Dashboard Replacement

[QuebecFiatSpider]

Hi everyone

Let's say I would like to replace the Dashboard in my 1980 Fiat Spider 2000. There is a few alternatives on the market and I would appreciate getting your comments on those. Here are the options I have found up to now :

Ricambi @ 359.99 USD
https://autoricambi.us/collections/inte ... ard-197882

Alison's automotive @ 325.00 USD
http://simpsen.com/store/shop_by_category.php

Mr. Fiat @ 420.00 USD
http://mrfiat.com/fiat-124-spider-black ... 68-82.html

Re-Original @ 464.56 USD
http://reoriginals.com/dashboardsoftmol ... n0152.aspx

Maybe I'm forgoting somes...What are your thoughts and expériences concerning those products? Which on would you all recommend?

Thanks in advance,

[TwinFast]

There's another option : Black leather cover that fits the FIAT 124 SPIDER Dashboard.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BLACK-STITCHI ... SwYlRZNWqa

[TX82FIAT]

That leather cover is new to me. Very nice.. In fact, too nice, I'd really have to go out and buy some new seats to go with that custom stitched dash.

[QuebecFiatSpider]

Really interesting that leather cover...thanks.

Anyone, any other comments or experience lived?

[nelsonj]

I don't know how much you want to spend, but being on a budget, I went for just a "cap" - less than $100.

http://www.vickauto.com/newstore/index. ... ts_id=2806

[nelsonj]

I don't know how much you want to spend, but being on a budget, I went for just a "cap" - less than $100.

http://www.vickauto.com/newstore/index. ... ts_id=2806

[QuebecFiatSpider]

Hi Nelsonj,

There is already a cap on top of the old cracked one. It looks ok but there seem to have small fitment issues because its adding thickness everywhere...

The previous owner told me he made a mistake by purchasing only a cap and not the full dash...

[klweimer]

If you already have a cap on your old dash, you will probably have to go with a new dash of some description. There are several threads on this forum of people who have put in new dashes. I'd start there. You could take your current one out and try to take the old cap off, but who knows how that would go?
Kirk

[chrisg]

it's interesting that the leather cover in the ebay listing is bunched up in the corners. I have a 124 Coupe dash that someone re-did a million or so years ago (alas, aged, sun-baked, crapped out generally today) this way & I get the impression it was rather nice at the time. I always just bought a car with a good dash when i needed a dash in the past, but I suppose these days higher prices & lesser frequency of finding dashes that haven't exploded is are issues. Good luck with yours!

[TwinFast]

Of course, this cap it's not a miracle by itself ... It needs a good shape if you want a perfect result ...

In fact, i don't buy it. I ask the guy who made leather cover for my seats to make a cover for the dash and for the center console. The result was really gorgeous. The real beige leather is simply "perfect".

The leather comes from the french jackets manufacturer : http://www.helstons.net/. The boss give me some leather cow pieces i use for my 78 Fiat Spider.

[AndyVAS]

As you listed so many others...

Vick Autosports' new dash is currently on Summer Sale! for $353.35 USD.

http://www.vickauto.com/newstore/index. ... ts_id=2877

[focodave]

I went with the Auto Ricambi unit:
https://autoricambi.us/collections/inte ... ard-197882

Here is a picture of mine, installed, before I changed out my steering wheel, shift knob, shift boot, and before I painted my round defroster vent diffusers black:


I spent quite a bit of time on the glove box door area with a Dremel tool to get everything to line up correctly.
Also I had to Dremel out some material in the gauge area, as well.
I'm not complaining -- just sharing with you that you may have to do some trimming to make everything fit precisely, but the effort is well worth it.
I love the dash -- it looks awesome if I do say so myself!

Dave

[PhillySpider]

I'm curious to see someone install that leather cover. "Stretching and trimming" scares me on that one. I plan to re-fresh my original dash this winter, pulling it, dremmel the crack, fill and paint (flock maybe). I'll likel vinyl wrap the wood dash inserts at that time as well. Thinking stainless or carbon fiber look.

What concerns me is I've tried to get the cluster out a couple times for bulbs, wiring and such and never have been able to figure out how to get the speedo cable off the back of the speedo

[QuebecFiatSpider]

Thanks focodave for you reply.

Why am I unable to see your pictures?

[focodave]

Photobucket has taken everyone's pictures hostage, as you will see if you look at other threads within the forum.
They (Photobucket) want to charge us for using third party applications now, so all of my pictures I have posted in the forum are blocked from being viewed .
Lots of us are having this problem right now.
I am debating on how to fix this for myself.