After the new foam is secured, it is hand sanded to the exact shape of the factory original and will fit perfectly back into the car just as a brand new original would. In this case the missing attaching stud was replaced during restoration.
You can see the correct shape that the pad is now taking on. The leading edges are now parallel and the drooping is completely gone. Hand finishing at this stage is the critical factor in a perfect finished product.
Along the leading edge of the dash pad are two ribs and a line of stitching. Thin round welting is glued to the pad to create the ribs under the foam and when special ordered, the material can be stitched prior to installation. We opted to delete the stitching on our pad and retain the twin ribs.
Once the pad is completely firmed and reshaped, it is set up in the Thermo-Vacuum forming machine prior to the finishing process. This pad, since it has no internal structure, must be firmly supported to avoid distortion while under the pressure of the vacuum machine.
A large piece of vinyl is heated in an oven and then suspended over the pad. The pad and it's platform come up from under the vinyl and at the same time all the air is sucked out from under the material. It forms to every shape and contour of the foam covered pad. The hot material is wiped down with cold water to complete the shrinkage of the vinyl. The finished product is flawless and ready for re-installation.
Using a special template, the speaker holes are drilled into the pad. This is time consuming but the end result is perfect. Just Dashes has templates like this for all brands of cars.
The restored pad in place. Now all the trim items can be re-installed and the job is completed. It is a very rewarding project as you can't avoid looking at the dash pad every time you cruise your 'Stang.
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