Dashboard refurbishment

[xcentric]

I have a carbon fibre dashboard on my Caterham which is horribly dull and faded. Is it best to cut and polish as one would do other paintwork, or sand slightly more aggressively and re-clearcoat - or does a different alternative work best? Am after a much nicer more even, gloss finish, that will last a while.....

[bazjude2998]

Go retro
Light oak Formica 😂

[Eric Mc]

I've always fancied a Lotus style "red" dashboard in interior trim.



It was also used in their F1 cars -

[V7SLR]

xcentric said:

I have a carbon fibre dashboard on my Caterham which is horribly dull and faded. Is it best to cut and polish as one would do other paintwork, or sand slightly more aggressively and re-clearcoat - or does a different alternative work best? Am after a much nicer more even, gloss finish, that will last a while.....

I'd suggest removing all the gauges, lamps and switches and then try a machine polish with a DA polisher. Because there's a danger of breaking through the resin to the carbon fibres, start with less aggressive polishing compounds and go coarser only if needed .. working back to the finer polish afterwards. Use a waffle pad with a general polish such as Autoglym super resin polish (which you likely already have) but if that's not achieving the finish try something slightly more aggressive such as Autoglym paint renovator, this will cut the surface more. If you resort to wet or dry, anything coarser than 2000 grade and you're potentially going down the route of having the dash lacquered.

When you're finished seal it with a hard carnuba wax.

[fergus]

or just wet sand it back with 2000, then 3000 grade wet and dry paper and apply a can based 2 pack lacquer.

[CanAm]

bazjude2998 said:

Go retro
Light oak Formica ??

Like this you mean?

[xcentric]

wow some interesting takes there!
just wondering if anyone has experience of polishing versus relacquiring, really. The comments on how each are done are ok but it's experiences I'm after

[V7SLR]

If you can get the finish you want by polishing then avoid lacquering, they're not originally lacquered.

[fergus]

xcentric said:

wow some interesting takes there!
just wondering if anyone has experience of polishing versus relacquiring, really. The comments on how each are done are ok but it's experiences I'm after

You can get matt, satin and gloss lacquers, which is a different end finish to the original resin finish. If you get really stuck, a quick wipe with GT85 or ACF50 will smarten things up a lot!

[xcentric]

thanks all