Crash Pad vinyl covering help

PostPost by: gearbox » Sat Oct 01, 2016 3:05 am

I recall reading a thread about a vinyl cover for the crash pads on a S4 and thought Sue Miller carried them, but she doesn't. These are the vinyl covers that has a seam double sticthed on the leading edge of the dash. I have one for my Europa and Plus 2 and outside of the seam, they are not terrible so I thought of using one for my S4. Anyone know who carries these? Thanks Allan
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PostPost by: Gordon Sauer » Sat Oct 01, 2016 7:42 pm

Was able to get a very nice vinyl one, stitched as you note from my +2 and I believe they do the other lotuses well although I found them very accommodating and you could probably even send him a pattern and get one made. It's a UK company "topgaiters" and I got to them through eBay. Gordon Sauee
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PostPost by: gearbox » Sun Oct 02, 2016 12:11 am

Gordon Sauer wrote:Was able to get a very nice vinyl one, stitched as you note from my +2 and I believe they do the other lotuses well although I found them very accommodating and you could probably even send him a pattern and get one made. It's a UK company "topgaiters" and I got to them through eBay. Gordon Sauee


Yes, thank you. I believed I have used them before and bought a dash cover and other bits for my GT6. Very nice work and they can do colored stiching for free. But unfortunately I do not have a pattern I can give them, but I'll drop them a note to see if they already have it. BTW you do know that the Plus 2 crash pad is identical to the Lotus Europa. I didn't know that until I recieved both and saw that they were the same lol. Thanks Allan
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PostPost by: Gordon Sauer » Sun Oct 02, 2016 1:01 am

Well yeah except it's not wide enough, that's what I made mine from but I had to cut it in two spots and widen it to fit Gordon
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PostPost by: mikealdren » Mon Oct 03, 2016 7:57 am

I need a crash pad too (+2) as mine has gone hard and cracked.
Sadly can't fine topgaiters on Ebay. Do they still exist and if so, does anyone have contact details.
thanks
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PostPost by: gearbox » Mon Oct 03, 2016 11:41 am

I'm working on it. I have contacted the fellow in the UK who made the cover for my GT6 and he is willing to make the covers, but needs a dash pad for a pattern. I'm in the US so sending him mine back and forth would not be economical, so I suggested that I buy another dash from Sue Miller, have her send it to him, and then he will have the pattern and I will have an extra dash for another project down the road lol. He is contacting Sue now and I will let everyone know when available. Maybe I could talk Ray into stocking these for our side of the pond. But soon as I know I will post back here. Thanks Allan
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PostPost by: mikealdren » Mon Oct 03, 2016 2:46 pm

Hi Allan,
I have a +2 crash pad that may do as a template despite the damage and I am in the UK? Let me know if I can help.
Mike
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PostPost by: gearbox » Tue Oct 04, 2016 12:30 am

Hi Mike;

Like I had mentioned earlier, I had purchased the Banks Europa fiberglass crash pad and vinyl cover, and for me, it worked out great and a quick solution for a warped and cracked dash pad. On my Plus 2, the pad was straight, but just cracked, so I asked my distributor in the US, RD ent, if he had ones for the Plus 2, and it was Ray who told me that the Plus 2 was identical to the Europa crash pad, so I bought just the cover. I haven't installed it yet, but it seems Gordon suggested that it was a bit short and he had to modify his. But in looking at the two dashes, they look pretty much the same. I can tell you it does take some fiddling with the parts to get them to fit and on my Europa the cover had to be trimmed back as it had lots of excess vinyl. If you Google Banks Europa crash pad replacement, there are a lot of threads outlining the process. Since you are in the UK, you should give Richard Banks a ring and ask him. Let me know what you find out. Thanks Allan
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PostPost by: Gordon Sauer » Tue Oct 04, 2016 1:32 am

The bottom of the A post to the other one is 49 inches and that's the dimension that didn't make it, mine also seemed a little short from the dash to the base of the window. The 49 inch width I was able to make up with cutting the dash between the A post section and each of the vents and adding about an inch to an inch and a half. The vent placement is identical to the Europa. Gordon Sauer
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PostPost by: gearbox » Tue Oct 04, 2016 2:31 am

Thanks for the update Gordon, but are you talking about the fiberglass sub structure or the vinyl cover? When I got my Banks Dash and the extra cover, the covers didn't have the vents cut out and it had excess material that I had to trim back. The fiberglass required a lot of fiddling with to fit. I think Mike is only looking for the cover for his Plus 2, so I am thinking it should fit fine, or at least I hope and I will be looking to tackle this shortly. Where did you get yours from? Thanks Allan
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PostPost by: Gordon Sauer » Tue Oct 04, 2016 3:17 am

The flimsy pad that goes under the vinyl is what I cut and then I had bought Topgaiters cover from uk to fit. Previously I had the pad and thinking it was from a plus 2 I had a cover mAde for it-- that didn't fit and then when I contacted the person I got it from they said it was actually out of a Europa--that was the one that I then cut the base of and had the new Topgaiters cover made so it would fit. I did at one point get an ABS dash?I never did like how that fit, too heavy looking and too wide and I have not used it. Gordon Sauer
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PostPost by: Lordflashart » Tue Oct 04, 2016 5:15 am

There are leather dash covers on eBay.
I've not tried one yet, but the sellers name is j-f-customs.

Even if you don't want leather, maybe they'll make one in vinyl.

Paul
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PostPost by: mikealdren » Tue Oct 04, 2016 8:09 am

Thanks all.

Paul, as my car will be Zetec and not original, the leather cover is interesting. Anyone tried them?

Mike
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PostPost by: mikealdren » Tue Oct 04, 2016 8:09 am

Thanks all.

Paul, as my car will be Zetec and not original, the leather cover is interesting. Anyone tried them?

Mike
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PostPost by: Gordon Sauer » Tue Oct 04, 2016 1:27 pm

When I was ordering my Topgaiters cover it was only offered in leather. But looking closely you could see that they put a seam down the middle of it 90? to the front stitching I guess to make the hides go farther. But anyway, I wrote Topgaiters and asked if they could make it out of vinyl and then eliminate that stitching and they did. Gordon Sauer
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