[AlfaPolygamist]

What is the wood used in GTV fascia/dashboard inserts? 1974 in particular?
Was Alfa consistent in the wood used.

If a thread exists, please direct me there.

I want to replace the entire strip rather than just the radio cut out. I can create a new veneer strip.

I assume the "2000" is put on with adhesive.

Tx!

 

[alfaroad]

dash wood was from mahogany (dark brown with some red note in, was an african mahogany). It was made of 2 layers clued back to back. the best layer was chosen and then vacuum covered with a special plastic layer, it wasnt any veneer like most think. So, you can have about the same mahogany wood nowdays but it is near impossible to get the same results since nobody can make exactly the same procedure like the old guys done. The best might be if you can find a nos kept in shade if you need to be 100% original, but then nothing is perfect in this world so a good repro really can do the job anyway. 2000 script was not clued on (normally has studs), there must be 2-3 small holes in the original wood trim to support the script so, script with the wood together with dash fastened with 2-3 small washers from the behind.

 

[dmericas]

I want to replace the entire strip rather than just the radio cut out. I can create a new veneer strip.

FWIW. I made a new set of dash panels from some ribbon mahogany veneer from Woodcraft glued to very thin (3/32"?) birch plywood from Aircraft Spruce. I've been pleased with the results.

 

[alfaroad]

yes, also seen very good or really very good re-pro woods, no doubt. I was talking for a completely exact replica of the original wood veneers. As we all know, this plastic over the mahogany layer can't be copy, besides the vacuum process (which many can do that), it is the nature of this old and maybe secret material which make it so hard to do it nowdays.

 

[alfaroad]

In my opinion, there are 2 options here. Re-doing all the car's wood veneers with the same appearance , steeiring wheel, too, which is the most practical/affortable and the other option could be if you can find ALL nos! The later while seems super, except the $$$needed,fianlly, rarely can locate all as nos and then you must search between different nos veneers so to match the lines and the color shades...which is of course near impossible. I had the time and the passion to wait over 5 years to match between nos veneers for my berlina 2000. You cant imagine how time consuming was and how many bucks got me to finalize it to a perfect status. If was done by simply clean the old plastic layer and give the wood a proper new laquer it would cost me $100-$200, nothing to do with the price of the -many-nos I choose to work with. The funny is that before collected the NOS woods, I done all that (using the old original woods) by myself and the result was amazing except to one point comparing with the right NOS: this plastic film over the original wood and its top specs in reflectioning in all angles is out of reaching with any other old or new laquer. My 2c

 

[gigem75]

I special orderd some mahogany veneer from Lowes, the stick on kind and put that on a 20ga sheetmetal template I cut out then experimeneted with different stains and polyurthanes. I worked for me and has held up extremely well and the edging stainless? fit perfectly on the thickness I ended up with.

 

[AlfaPolygamist]

Appreciate all the advice ...... This kind of help will make my project much easier.

The photo looks lovely ..... a nice model to emulate.

Tx

 

[cliffordh]

The photo looks lovely ..... a nice model to emulate.

Except that the color resembles what most of the woodwork has faded to. It's nothing like the lovely red-brown of the original wood. Mahogany, you reckon? Possible, though that's much more brown usually. It looks like Russian Birch to me.

I have a thickness sander, and put my woodwork through to remove about a fifth of a millimeter, exposing the original color. Have a look back in the forum and you'll see pictures of it.

Also, though most of the woodwork was 3-ply, the centre console on the 1750's was a single veneer on cardboard, so it bends to the shape better. Unfortunately it also deforms over the years - I had to steam-iron and press it flat before putting it through the sander.

 

[alfaroad]

Except that the color resembles what most of the woodwork has faded to. It's nothing like the lovely red-brown of the original wood. Mahogany, you reckon? Possible, though that's much more brown usually. It looks like Russian Birch to me.

I have a thickness sander, and put my woodwork through to remove about a fifth of a millimeter, exposing the original color. Have a look back in the forum and you'll see pictures of it.

Also, though most of the woodwork was 3-ply, the centre console on the 1750's was a single veneer on cardboard, so it bends to the shape better. Unfortunately it also deforms over the years - I had to steam-iron and press it flat before putting it through the sander.

original alfa Mahogany was african seems that at that time it had the exact dark brown +this beautiful red shade, then who knows, maybe alfa used to deep these woods in a special formula to give their willing color. 1750 console was from 1 ply and with a cardboard from behind, was indeed flexible but also fragile. Seems 2000 woods were from 2 ply in my opinion, from 3 ply of exteme thin layers, dont be so sure for this, but it is real hard to brake.

do you mean that you put woods through your sander and you took some wood of or you took some plastic off?

