchanging parts

 

Well did you read the description? Its just a cap, just like the dash cap. It goes over the existing pad.

 

The stereotype is not about the car being cheap as much as the owners are cheap!! Look at the comment you made about putting staples in the side and using model paint to cover it up!! That's not considered a high quality repair in anybody's book. Your own comments are where the stereotype come from. Thank you for proving their point!

 

Comments like this:

...are why vendors, including those very ones who are sponsors here, give us products like this:

Oh the irony. The above is another garbage product (sorry 1A, this is an insult of a product) because these companies know that nearly everyone in our camp is a colossal cheapass. But to play devil's advocate, if you're griping about a $70 console cap, why on earth should/would any of these companies make an aftermarket repro? You'll blow your stack when I tell you Classic Industries sells a repro lid assembly for $150.

But yeah, when we can just drive staples through it and color them with a sharpie, who needs repro parts? The reason everyone has to dumpster dive for rotten ("mint") parts from a parted beater is because we choose to do that; if once in a while we would pick ourselves up and say, "Hey, these cars just might be worth a damn, give us GOOD, NEW, CLEAN, ACCURATE repros," and were actually willing to open the wallet and not just the mouth, we just might be able to restore these cars someday with respectable parts. But until we make that decision, we can just keep dumpster diving and balking at crappy half-hearted parts.

 

Thank you for saving me from having to say it myself. I don't have the energy right now.

Its true...there are so many third gen owners on here that are cheap hacks. We have statements like the above...cars being painted with Rust Oleum. I mean, SERIOUSLY??????????? That's a topic worthy of the restoration board?????

Its enough to make a real enthusiast want to cry....

 

I love this place and the dedication to the cars' history but I have to admit I get burned out on all the "projects" that go nowhere.

 

10 years ago I bought that same lid from Classic for $60. It's just stupid that the same thing is $150 now. The cost of materials has not doubled in the last 10 years, just the markup has.

I have an issue of paying $150 for something that has $5 worth of materials in it, when they have been making them for so many years, i'ts not like they are trying to get money back from a limited run. It's just greed.

 

But they probably set a target sales number for a price of $60 to cover their costs and turn enough of a profit to invest the R&D, and didn't get it. Then, they likely readjusted their target sales number (lower), and had to increase the cost to compensate.

 

At some point you price yourself out of a huge percentage of sales. I know if you could get a good one for $60 to $80, MANY people on this board would do it, and not resort to caps, staples and paint


by the way, the concept of the caps is flawed. The plastic frame under the cover usually breaks long before the cover splits.

 

But everyone didn't seem to open their wallets 10 years ago.

Many say they would, 5% actually would.

It's interesting because I don't see these constant cheapness things popping up in any other camp's forums, nor do I see cheap, crappy parts being made.

I will say, that the vendor is responsible for producing a quality product. If the product is inaccurate, I won't buy it if it's $5, so in that respect some of the responsibility falls on the vendors to deliver a product worth a damn (what were you thinking, 1A?). But it's a catch 22 because nobody wants to pay for anything, so why should vendors put any effort in? Believe me, I'm stocking NOS parts for a reason. If I knew I could buy *accurate* repros in the future, I'd be a lot less hasty in snapping up what NOS parts I can find.

 

10 years ago you could go to a junk yard and pull one yourself. I didn't, I chose a brand new one for that price, which I considered reasonable. Different story now.

the only reason the are so expensive now is because they KNOW that the junk yards are dried up,and if somebody wants one, they have to get raped in the wallet to get one. It's pure greed


for what it's worth, I was very happy with the quality of the $60 lid

 

This year, other than mine and whitedevil's '86 Trans Ams, who else started a project that's done/nearly done?

Anyone? Bueller??