Painted Dashboard

I've pondered the idea for a while but I finally decided to take advantage of some time off to paint Eddie's dashboard. I know some members have had theirs taken out and sprayed but my budget was less than the price of a night out so I wanted to find a cheaper alternative.

I used a pot of  bright red acrylic paint that can be bought at any Art shop for about £8. Acrylic has the advantage of adhering nicely to the plastic dash and also has some flexibility so hopefully it wont crack. I used two brushes, one detail and another larger size. Finally I purchased a can of spray varnish from B&Q.

Painting the dashboard was relatively straight forward but does require patience and a steady hand. I removed any knobs that got in the way and set about working from one side to the other. Two coats of paint were required to bring out the bright red colour. In order to spray the 3 coats of varnish over the top I masked out all the areas I didn't want to cover with some frog tape. Job done and I'm pleased with the result. Last thing to do is paint up the kick boards underneath the dash so they match.

Ooooo very nice !!

Top Job. Think I prefer that textured finish as well

FAB paint job   
Glad you doo have some blue though - you've got to have all the right gear  
Roo b Roo
 

What a difference!
Well done

Oooh no ... that gear knob has got to go now!

Brilliant HH - top job - you see folks, you don't have to spend a fortune to make a real difference.   

Sorry Scooby. Red and white #11 pool ball gear knob just purchased from fleabay!

Looks great hh.

It looks ace I like the black outer edge on glove box lid

Looks really good !

harryhornet wrote:

Sorry Scooby. Red and white #11 pool ball gear knob just purchased from fleabay!

Maybe the Blue one could be saved as an auction item at the Sleepover - as "Blue is the Colour" in the eyes of many   
Which may lead to many bids!

I think you'll be wanting to showcase your Kombi Kreativity at Volksworld won't you HH?

Nicely done and, as mentioned above, I like the detailing on the glove box. Nice to know acrylic paint is a viable option; £8 is my sort of budget.

Think you'll need to change that radio though ... it doesn't match now. Very late 90s in that silver!

How about one of these?

Or you could paint the stereo as well.

Did you need to prep the dash and plastic in any way??

TimV wrote:

How about one of these?

Looks a FAB system for only £50.00!
Has anyone fitted one to their Kombi?
How easy is it to fit - Scooby has not fitted such things before  

Scooby - I fitted one without too much trouble. I did need to buy an aerial connector from Halfords to make it fit but apart from that you might just need someone with small hands.

Surely if Scooby wants to maintain his blue mood you need this one.

TimV wrote:

Surely if Scooby wants to maintain his blue mood you need this one.

Another good unit - decisions, decisions
Scooby was once indecisive - now he is not sure  

Lots of decisions to be made. It's funny how changing one thing leads to so many other opportunities.

I didn't prep the dashboard before painting. To be honest there isn't much that acrylic paint doesn't stick to. In fact if you leave it on the brush for a few hours without using it the bristles set solid.

I need to check the calender re Volksword. Very good possibility though.

I've just done a click and collect for some half price Autoglym from Halfords. Might need to sneak that lovely stereo on to the order!

This is brilliant. Defo want to paint Norman's metallic blue.

How long did it take to dry before you sprayed it after???

Yes it did start with a leak, around the windscreen, specifically where the heated window cables come up under the rubber seal.
So in november, with the luxury of a large workshop, i took out the windscreen to assess the damage.
Minor to say the least. However as always one thing leads to another.  The heated windscreen was no more heating.
So do i buy another, or buy a clear one. No ive decided to bite the bullet and use the original window, minus its wiring. New seal in  , window in. Out with the dash, sprayed blue  riveria . I have adapted the petrol heater hoses to now flow into the left and right dash vents and window demister strips.  works a treat. I never used the heater for the cab. But always needed to demist the windows. So job done at minimal cost. i have some pics if anyone's interested in doing the same.
Not sure if this is going to work.
If it doesn't , help uploading from pc is required please.

Pictures please

Finally managed to upload pics.

Top job