DIY Dash Flocking

[soccer05]

I am finishing up an extensive rebuild of a 2003 WRX, and one of the modifications I chose to do was flock the dash. I was very apprehensive about this mod, because if it didn't come out to my expectations I would have to go buy a new dash, and I would rather spend money on functional modifications than cosmetic. I couldn't find too much information on this forum about flocking, so I decided to give it a try myself. The results exceeded my expectations (take a look at my build thread http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=2272666, I am not easy to impress), so I figured I would give a quick walk through of my process to help guide anyone thinking about this modification. Numerous racers that have seen my dash have decided to go this route, and it is a functional modification cutting down on glare as well as looking great. I purchased my flocking kit through donjer products (donjer.com), and all supplies were $50 total shipped. Very cheap modification, and as I tell everyone who asks, for 50 bucks I think everyone should do it if they have theirdash off. The sales rep answered all my questions and emailed me the build threads of a couple of other racers to walk me through the process. Here is how I did it. First remove the dash (glovebox, clock pod, passenger air bag, etc).


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First step to flocking the dash is removing everything that you do not wish to have covered in glue and flocking fibers. This will help ensure crisp lines and a professional finished result. First I removed all the dash ducting from the backside of the dash.


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Air vent trim is removed. These are just popped in by hand and can be removed with a small flat bladed screwdriver. Just take your time as you don't want to break them.


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Next step is to sand the dash with 80 grit sandpaper. This is just a light sanding, and is to break the smooth surface of the dash to promote better glue adhesion for the flocking process. I was worried about the ability for the glue to bond to the dash, as when I went to mask off certain areas the tape kept sliding right off. Technically, this alone would do quite a bit at reducing glare off the dash, but if you have come this far then you might as well do a little more work for a nicer finished result.


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Dash completely stripped, all vents and trim pieces removed, ready to have glue spread on and flocked. Slowly getting all the prep work done to ensure a quality finished product. Entire dash was lightly sanded with 80 grit sandpaper to promote proper adhesion of the flocking fibers to the dash.


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I have no pictures of applying the flocking as I had my hands tied up spreading the adhessive and flocking. All trim has been removed to ensure clean, crisp edges and a professional appearance. You can not do the dash in sections, each piece must be done as one to ensure complete coverage without lines. The install of the product was very simple, most of the work is actually done while removing the dash and prepping. I built a mini booth out of some old boxes to help contain the product, as it does make a mess. I used a 3 inch rolled with a 2/8 inch nap to cover the majority of the dash with the adhessive, and used a brush to hit all the more technical areas. The adhessive gives a 10-15 minute working time, so I didn't stop to take pictures. After the entire dash was covered adequately and smoothly, I ran the roller over everything once more to ensure a fresh coat was everywhere and give me the maximum working time. I then used the applicators to flock the dash. The instructions said to use extra, as whatever doesn't adhere to the the dash can be reused, I think I definitely used extra, and had to rotate the dash to ensure complete and proper coverage of all areas receiving the flocking. After the dash cures the remaining flocking material simply falls off, and can be reused. I think it came out rather well


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I took the dash all apart and coated seprerately to ensure clean lines and a professional result. This is of the passenger side airbag, and I must say it loks quite stunning. I will post up pics of the dash tonight, I think this should be a mod many track cars should seriously consider.


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[soccer05]

Here is a close up of what the driver will see. I ensured adequate coverage of the underside of the display for a professional looking product. This came out exactly as I had hoped.


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Dashboard ducting reinstalled after flocking. I removed all the ducting as the flocking powder is very fine and I didn't want to deal with any getting into the vents and ducts. Aslo by removing the ducts and associated trim panels, I am assured a professional looking end product with crisp lines.


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These are the clean lines that I am referring to. By removing all the trim panels you are able to get complete coverage and crisp lines which gives a clean professional appearance. As the dash is a highly visible item, and you will be staring at it every time you get behind the wheel, I highly recommend you take the time to prep properly.


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I also pulled out the defroster grill and flocked that as well. Originally I left it bare, but it did not look good or flow with the interior. I masked off the vin number and coated like the dash.



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Flocked dash reinstalled..


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View of reinstalled dash from other side. Very happy with the end result. Was disappointed, during initial curing one little .5 inch scrape left a bare spot right on top of the gauge cluster right in front of my face, but I reapplied adhessive with a q tip and reapplied adhessive, and was able to achieve a very good blend job. I am really impressed with the quality of the end product, should really set off the interior as well as prove highly functional, all for $50.


