360 Dash restretch and repair

360 dashes can be re-stretched. I just did it. The shrinking leather will pop out the plastic vent anchors which is the first signal that you need to fix the leather. No need to go through the procedure here because I suspect few will be willing to do it yourself. The key to the entire process is having the metal billet vents on hand from Rizzo in Perth, Australia. If interested, PM me and I can walk you through it.

 

Thought about that but cannot figure out how to reduce the size of the photos to post more than one or two. And, I am not real keen on posting it on the forum because I am liable to say something snarky or and will then get dumped on. Only three people PMed me so there must not be much interest. Trying to find out right now how to post multiple photos or put together a sort "what I did" procedure with photos inserted. But, do not have a clue about how to do that. Reducing the photos isd the hang up now. Yeah, I know, stupid but that is where I am stuck. Instead of putting the 360 interior back together, I am spending hours trying to do what a tech in minutes.
Not knocking you but your reply is sort of what I was talking about. Maybe I should have just not posted anything but the blah, blah about it being impossible is BS is not correct. Maybe I got lucky but I think not. I saw at least one other picture of a finished dash using the billet vents. I got an estimate from one shop of 30hrs @95/hr not including leather of materials. That was all the incentive I needed Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login . Before and after. The leather is shiny because I have been loading it with Zaino, Gliptone, and oil from Leatherique. Not sure it it soaks through the dye(paint) or not but will not hurt it.I stretched the leather bu spraying the underside of the leather and mechanically stretching it with several sheet metal.
The method for reducing the size of these images is porbably right under my nose. Can you help?

 

Not spam. Just a dummy not know how to post photos properly or how to do anything other than the simplest on this forum. Or any other for that matter. I still do not understand Facebook. I have managed to post two photos. About as far as I have gotten. I can do **** for sure but cannot show you how I did it on forums!
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It is obvious after reading what I posted that I should not be posting anything for public consumption or someone will screw his dash up for sure. Have always been a good doer but very poor teacher. Some things never change. Will hide again in the garage and finish putting the 360 back together.

 

Can do that but was wondering about resizing for Fchat posts.

 

Agree and I thought about countersinking the billet vents but the button head screws were handy so I used them. I sort of like the "manly" look of the button head screws. Looks a whole lot better than the "floating" popped off plastic vents.

 

No added sheen. I took that photo right after I slathered the dash with the leatherique oil, Zaino, Gliptone or maybe all three at one time. I did notice the the Gliptone and Zaino sort of "flash" off or "dry" after a period of time. As soon as I buffed/wiped the dash with a towel it looked natural again. Seems like if the leatherique "reconditioning oil" gave it a sheen, it could be easily wiped off. Then if not flat(no sheen) enough, use a mild soap/water soln to wipe off the oil sheen.

 

Pristine clean. Thanks, good to know. I
live in the S Louisiana swamp so no seasons. Usually hot and muggy of briefly cold and muggy so no seasonal reminder to treat the leather. This dash project has been long neglected. Then a mouse family moved in and died in the 360 trans tunnel. **** fire--ripped out interior to correct that and moved on to the neglected dash. Maybe I should thank the mice? Nah, still going to shoot the little bastards!

 

Glad to see that others are as crazy as me to try to repair their stretched dash leather.. I guess the thing to do is post what I did in two photos at a time snippets? Might that work?

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login Same approximate times for me with dash removal and replacement. If caught early enough, bolting down the billet vents will be enough to stretch the leather back into place. Mine was stretched more than so sheet metal vice grips were used to stretch the leather back forward past the pocket lips by clamping the leather edges through the vent holes and gradually stretching forward into place. The leading edge of the dash leather had to be removed in order to restretch the area of leather between the vent holes as well. While holding it there, still clamped in place, the vents were clamped down(upside down first time)with wide jaw vice grips to complete the stretch. The lifted leather on the underside was sprayed, prior to clamping, with leather stretch solution and leather conditioner rubbed onto finished surface to help with the gradual restretch.

 

One4torque. Ditto LSU but many years before you.