Carrera Gauge Hood Refresh
 

The leather gauge hood that I installed as part of my 996 gauge installation was starting to show it's age. The leather had shrunk from sun exposure and it was pulling away from the substrate:
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1585012707.jpg

I checked with local upholstery shops and an on-line service, and found that recovering the gauge hood would be costly: Porsche 996 and 986 Boxster leather gauge cluster

I found a replacement on line for around $175 including shipping.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1585013159.jpg

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1585013227.jpg

Although the replacement had the advantage of having a wood grain gauge surround that would match my steering wheel, shift knob and e-brake, it had the obvious problem of being gray instead of black like the rest of my interior.

I had some black dye left over from a seat project from another car, so I decided to take a chance and dye the gray surround to match my interior.

I tried to remove the wood trim, but I became concerned about breaking the surround when it didn't come apart easily after removing the screws that held it in place. I decided to use masking tape to protect it.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1585013647.jpg

Covering the grey required 4 light coats of black dye. The first coat only partially hid the grey.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1585013831.jpg

Eventually, the slow build up of light coats hid the grey.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1585014012.jpg

I'm pleased with the results:

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1585014143.jpg

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1585014206.jpg

Looks great!

Awesome! :cheers:

Very nice!

It looks like you have a vinyl dash, you should change to leather. I did it and wasn't too hard.

The dye job looks great! Maybe have tinted your windshield.

I paid my glass guy $100 to tint the windshield. Can't tell it's tinted at all as it's for UV protection only. It protects the dash and the AC when on is very efficient. :cheers:

azlvr -Please post instructions. My next project is accessing the blend doors in the HVAC system to stop the foam pieces from blowing out of the vents.

I might consider changing to leather for next winter's project if it isn't too time consuming or costly.

Thanks to everyone else for the feedback.

The gauge hood was already damaged when I installed it. I thought I could tolerate the condition, but something about my Porsche brings out the perfectionist streak in me.

My windshield is pitted and chipped from almost 130,000 miles of use. If I need to replace it, I may consider tint. For now, when I leave the car outside on a hot sunny day, I cover the car with a silver guard cover. It only takes a minute to put on and take off. In addition to protecting the dash, it prevents the black leather seats from becoming unbearably hot. My daughter tells me it looks nerdy to do that, but it is effective. I'm hoping that my strategy will reduce the odds of the surround drying and cracking.

Great job!

I’ve recovered bicycle seats and recovering leather is tough to get right. You did a nice job.

I believe the technical name is “binnacle”. But don’t quote me on spelling.

-j

Oh, I get the "perfectionist" aspect.

I run with a cover similar to this... and whether I have top up or down. Less space in the trunk, and easy to throw on... pull off.

https://www.amazon.com/Custom-fit-Protector-Cover-Porsche-997-1999/dp/B06X1BPD87