Refinished the dash

[TJFJ]

Im vomitting on myself. Time and patience like you say. Incredible work my friend. Thanks for sharing. In the process of trying to get my pull knobs off. The set screws are rusted and stripping out, looking like Im gonna have break out the drill. Im looking at refinishing my knobs with Toyota white paint touch up pen I bought at Wal-Mart. Havent seen it used on mud yet but I figured what better than well, Toyota White. Planning on posting as soon as I get around to it.

I shot some PB Blaster up into the stubborn set screws (3 days in a row) and finally got them to come out. Get a screwdriver with a tip that fits well, put your hand above the knob, screwdriver on the setscrew and push like hell while trying to turn the setscrew.

If you keep the screwdriver pressed HARD into the setscrew you won't strip them. It'll either turn or it won't. If it doesn't turn hit it with PB blaster again and be patient.

That's what I had to do. I actually had the drill out and was ready to start drilling. Then I started thinking about how drilling was a bad idea and, with my luck, I'd screw up and end up buying a new knob.

*EDIT*

When it comes to painting the lettering get the absolute smallest tip you can get to apply the paint into the letters. I used extra fine point Sharpie paint markers I picked up at a crafts store - think it was Jo Ann fabrics - anyway, if you can't get a FINE point marker just dab some of the paint onto a a piece of cardboard or something and use a toothpick to apply the paint in the letters. I would say you could also cut down the size of the tip so it's smaller and not as messy but you'll just end up crushing the tip when you press on it to get more paint to flow.

I actually got the paint to flow onto a piece of cardboard then dipped the tip of the marker in it to get the right amount of paint.

With the extra fine tips I didn't have much to remove. A larger tip will create more work for you so you'll be better off using toothpicks to apply the paint.

 

[mossman40]

TJFJ,

very nice work !! Looks like they are all new. Do you mind telling me where you got the Dupli-color flat black vinyl paint ? Would like to get some of that myself.

 

[Cruiser Corps]

Really nice work!
Congrats!

 

[pbgbottle]

Nice work , that black vinyl paint works great i used it on my white half doors and a buddy's softtop for his suzuki samurai ,his top was white also ,its been about 5 years now and his top still looks great

 

[TJFJ]

TJFJ,

very nice work !! Looks like they are all new. Do you mind telling me where you got the Dupli-color flat black vinyl paint ? Would like to get some of that myself.

Most any auto parts store should have it. I bought it at Advance Auto.

 

[twoyotas]

I picked up some Rustoleum Vinyl Paint in a rattle can at Home Depot. It was about four and half bucks. did all my pads, and they turned out pretty sharp.

 

[Tunnelratt]

Excellent work ! Your first post said that you fiberglassed the dash pad, how did that go? was the pad solid, were there missing pieces, or did I mis read.

 

[TJFJ]

I fiberglassed the shelf for the dash, not the pads.

This thing had a carpeted shelf that spans across the dash. The carpet was faded from years of exposure to sunlight and looked like crap so I spent a few hours with pliers pulling the carpet off the flat, wooden portion of the shelf.

Trick is in how it's made. It's a 3/4 in plywood shelf with a metal lip attached to the front along the length of the shelf. On the lower portion of the shelf there's some 1/2 round foam that was put in place under the carpet to pad the shelf and give it some contour instead of just a sharp, square corner.

Top view:

It took a while to slice the carpet away from the foam, but I eventually got it all off. Then came sanding off all the old spray adhesive that was used to glue the carpet in place.

I mixed some fiberglass resin and coated the front of the shelf in it, applied fiberglass cloth over the front and wrapped it under the bottom, and applied more resin on top them worked everything in place.

When the resin cured I trimmed the top with a cut-off wheel and started sanding everything smooth.

The edge molding that went along the top of the metal strip on the front of the shelf was cleaned and give a coat of the vinyl coating.

It looks good for now, but I still want to go back and add more resin to the front and get it nice and smooth. There are still a few high and low spots that make my OCD go into overdrive.

 

[TJFJ]

Something else I wanted to do was to update the interior lighting. I had a difficult time seeing the control knobs at night and the old bulb style interior light could stand to be updated. Even with that light on I couldn't see very well.

So, while on a trip to the parts store I checked out the LED lights that seem to be all the rage with the kids.

They had complete LED conversion kits for interior lights. I picked up the smallest one they had (the only one that would fit the housing in the FJ) and searched for a way to put some light on those control knobs.

They had a couple of different small, flexible strips of LEDs that were of various lengths and a couple if different brightness levels.

I picked up a 15" strip that was the least bright of the ones they had available and brought that home as well.

Here's some pics. I played with the camera settings in an attempt to get the images to look like they do in real life.

The white LED strip installed under the shelf.

A couple of shots of the illuminated knobs.

Not too bad, I don't think.

