For the many of you who are bored with my build thread (or never looked at it), figured I'd share this seperately. Because this is a $25, totally Grassroots "mod" that can be done on a beat-up old car's crappy dash, and comes out looking (if not great), at least "good."
more substantial writeup in the main thread: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/mein-e30-mein-sammlungkreuz-baugewinde-my-318i-rallycross-build-thread/40440/page1/
before:
after:
That looks awesome. Maybe I should flock my dash while it is out...I've always wanted to flock something.
I would have thought that would make a flocking mess. It looks so much better than before. I'm curious to see how it holds up long term.
EvanB wrote: That looks awesome. Maybe I should flock my dash while it is out...I've always wanted to flock something.
It's actually pretty easy, and spreading the nylon fibers with the manual "puffer" thing is actually kind of fun, lol. Will see how it looks tomorrow after it all dries and I brush off the excess non-stuck fibers. I way overdid it on the fibers (2 bags, when only 1 is really needed) just to make sure I got good coverage.
And it's soft like the inside of a jewelery box, lol.
In reply to MG Bryan:
it did make a mess. But little soft fibers all over the garage floor sure beats metal shavings or oil, haha.
Hopefully it will hold up fine, since the dash isn't exactly an area that get touched alot. I've seen people flock door pulls and stuff like that and from what I hear after about a year of constant use it starts to wear off.
The only thing I wonder about is how easy it is to clean when it gets all dusty? Use the "brush" attachment on a shop vac maybe?
Wow, that dashboard was berkeleyING FLOCKED!
Juvenile flocking humor aside...I'm here to discuss your post about flocking and learn any flocking-related tips you might have to share with those of us without experience in the ways of flocking. After reviewing your pictures, I have to say, that flocking looks excellent!
I may have to flock my 924's dashboard. Amazing how similar it looks to the one from your BMW (also amazing how similar certain aspects of the two cars are)
I am tempted to do that to a saab dash
That is AWESOME!
I really hope it hold up because I've got a couple of things I'd like to do it to.
Found this picture of a flocked Miata dash...I will probably do it.
Did you get a kit from DonJer? The one with 3oz bags?
some details:
this is where to get the kit: http://donjer.com/products.htm
I got the "mini flocker kit" plus an extra bag of material. If you have air at your house, I'm told that the air-powered applicator makes for a better and thicker finish, whatever that means.
how-to is pretty basic: 1. fix - I beveld the cracks edges, and then filled with plastic epoxy and glazing putty, and sanded). 2. surface prep - I scotch- brited the whole dash, sanded down my repaired cracks until I got tired of doing it, and hit the whole dash with a light coat of primer (for no apparent reason, just thought it was a good idea). DonJer says to cover porous surfaces with a coat of latex paint, but I've heard that people only really need to do that on wood and stuff like that. It's just so the adhesive doesn't sink in and lose its tack before you can flock it. 3. paint the stuff on. It's thick and the only way it will run is if you really put too much on. The whole dash coated real thick only took half the can of included adhesive. The adhesive comes in the same color as the flocking, so if you miss any spots they won't stand out much (so mine was gray). 4. They say the adhesive will keep its tack for 15 minutes or so, but since I did it in a really cold garage it was tacky for about an hour or so. 5. Put the stuff in the applicator/fluffer thing, and you basically pump it at a 45-degree angle and shoot the flocking all over everything (lol at how that sentence would sound by itself). 6. Let it all dry overnight and then blow off, brush off, whatever to get the excess off. Also, if you knock all the excess off onto a clean plastic sheet or something, you can recover it for future use. I recovered about 1/2 a bag of it.
The donjer website has more info. Now that I've done it, I kind of want to flock some other stuff, haha....
also you can get it professionally done. Apparently they use an electrostatic charge in pro applications, which makes the fibers stick straight up for a more "plush" feel.
irish44j wrote: Now that I've done it, I kind of want to flock some other stuff, haha....
Don't we all, don't we all.....
Model Railroaders have a similar product for making grass. It uses an electric charge that gets the flocking to stand up like grass. Wonder if it's the same stuff?
EvanB wrote: The only thing I wonder about is how easy it is to clean when it gets all dusty? Use the "brush" attachment on a shop vac maybe?
I'm curious about this as well. The dashboards in my e30s aren't nearly that bad, but they aren't going to get any better on their own.
Might be a good way to spruce up the hideous and oh-so-80's bordello red interior of my turbo FC.
(Not mine, but the interior is nearly identical)
In reply to vwcorvette:
yep, same stuff. If you check out the DonJer site it talks about all the applications. Apparently people use them on duck decoys, furniture drawers, and all kinds of stuff.
Oh, and the inside of gloveboxes on pretty much all cars ;)
In reply to RexSeven:
when doing my research, I came across a pic of a guy with a BMW of some sort who did the whole interior in flocked "royal red" or somethign....dash, door cards, panels, headliner, etc. Looked absolutely ridiculously awesomely epic. He said he did it 2 years previous and had no wear issues so far...
EvanB wrote: The only thing I wonder about is how easy it is to clean when it gets all dusty? Use the "brush" attachment on a shop vac maybe?
I've read that you can use a soft brush or the brush vac attachment on a handheld vac. I don't think I'd use a shop-vac, since it has so much power it could pull the fibers out probably.
IDK, go see how to clean inside your glovebox and you'll know :)
My glovebox is plastic inside. Maybe I'll have to flock that too. 
Oh man, now I don't know if i want to flock the mx6 or put it in leather bondage.
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Oh man, now I don't know if i want to flock the mx6 or put it in leather bondage.
Both?
EvanB wrote:92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Oh man, now I don't know if i want to flock the mx6 or put it in leather bondage.Both?
Not sure... I do kindof want to do the entire interior in diamond pattern leather.
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:EvanB wrote:Not sure... I do kindof want to do the entire interior in diamond pattern leather.92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Oh man, now I don't know if i want to flock the mx6 or put it in leather bondage.Both?
Cover everything in a diamond pattern and then flock that?
Quilted leather with a flocked dash...sounds good to me.
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