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Take note of the quality of the end product on the dash, clean crisp lines throughout, easy to clean with a vacuum, etc. I am very happy with the end product, in a market where so many products can fall short on quality or finish, I love it when products meet my high expectations.


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View of the interior nearing completion. Still need to flock my clock pod in the center of the dash as it had a small crack from removal (just brittle from the sun). So I need to put a light coat of bondo over the crack, sand flush, then flock. Shouldn't take long, but I am putting it off until I can get the car running (getting close).


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[itstony]

awesome job can you tell me where you get the material to do the flocking? you could pm me if you want to

[soccer05]

Originally Posted by itstony

awesome job can you tell me where you get the material to do the flocking? you could pm me if you want to

http://www.donjer.com

[Burks569]

My vocabulary is fried after reading the words "professional" and "crisp lines" so many times, I mean, holy damn I can't even think of other words right now they're so ingrained.

That being said, you did a damn fine job with a clean professional appearance and crisp lines.

[UsernameGoesHere]

Not quite my style but looks infinitely better than 99% of mods I see on here.

[aggie113]

Really, you couldn't just put this with the other huge Flocking thread that has already answered everyones questions?

bam
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1723221

[ecbmxer]

Looks great! I bought a flocking kit to do my a-pillars but changed my plans and never did it. Kind of wish I had!

[palillo1]

what exactly is flocking?

[blessthekellen]

Open up a jewelry box that has red or black velvet like material in it. That's flock.

[soccer05]

Originally Posted by aggie113

Really, you couldn't just put this with the other huge Flocking thread that has already answered everyones questions?

bam
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1723221

Ha after a fourteen hour day that's cute. Probably because
A) I didn't see the thread or
B) I wanted to post up my experiences, methods, and end product.

Pick whichever one you want, or both. Thanks for the input.

Thanks for the link though, that'll help people looking for more information.

[soccer05]

Originally Posted by Burks569

My vocabulary is fried after reading the words "professional" and "crisp lines" so many times, I mean, holy damn I can't even think of other words right now they're so ingrained.

That being said, you did a damn fine job with a clean professional appearance and crisp lines.

Yeah, I have found if I don't repeat the reasons why I chose to do something the way I did, I get asked the same question a ton of times, just trying to cut down on the pm's. A lot of this process was transferred from my build thread to the interior section, and I wanted to avoid duplicate pm's.

[Fat Black Pig Sac]

great job!!!!

[grknss]

Nice F******G job
-flocking-

[sars101]

thank you so much for your pictures. i was wondering how the bottom of the dash looks like. mainly the middle vents. and the extra part near the wind shield.

my dash is still holding up but i will think of this while looking at the other cars.

[WhatTurboLag?]

looks great!

though i hate you as it is now another thing to add to my list of things to do while im doing my 6 speed swap.


that being said, where did you find how to remove the dash?

[soccer05]

Originally Posted by WhatTurboLag?

looks great!

though i hate you as it is now another thing to add to my list of things to do while im doing my 6 speed swap.


that being said, where did you find how to remove the dash?

Factory service manual covers most of the process. It is pretty easy and goes back together like legos. IIRC remove glovebox, remove center console trim, lower dash is held in with only clips on driver side, top dash defrost vent only held on with clips, remove steering shaft trim, unplug a couple connectors under the driver side dash holding it in (there are two screws I think), Unbolt radio and heater controls to remove that trim piece and get to two bolts behind. Remove clock pod (clips), remove cup holder (1 bolt), remove center vents and unplug emergency signal switch, remove passenger air bags (3 bolts), and then front dash bolts are visible, undo those couple bolts and dash should come out. Don't hold me to a step by step guide on dash removal I wrote this from memory, but a search should find what you need.

This shouldn't hold your 6 speed swap up much, just $50 and some elbow grease. That's why I like it so much, so much cheaper than wrapping your dash.

[JerseyDubbin]

Have you thought of doing the lower dash parts too?

[soccer05]

Originally Posted by JerseyDubbin

Have you thought of doing the lower dash parts too?

No I thOught about doing it but decided against it. First this was meant to be a functional mod and there is no need for it down there. Also this material isn't ideal for high wear areas, so wrapping those parts would be better if those are your goals. I also thought it would be too much and take away from the effect. The main reason I did this was to cut down on dash glare when I am hauling *** looking good was also a contributing factor since it is a daily driver. I will be wrapping the a pillars though after my wideband is installed, because it is the cheapest way and avoids matching the texture to the oem, basically it's the easy way out.

[2004wrxy]

Looks nice! Good job!