Dash and other Wood Ttrim Dilemma

[RohJay]

My CSL needs a total wood trim re-veneer and i cant find anybody willing to undertake the task.
Apparently veneering is a dead industry here in Sri Lanka.
Shipping the parts overseas is beyond my budget.

So my options are as follows:

A. to stay with the wood finish:

1. Attempt it myself, guided by the few posts here on the subject. (i have absolutely no wood working experience)

2. Have the entire dash and the door/quarter panel wood pieces fabricated in solid wood (I have a carpenter willing to undertake this, at reasonable cost)

B. to abandon the wood - look

1. Cover with Black Vinyl to match door panel

2. Fabricate entire dash and the door/quarter panel pieces in Fibreglass, to be painted in body color - (again can have it done at reasonable cost )

Right now i am leaning towards option B.2,
I will have the full BAT gear on the car and i feel having the dash and other peices in body color will enhance the "lightweight/racing" theme... but then there's the risk of appearing "Rice-y"

Has this been done before?

Any advice, comments or suggestions ?

Thanks

Rohantha Jayakuru

 

[shanon]

Hi Rojay,

I think you should give the woodwork rehabilitation a try. The woodwork is a unique feature of the coupe, even with the BAT gear, it creates a civilized and luxurious beast.

I did mine myself, and am happy every time I take the seat.
Realizing you are 'location challenged', have you tried talking to a local carpenter or cabinet shop?

Just my .02 cents and good luck!
-shanon

 

[DougE]

Interior Wood

Hi Rohjay
If you go to the parts section of this site there's a guy offering a complete interior wood set. His moniker is "whalem6" he has all of the dash and door trim for sale.

Doug

 

[o]

I'd stick with the wood personally.

I'm getting my wood-working mate to re-furb all the bits inside my CSi to look like new 8)

o

 

[acat2002]

Roh-Jay,
Don't know what your time or budget restrictions may be, but I refinished my wood veneer myself.

Very tedious and time-consuming, but it can be done. Excluding the cost of your time (if you're doing it yourself), you could probably re-veneer your wood and even fabricate some new pieces if necessary for under $500. That is, assuming you have some wood-working experience. I'm no "cabinetmaker" but know my way around a wood shop and the result was great. If you've never used a power tool and don't know what a dremel tool is, then maybe you should not attempt it.

There are places here in the U.S. that do a fabulous job, but you'll pay dearly, plus the shipping/insurance to Shri-Lanka. Probably woiuld get into the $3k range for the wood alone, not includeing the time/cost to remove and install.

Regarding scraping the wood for vinyl of fiberglass......you may as well strip out the entire interior, fabricate a roll cage and turn the car into a track-car. There are several elements that define the E9 and contribute to its allure, the wood being one of them.

Unless this is a track car, spend the extra time and money to do the wood right, you won't regret it.

 

[WALTER]

I restored the wood on my dash years ago w/ no previous woodworking experience. The job was easy and relatively cheap (maybe $200 including real wood veneer). Basically all you need is wood veneer (this is the expensive part, especially if you get exotic wood), wood glue, sand paper, wood stain (optional), wood putty (if needed), and clear coat. The restoration is straight forward: fill in holes with wood putty, sand down the entire piece, cut new veneer to the approximate dimensions of the piece you are working with (leave a small overlap); apply glue to the entire piece, attach new veneer to the top, sand down overlap, sand entire piece, apply stain (if you want), sand some more, clear coat, sand, clear coat, sand (you get the picture). It really is as easy as that. The only "complicated" piece was the instrument cluster which required steaming the veneer (I used an iron) in order to make it bend around the curves of either end.

If I could do it, anybody can; it is one of the few improvements an amateur can do to a coupe interior himself and make it look like a million bucks. If you have someone who can do it in solid wood for a decent price, then that would be the best option as your wood would never delaminate, making it very durable and easier to repair. Personally, I would not paint the wood; I'd rather leave it unrestored.

good luck,

Walt

 

[RohJay]

Thanks all for your input. I will stay with the "Wood".

Didn't particularly care for wood before, but you guys have opened my eyes to the allure.

Shall first attempt veneering by myself... if that doesnt work out its going to be solid wood.

@Walt - Special thanks for the detailed instructions.
Couldnt have asked for anything better.
I hope you havn't over simplified the process 8) .
But either way you've given me the motivation to give it a go.