Dashboard

 I've been taking a break while I figure out the rest of the painting.  Decided to install the dash.  Got it installed and don't like it.  Looks OK from a distance but when I got up close I decided it would annoy me.  My neighbor said its only for your daughter and its not like shes paying for it so its fine.  Ha, I'm paying for it and its my favorite daughter so...I'm changing it.

See the below pics.  On the first one you can see the column hump is trimmed on an angle and with the carbon fiber pattern it is really noticable.  After many discussions witht he manufacturer of the dash they tell me it has to be cut at that angle, and I agree it does but the finished edge has been cut off.  This is a design issue but they say no.  It should have been designed so the finished edge would be on the angle also when they cut it.

I the next pic you can see another problem.  The carbon fiber pattern was put on the plastic prior to heating it and pressing it into the mold for the dash shape.  During the molding process the pattern of the carbon fiber is forced at an angle.  

Zoom the pic and you can see real good.  To me this is totally ugly but if you sit back in the car or just walk up to it you will not notice this right away.  I certainly did not notice it when I took it out of the box or even while I was putting the thing together.  Now that I see how crooked the pattern is I hate it!  Its supposed to be fake carbon fiber but the angled pattern is a dead givaway that it is not!

So I asked the manufacturer if they could tell me how to paint it black to cover the pattern and have the paint stick.  Its very hard to successfully paint on plastic and with all the bends and turns in this dash its ever harder.  After a couple days they decided to just send me a new dash that is there matte black version.  They make this is black, silver, and fake carbon fiber.  This is a $400 item so I am now very pleased.  I have to recut the vent holes, start button hole, status light hole and redo all the drilling and filing I had to do to get it installed but I think it will look much better.  But maybe too plain now, we'll see.  Should arrive Tuesday and I'll get to work on it.  They insisted that I have to send them new pics, I think to just make sure I actually installed in and am not just going to resell it at a profit.