Almost done with the dash....Screen is in, and working.

Well, the dash modification could have gone smoother, and now that I know how to get it done, it is pretty much done. There is one spot that needs a touch up, where it looks like a corner flexed, but it is in and working.

It didnt just go together and work, nothing is like that in my life. I had to put it together and take it apart a couple of times to get the screen put back together correctly. Just when I think I am done, I will find one more clip laying on the desk, that needs to go inside the case.

I had the dash done several times, but kept finding imperfections that would bother me looking at the truck. So you dont waste the time that I did, here are the things that I did to get the best results.

To sum it up, what you need to do that will avoid the wasted time that I spent re-doing things.

• 5-Min Epoxy
• Masking tape
• Sandable Primer
• Vinyl Dye
• Krylon Fusion texture paint
• Sandpaper - 80/180/400/800/1000
• Bondo or SEM plastic repair/filler

1. 5-Min epoxy from Ace Hardware. Initially sets quickly to get things where you want them. Bonds well, sands similar to the plastic, and cures fully and rigid. The Plastic Epoxy worked, except for one section that didnt cure, but I think the 5-min epoxy is a better choice.

2. Masking tape. To mask off the spray, and to shape/hold the epoxy so you can fill it from the back to get the front as close to the final shape as possible.

3. The primer works the best to blend the different areas and types of material.

4. The vinyl dye is to only be used as a topcoat. If you try and skip the primer, the different areas will show through.

5. Texture paint, to get close to the OEM look.

6. Different sandpaper from coarse to fine, to get the correct look.

7. For shaping.

To begin, you will need to mark out and cut the plastic from where you want the new bezel to go in the dash. I used a dremel and a cutting wheel. Use a lower speed to prevent melting. A box cutter or other razor-blade knife will be needed to clean the areas.

With the area opened up, you will need to tape something to the bezel to get it set at the correct level with the rest of the dash. Try to look for items that may stick out, or things like a tab at the bottom being further out than the top of the dash. I taped flat pieces of aluminum at angles to get the bezel flush.

Using the 5-min epoxy you should pick a few areas that are close/flush to glue the bezel and get it set into place. After it is set, then you can remove whatever you put in to hold the bezel flush. Then using the masking tape, cover the gaps and try to get it bent to shape the front close to where you want it to be in the end. Then you can flip the piece over and fill it in from behind with the epoxy, or SEM duramix if you purchased that instead. I used epoxy.

Leave it alone for 24 hours, try to resist the urge to pick up or move the item. Let it cure fully. Play a video game, watch some movies, just leave it alone.

Now you can remove the tape, and hopefully you have a solid piece, without gaps or air bubbles anywhere. If you have large/visible air bubbles, I'd cut/poke them and fill with epoxy again, and leave it to cure.

If the epoxy/duramix is higher anywhere in the front, I'd start sanding it with 80 grit sand paper, to get it close to the correct shape. Then using the bondo or duramix, try to smooth the front, and build up any indentations to the same level. If using bondo, try not to use it too thick, use the epoxy to fill the valleys, and the bondo for the imperfections or additional shape.

When I put the bondo on, it was drying fairly quickly, so dont try to move it once it's past the liquid stage. Using a finger or something to smooth it out, go around the corners and where the surfaces change directions. It's easier to sand out a curve in the corners than trying to get a sharp corner without digging into other areas.

Once everything is at the correct level, or you think it is, spray a thin coat of primer and sand a bit with the 80-grit to see where everything is settling. If there are no deep valleys, then spray with 2-3 coats of primer, waiting about 10 minutes in between coats, and 30 minutes before sanding.

You can try to sand it dry at this point with 120 to 180 paper, but you too may find that wet sanding is more productive. Dry sanding will take off more material and clog the paper. I sat next to a bucket of water, and sanded and dunked the paper every few seconds. The paper lasted longer, and the results were better.

After you have hit all of the spots with the 180, and have taken out any obvious imperfections. You should rinse and dry the piece to look for other areas that need work.

At this point, I'd spray another 2-3 thin coats of primer, let dry, and start sanding with 320 or 400 grit paper.

Then again, light coats of primer, and 800 to 1000 grit.

If you are using texture to cover the dash, the small imperfections wont matter, but it's best to get it as perfect as possible.

When spraying the texture, light coats work best, and if you do get runs or drips, wipe them to smooth them, and one or two additional light coats will make the wipe marks go away.

After the texture is applied, you are done if the color is where you want it to be, but mine was a little brighter, and slightly metallic. I used the vinyl dye in light coats to get the black closer to the color I wanted. I textured the entire dash area, to get a continuous look and feel.

A couple of other items that I did were to replace the red power LED with a blue one, and to dye the chrome buttons grey to match the dash color.

I think that it pretty much looks like the dash was made with the LCD built in now.

There are more pictures of the truck in various stages in my gallery.