Dashcap tpuppies

October 05, 2011, 06:22:24 PM

Hi everyone,
Just got my new dashcap for my 88 Cougar delivered and will install it tomorrow. A quick look at the cover I received leads me to believe that I will need to trim around the defroster opening and maybe speakers. Anybody have experience with these? Will the dashcap just plop down over the defroster openings? I know from the CoolCats site that the demister openings on the side get covered by the cap. Should I take the speaker grills off prior to install?
Any photos or tips/tricks would help. Thanks.

Dashcap tpuppies

Reply #1 – October 05, 2011, 06:30:13 PM

I had to trim it around the speakers, defrost vents, sides, and around the windshield edge. The best thing to do is fit it, trim a tiny bit, fit it, trim a tiny bit, and so on until you get it just right. You can take too much off then you're stuck. Take your time, o NOT get in a hurry and you'll be fine. I used an Exacto knife and my Dremmel.

Dashcap tpuppies

Reply #2 – October 05, 2011, 06:33:20 PM

Thanks, Vinnie. I am going to set the entire day aside tomorrow, just in case. Will let you know how it turned out.

Dashcap tpuppies

Reply #3 – October 07, 2011, 05:00:12 PM

Well, the (Accufab) dashcap is installed in my 88 Cat. Not a job for the impatient or those without a dremel tool and some grinding and sanding bits!. I used a slim razor knife slightly larger than an exacto to do most of the cutting on the inside/underside around the openings and then broke out the dremel to shave and smooth things out. LOTS of "fitting and grinding, fitting and grinding, navy beans, navy beans"...was singin' that the whole time. I didn't do any tpuppies along the windshield because the dash is kind of pliable back there and was able to bend a little as needed. Fitup around the defroster vents was the most difficult to get right, although I spent more time around the speakers. I roughed out the speaker openings and fit the dash in and tried to test fit the grills until I figured where the clips needed to be. After that, I worked outside of the car shaving and fitting up the grill openings until they just fit (a little shaving on the grills themselves may help some if they will be repainted). I wiped everything down with alcohol, roughed up the underside of the dashcap a bit and wiped it down again. I heated the silicone in hot water to help dispensing and went to town around all edges and openings and stuck it on. I screwed the dash trim bezel around the cluster back on to help hold things tight at the front edge and used some old biology and physics textbooks to hold the top down. The passenger side was not as simple because there is not a flat surface to place a heavy object. I used the match box trick here and there along the windshield, and a folded coupon magazine over the passenger side defroster. I used blue painter's tape everywhere I could to help secure things. A note here, make sure you don't have Armorall on the surfaces you plan to anchor the tape to, 'cause it doesn't like to hold. Plan on a full day from start to finish if you are going to go for perfection. When I was done, there wasn't much material left around the openings, almost a flat surface. I had a couple of small mis-cuts from the dremel bit but nothing horrendous. PATIENCE is KEY. When you start to feel like things are going well and you've got this thing licked is when you're going to F up. I have some before and during pics (glue is curing right now), and will post them with the after shots later tonight or tomorrow when it's all back together. Oh, and don't count on the color being exactly like what you saw online. I ordered graphite color which ended up being a little lighter than I had expected. If I had to do this again, I'd probably order it black so that I could paint over any scuffs from the dremel tool getting away (plus black goes with almost anything if you don't feel like painting it).

Dashcap tpuppies

Reply #4 – October 07, 2011, 11:13:20 PM

Pics are a MUST !!!! It does take time, and they can't be molded as an exact fit due to 20 plus years of heat and different temps slightly making many dashes a little different. The cap can be "painted" with vinyl dye easily if prepped correctly. Can't wait to see your results.

Dashcap tpuppies

Reply #5 – October 24, 2011, 08:14:42 PM

We need pics man!!!!! Please....