***** Dash Cap and Speaker Install *****
My factory original dash was completely worn out. I had cracks so large that I could fit my entire finger in a few. There were even a couple of holes that went straight through the dash. Anyhow, I ordered a new grey colored dash cap from CoverLay.com. I've seen good reviews on a few websites, so I thought I'd give it a try. Here's how it went.
I ordered the dash cap, and I just had to guess at the color. They offered 3 different colors of grey. They offer light, medium, and dark grey, and I chose medium. It cost about $120 including shipping and arrived soon. I removed my original dash and cut out the speaker vent holes.
I then installed my new Kicker brand speakers in the dash. I bought 2 pair of speakers (four total), and they came with mounting brackets, wire adapters, and screws.
I put one at each end of the dash and two in the middle. I then put the original dash pad back in place to make sure I didn't have any clearance issue. Initially I was concerned that the speakers would touch the dash cap, but they didn't. Everything looked great and lined up.
I was now ready to sand the dash down using sandpaper. I used 600 grit. I had to sand both the original dash as well as the inside of the dash cap (so the adhesive had tooth to hold the two pieces together). The instructions were very clear to only use Windex (ammonia based) to clean the dash. So, I followed orders. I then made sure the dash cap would properly seat on the dash. Damn, apparently the cracks raised up and prevented the cap from sitting down. I then took the cap off and used a utility knife to cut away all abnormally raised dash pieces. I repeated this step several times until I was happy with the fitment of the cap.
I then put the tube of adhesive in a glass of warm water for 5 minutes. Then I applied the adhesive around the inner edge of the cap, and then I carefully sat the cap down on the dash. It looked great. I gently pushed and pressed the cap down to make sure the adhesive made good contact. I then sat a few phone books on the dash and wedged old newspaper between the windshield and the dash to hold it down.
The instructions suggest waiting 8 hours for the glue to dry, but I gave it 24 hours for good measure. The next day I took the newspaper and books out, and man it looked and felt great. It's amazing how a nice looking dash will clean up the appearance of a truck.