The trick is that the LED unit needs 12V to operate and I'm not sure it would work well with the dimmer that's built into the light control knob. So...if I decide I want less light I'll just put a strip of electrical tape over some of the LEDs to reduce the amount of light. The parts store also had a white LED strip that you could cut to length and that would work but I didn't like the idea of cutting the strip because once you cut you can't re-attach what you cut off.

But for now, that stip will be wired in with the rest of the dash lights and I'll never again pull the choke knob when I'm trying to turn on the wipers.

LED interior light in stock housing:

Nice and bright.

Uses a connector shaped like the old glass bulbs, LED board plugs in. Switch functions as normal. Install the bulb connector with + to + and - to ground.

One size of connector next to the bulb.

Anyway, my wife's deployed and I've got this thing to keep me busy. You guys are gonna have to suffer.

 

[Falco80]

Excellent work there mate! Thanks for giving me more ideas for more jobs i need to find time for!

 

[rideglobally]

thanks for posting this. can you pls post more pictures. am i correct to understand that the dash board is now fiberglass and resin on the top only? did you fiberglassed the vynal on top of the dash. i am not very experience with fiber glass, i am thinking that the fiberglass overtime will separate from the vynal?

i am also trying to figure out what to do with my dash, if this works i am thinking i will just wrap the whole dash with fiberglass and resin.

thanks for your post...

I fiberglassed the shelf for the dash, not the pads.

This thing had a carpeted shelf that spans across the dash. The carpet was faded from years of exposure to sunlight and looked like crap so I spent a few hours with pliers pulling the carpet off the flat, wooden portion of the shelf.

Trick is in how it's made. It's a 3/4 in plywood shelf with a metal lip attached to the front along the length of the shelf. On the lower portion of the shelf there's some 1/2 round foam that was put in place under the carpet to pad the shelf and give it some contour instead of just a sharp, square corner.

It took a while to slice the carpet away from the foam, but I eventually got it all off. Then came sanding off all the old spray adhesive that was used to glue the carpet in place.

I mixed some fiberglass resin and coated the front of the shelf in it, applied fiberglass cloth over the front and wrapped it under the bottom, and applied more resin on top them worked everything in place.

When the resin cured I trimmed the top with a cut-off wheel and started sanding everything smooth.

The edge molding that went along the top of the metal strip on the front of the shelf was cleaned and give a coat of the vinyl coating.

It looks good for now, but I still want to go back and add more resin to the front and get it nice and smooth. There are still a few high and low spots that make my OCD go into overdrive.

 

[TJFJ]

thanks for posting this. can you pls post more pictures. am i correct to understand that the dash board is now fiberglass and resin on the top only? did you fiberglassed the vynal on top of the dash. i am not very experience with fiber glass, i am thinking that the fiberglass overtime will separate from the vynal?

i am also trying to figure out what to do with my dash, if this works i am thinking i will just wrap the whole dash with fiberglass and resin.

thanks for your post...

Not sure I'm following but I'll give it a shot.

The dash is still steel. It was the carpeted shelf that was in this that I used fiberglass on.

There is/was no vinyl.

I only used the 'glass cloth on the front side of the shelf - down the metal strip that makes the lip which keeps everything placed on the shelf from falling off. I glassed the front side of the lip and over the half round foam and wrapped it under the shelf, past the foam a couple of inches.

If you look at the shelf in a cross section view it would look kind of like this __b with the vertical portion of the b being the metal that's attached to plywood. The round portion of the b is the half round foam. The only portion that had cloth applied is the right side of the b and that was done to keep the round contour and not have just sharp __| for the shelf.

Imagine taking a b, turning it 90 degrees so the round portion faces you. That's the only part that I put the cloth on.

 

[CruisetheLand]

I shot some PB Blaster up into the stubborn set screws (3 days in a row) and finally got them to come out. Get a screwdriver with a tip that fits well, put your hand above the knob, screwdriver on the setscrew and push like **** while trying to turn the setscrew.

If you keep the screwdriver pressed HARD into the setscrew you won't strip them. It'll either turn or it won't. If it doesn't turn hit it with PB blaster again and be patient.

That's what I had to do. I actually had the drill out and was ready to start drilling. Then I started thinking about how drilling was a bad idea and, with my luck, I'd screw up and end up buying a new knob.

Thanks for the heads up. I will continue with ye ol PB Blaster and give it a shot. I can see the small screw driver slipping out of the set screw hole and right into my hand. Think I might wear a glove while doing this. Keep it up man. I have began searching your older post and threads for more of you great advice.

 

[imabigbangkindaguy]

Hey TJFJ, did you use the vinyl black on the knobs as well? or just clean them up really well?

Thanks,

Richard

 

[TJFJ]

Hey TJFJ, did you use the vinyl black on the knobs as well? or just clean them up really well?

Thanks,

Richard

Purple power and an old tootbrush. Could also use Goo Gone. Just be sure to rinse well with hot water if you use Goo Gone. That stuff is persistent.

I have began searching your older post and threads for more of you great advice.

Good luck with that. Not much to be found. Some bickering with the locals about Jeeps can be found, though.

All in good fun.