Wood Veneer Replacement - Lawrence Gowin
This is what I did to redo the wood in my car. It wasn't overly expensive (~$50? for everything) but it did take some time. If you're patient, your wood will probably look even better than mine, since you can learn from my mistakes. I'm also not that patient.
With the dash, gearshift console, and brake console out of the car, I removed the old veneer as complete pieces. Originally, I used a solid wood veneer, but had a helluva time getting it to follow the contour of the gearshift console. I trashed this stuff, and switched to sheets of veneer with a paper backing.
For the dash, I cut the pieces after tracing the original wood. If you don't have the original wood, its easy enough to fake it. I didn't cut out any holes for lights or switches, just the general outline. Once in place, I put the chrome trim on to make sure that the mounting studs fit through the wood without bending it, and ensure there were no gaps. Once I was satisfied with all three pieces, I set them aside for staining.
I cut the veneer to a rough size larger than the gearshift console. I tried originally to do it in two pieces to save wood, but I'm no Bob Vila and it looked like hell. Anyway, I glued this onto the console face with Liquid Nails. Some other firm glue that can be spread evenly and not dry overly hard should also work fine. Once in place, trim it to shape. I used a Dremel tool with a grinding bit.
For the brake console, I again cut it to size without opening up the hole for the hand brake.
Once I was happy with the fit of all the veneer pieces, I sanded them with 0000 steel wool to remove any burrs or loose slivers of veneer. After a thorough cleaning, I stained the wood.
Originally, I used a brush on varnish. I didn't like the way it turned out. For the second go, I used a low dust area in my house and hung the pieces vertically (except the shifter console). I then used a spray-on varnish. Once dry, I sanded it with 0000 steel wool. I did this to fill the grain of the wood so it doesn't show through the varnish. I don't remember how many times I repeated this, but use your own judgement.
At this point, I thought I was ready to mount the veneer. However, my dash and brake console were no longer exactly flat. The brake console was concave and the long section of the dash was a little wavy. To counter this, I bought a couple of the thinnest floor tiles I could find. I cut these smaller than the wood so I wouldn't have to mess with the chrome mounting studs or the edging material. I glued the veneer with a thin layer of weatherstripping cement. This would enable me to remove the veneer if need be.
Once this is done, affix the veneer to the dash with the chrome studs and mark where the holes need to be. I opened the holes up with the veneer off the dash. This way, I could ensure a tight fit of the switches and lights. When opening these holes up, keep the lights/switches handy to check the fit. Don't rely on the dash or console cutouts. They don't always match. Once this is all done, you're ready to set the veneer in place.
My car didn't have the chrome edging that goes on the gearshift or handbrake console. I couldn't find a repro part or anything used so I made my own. If you know where to get this stuff, please let me know. Anyway, after much searching, I found some square, U shaped plastic channel at a model shop. I guess people use it for making miniatures for train sets. It was an almost close match for the original stuff. I painted it with chrome paint and clear coated it. Using 5 minute epoxy, I cussed like a mule skinner and finally got the channel onto the wood before the glue set, holding it in place with the vinyl pieces that go up the side of the gearshift console and the raised edge of the handbrake console. While the pieces I got weren't long enough to go the entire lengths of the consoles in one piece, the half-assed substitution does look pretty good, considering.
( There are metal fabricators who will make up new edging from stainless steel. I have seen the results, and they look good - Ben)
I hope this helps. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Good luck.
Maintained by Ben Dixon
