Instrument panel and dash laminate replacement idea.

What sets your Spider apart from the rest?
User avatar
Johannes
Patron 2020
Patron 2020
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2020 9:28 am
Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider
Location: Austria

Re: Instrument panel and dash laminate replacement idea.

Post by Johannes »

I´ve done my dash wood a few week ago and I was faced with the same decision, gloss or satin. I used the cutout for the gauges as sample, the left one is oiled and the right one is lacquered with glossy clear lacquer.

I made my decision for the gloss and I´m delighted with the result - and also my neighbours :D
With the gloss the wood grain is much more visible and you can see the lines clearly on a picture, with satin oiled everthing looks like with a grey haze for me.

Hope this helps,
Johannes

Left is oiled and right is glossy acrylic lacquer
Image

Image

Image
User avatar
geospider
Patron 2020
Patron 2020
Posts: 585
Joined: Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:07 pm
Your car is a: 1979 Spider 2000
Location: concord, ca

Re: Instrument panel and dash laminate replacement idea.

Post by geospider »

Image

so far. I used a semi gloss poly.
then actually: 000 steal wool, rubbed it out, then car wax and buffed it to the sheen i was looking for.
Now just gotta get the damn glove box door to line up with the rest.
sanded off the flat black paint on the center piece. taped and used a satin black (I had some) love the look; richer.

geo
18Fiatsandcounting
Posts: 3799
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
Your car is a: 1969 and 1971 124 spiders
Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Re: Instrument panel and dash laminate replacement idea.

Post by 18Fiatsandcounting »

Sweet, Geo! But what's up with the large black lizard laying on your passenger side floor, with his (her) right rear foot on the Fiat emblem...?

-Bryan
arthurk33
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2021 12:21 pm
Your car is a: 1977 124 1800

Re: Instrument panel and dash laminate replacement idea.

Post by arthurk33 »

Johannes wrote:I´ve done my dash wood a few week ago and I was faced with the same decision, gloss or satin. I used the cutout for the gauges as sample, the left one is oiled and the right one is lacquered with glossy clear lacquer.

I made my decision for the gloss and I´m delighted with the result - and also my neighbours :D
With the gloss the wood grain is much more visible and you can see the lines clearly on a picture, with satin oiled everthing looks like with a grey haze for me.

Hope this helps,
Johannes

Left is oiled and right is glossy acrylic lacquer
Image

Image

Image
Hey Johannes. That's a beautiful finish! I'm a little confused, did you use the original dash as an outline and cut a wood piece to that template? Or did you just add the lacquer on top of your original dash panels?
Post Reply