 

[cliffordh]

original alfa Mahogany was african seems that at that time it had the exact dark brown +this beautiful red shade

Ok. True mahogany was fairly variable, but the African M I used in the early 70's was really brown, not red. Now-a-days, a huge number of timbers get called mahogany that aren't remotely related, of course.

do you mean that you put woods through your sander and you took some wood of or you took some plastic off?

I took all the plastic off, then I took off the top layer of the wood to expose the original color underneath, as far as possible, then refinished with several coats of satin polyurethane. The console veneer was too thin to return to the full color without cutting right through, so it's a little different from the pieces in the dash. See the links:

 

[gigem75]

one can stain a wood any color one wants, the actual color is same shade but darker. It is as close to the original color of a 74 US as one can get. I've had 4. I could have made it purple if it had come that way.

 

[daveydog]

I bought the dash and console kit from Centerline.
I think it looks pretty good colour-wise in my newly refurbished dash.
And it looks way better than my old sun faded veneer.

 

[alfaroad]

both dashes look great, indeed! I guess the only laquer which really catches the original is polyurethane, no doubt.
Cliffordh, didnt say that it was red...just had a smooth red shade, maybe they got it that way under a process, any good original alfa photo shows this. I actually have some original nos wood trims for many 105 cars kept in best conditions and also all have that red shade. Only early alfetta -especially sedans- had a clear brown color.
well, I love these photos with the urethane coatings.

 

[alfaroad]

I guess, taking off the plastic layer was a pain? was it eh?

 

[alfaroad]

well , it is the only photo I have with me here I'm these days, it is a NOS wood trim for my berlina 2000, was just opened to get the photo and it is exactly like in the photo, you can see this red shade of the wood.

 

[gigem75]

me thinks davey and gig have same radio
this is probaby the most accurate representation of what I ended up with or as accurate as one can get unless we all have our monitors calibrated

or maybe it's more like this

 

[cliffordh]

I guess, taking off the plastic layer was a pain? was it eh?

Not actually. Some of it was flaking, and other bits could be persuaded to, but it wasn't necessary - the thickness sander took it off nicely. It sands better than wood actually, no sign of melting which can happen with plastics, it just makes white dust. I don't recommend you try it on any other kind of sander however, as it's much harder than the wood; as soon as you break through, the sander will eat all the veneer. My sander (during construction) is depicted here. Happy to help any other Melbourne locals to do the same thing - PM me.

 

[alfaroad]

I was asking because, I had many nightmares with that plastic when pulled it off. I used a complete hand job, wet-nail-wet again -nail and so on... yes, worked but need a mega patience, indeed!Funny is that if wood+plastic were old and messy it was easier than if plastic was in better shape. The problem is this plastic was very very nice glued with the wood and needs to be careful when you taking off cause you can easily take off and a lot of wood together with it. I really, cant figure why nobody can make the same now-a days at even a high cost. I once spoke with a specialist and gave him many samples to work with so to make new and although he made nice examples with plastic layers, final results couldn't be on an alfa dash, if you want your car original. The guy at the end told me: "damned Italians...nobody can copy them even after 50 years..." . Even these days Italians have the best cutting machines i.e for marbles and their also specialists in creating fake marbles, woods etc....

 

[alfaroad]

ohh, that sander is a killer! I guess you know how to manage with the wood...

 

[Spinrique]

What is the wood used in GTV fascia/dashboard inserts? 1974 in particular?
Was Alfa consistent in the wood used.

If a thread exists, please direct me there.

I want to replace the entire strip rather than just the radio cut out. I can create a new veneer strip.

I assume the "2000" is put on with adhesive.

Tx!

Hi,
I cannot say what Alfa used originally, but I replaced the wood trim on my 1974 Alfa GTV with 1/16" mahogany plywood from Aicraft Spruce:

DOMESTIC PLYWOOD from Aircraft Spruce

The wood grain and color looks pretty close, although it might not be a perfect match for a concour-grade restoration.

I used the original wood trim pieces as a stencil, and coated with some outdoor urethane sealer to help protect against UV. I shaped the curved piece around the shift lever with steam and a bit of delicate pressure.

I live in the Seattle area, and still have the leftover wood sheet. If you would like to, we can meet to show you how it looks (and if the car is running, you can see the final result.)

The 2000 badge has a couple of pins that go through the dash and held with small thin-sheet metal fasteners. I had to cut the fasteners to remove the trim piece, but got replacements at the local hardware store for the re-install.

I'll try to dig up pictures of the end result and post them here.

Cheers,

enrique