Dash Trim in Corners

[Duncan200]

Hi All,

Whilst I’m in the process of pulling my car apart to get ready for paint, I’m curious to see what people’s corners of the dash look like?

I’ve removed two triangle shaped pieces of cardboard (possibly tissue box) that are covered in MB Tex and then glued with copious amounts of contact adhesive in the corners. Underneath these were pieces of crappy wood and possibly a small wasps nest in one corner.

I’ve tried to look at various pics of other peoples cars but can’t seem to find a clear enough picture. Is the MB Tex/Leather from the dash pad meant to extend down to cover the lower corners of the A pillar?

I’ve attached some pics of the ugliness the previous owner has left for me.

I hope someone can help me out and possibly take a pic of their corner to show me what it should look like?

Thanks in advance. Doug

[Garry]

Duncan,

Here are photos of my RHD 1965 dash corners that have been recoloured but original install.

If you want more let me know.



Garry

[Duncan200]

Perfect Garry

Thanks mate.

As I suspected the trim of the dash is supposed to continue down around there.

I think I might shape some foam to go in there so I’ve got a smooth surface for the MB Tex/Leather to sit against.

Thanks again

Doug.

[Garry]

Mine is leather and i think what happens is that the leather and it may be the same with MB Tex is that it shrinks over time and pulls away from the underlying and when someone presses it to get it to stick back on, they tear it and the only way to fix it then if you are not prepared to recover the whole dash board is to then put in the triangle covered in either leather or MBTex  as you appear to have and try to colour to the existing dash board.


I am sure if i press on the bubbly underside of the dash as you can see in the photo, the leather will tear and i will have the same problem.


Garry

[pj]

When the trim shop rebuilt our interior, this is what we ended up with. I've seen other examples with the screw in the middle. Perhaps this solves the problem Garry wrote about in a previous post. But I think it looks better with no screw in the middle and wrapped right around the edge.

[114015]

The screw is correct there but it is under the leather (or MB-Tex). It only holds the alumin(i)um dashboard cover to the instruments panel/lower A pillar area.

[john.mancini]

Here are left and right side close up photos from an unrestored original 1969 280SL interior at 39,000 miles.

[Duncan200]

Thanks for everyone’s responses.
At least now I can make mine how it should be when it goes back in.

[acbrock]

Wow I have no idea how I found this post.  I opened a bunch of unread posts and this was one of the tabs.  Which makes no sense because it is so old.  But I have posted about this exact issue.  So interesting how many options are out there.  I definitely find the Hidden Screw much more common.  But I do see a lot of screws too. I am sort of landing on the possibility that MBtex and Leather might have been different.  But I have also seen MBtex without the screw.  I think I am going to rewrap mine and hide screw and extend to under the door chrome.

But... my question would be how?  When working with all these pieces it was a total PAIN.  It would seem to me that they were all wrapped then installed.  Seems odd that you would glue down the entire dash piece and leave the corner unglued and screw all the screws through the material in all the spots but then hide the screw in the corner and then pull that over and glue it in place?  But that does seem to make it a much cleaner look.  So I guess that is the method of attack?

[Duncan200]

I replied to your post asking the question and attached the link to this post.

That’s how you found it.

Doug.

[acbrock]

ah!  Ok that makes sense.  I end up clicking open so many tabs and links.   I was confused!   Thanks for the link.  Great info.  I do like the little triangle they added to yours.  Definitely have game plan to attack the corners when I get some time!
Thanks!