240 Dash cover installation

Not sure what the palomino looks like.

I used the Leatherique Dye to color the hat/package shelf vinyl and plastic. Mine was so faded that I didn't know any better.

Yeah, I agree that he SEM Camel is too orange and dark.

I'll post the Palomino tomorrow but am sure that it is not going to match either. Best guess at this point is that I will ask Leatherique to match the dash.

I have been VERY happy with their products and support and think for $50 can duplicate the original dash to within closer than my eyes can discern.

Are they going to color match the dash from a swatch or are you getting a color to match the seat dye? Are we shooting for a toatl color match, seats, dash, package tray, trim? That would be ideal!

The plan is to restore the interior to original. Getting discouraged about carpet dye. I forwarded to you a response from Leatherique regarding application with a toothbrush. Guess I will go look for new carpet.

Toothbrush. Had a friend in the marines who got back late from leave once. He had to scrub an entire bathroom with a toothbrush. Boy did he have a story for us. Never late again. I'll try to get better pics of the carpet I purchased last century. Have you tried to contact them to see if they are still in business?

PS : It's looking more and more like the end of the month. Didn't realize this weekend is Memorial Day.

I applied adhesive to mine as directed on my '80 242, it then cracked in the same spot as the original dash. If I were to do it again I would probably put less adhesive in that area to allow for some expansion and contraction.

VB242 said:

I applied adhesive to mine as directed on my '80 242, it then cracked in the same spot as the original dash. If I were to do it again I would probably put less adhesive in that area to allow for some expansion and contraction.

Click to expand...

This was a part of the reason I chose to attach with a few trim screws. I drilled the hole in the cover quite a bit bigger than the screw shaft (smaller than the washer obviously). Don't over-tighten and then the cap can move around with expansion/contraction.

TestPoint - back to nel's question -- what is Leatherique going to try to match TO? You sending them a sample of plastic/carpet, etc, or are they just going to try and match to some color they have on "file"?

Leatherique or Auto Color would match the unfaded glove box door or ash tray which is the original color of the dash. That is what I am going to take to the Auto Color store at lunch to compare to their Palomino, a can of which came in this morning. It is shown in a post above. The kick panels are a different tan and I colored the seat belt retractor covers to match the lighter tan leather. The leather seems very light finished but does match the original unfaded area under trim. Note that the area with staples have not been treated.



Apparently I am going to have to replace the carpet with the closest tan/gold as I can find.

Given the two-tone color of the car, if you can't match the carpet, you could also go with a complementary brown.

The Palomino did not work either. It had a pink peach blush to it.



I ended up having the local auto color store mixing me a pint of a vinyl paint with a computer matching color system. Perfect as far as color but I am going to have to spray to see if the sheen matches. The auto paint store says they have 'deadening' agent, probably talcum power that will pull down the sheen. If it is a good match when sprayed and dried then that pint should be good for another 2-4 dashes. Might eat one up getting to a sheen match. With a good color match the dash cap is all I will need to spray. If only close I should have enough to do the dash, center console and the 4 kick panels.

Cover is firmly stuck so the double sided tape seems to be a fair solution to holding the cap and dash in contact for the high strength adhesive to set.

On the carpet . . . I found a formed auto carpet company hidden in the mountains of North Georgia that has the correct color and correct carpet for '81 Volvo Bertone restoration. These folks are the manufacturer for a number of suppliers such as Whitney and Summit. The issue I am left with there is that they form the carpet in one piece. Correct replacement would require cutting across the under seat area and binding with a correct color piece of vinyl. Got a neighbor that can sew the binding.