UPDATED!! Got my Dash Cover from BasicKoncepts today!!

UPDATED!!!

Here are the destructions. :D
http://www.basickoncepts.com/Ridgeline%20Dash%20Plate%20Instruction.pdf

Should I do it myself??
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I spent most of the day at the hospital with my nephew today. I just got home about 30 minutes ago and my dash cover was at the door.

Thanks Brian.

Here are the pre-lim pictures. I tried to get Todd to install it right now but he just looked at me and gave me the eyeborw. :rolleyes:

From the careful packaging to the hinge mechanism to the finely placed leather and Ridgeline emboiderery.

Nice job Brian. Todd said he would put it in Saturday.

And the rest...

Yippee. Maybe mine will be here soon too.

How's your nephew???

Yippee. Maybe mine will be here soon too.

How's your nephew???

I hope it will be Truckin'. It's really nice.

He has been transfered to the Cleveland Clinic. He took a turn for the worse last night and developed a blood disease and lung infections. He's in a good place now. Round the clock constant care and only 25 minutes from me. Long road ahead.
Thanks for asking. :)

I'm glad he's nearby. It sounds so serious. Our thoughts are with you and your family with the best wishes sent to your nephew to fight this off. Keep us posted.

Now I see more photos than when I last posted. It looks great!

Saturday??? That's two days away. Can you wait that long? :D
Sorry to hear about your nephew getting worse. It sounds like he is getting excellent care and recovery is in sight.

Saturday??? That's two days away. Can you wait that long? :D
No..it's already making me a crazy person. I asked him this morning if he would take just the few minutes it takes to install it and he politely said "NO!" I want to take my time and do it right. Oh geez...I just may end up going out and doing the install myself.:eek:
Unless of your course you want to fly to Cleveland and do it for me Web!! :D

Sorry to hear about your nephew getting worse. It sounds like he is getting excellent care and recovery is in sight.
Thanks Web. Todd and I took a huge spread of food to the hospital for my family. We sat there from 7 until 11:30 just talking and taking turns going in and out of Stevens room. He was sedated and didn't know we were there.
:( Thanks for the prayers.

Unless of your course you want to fly to Cleveland and do it for me Web!! :D

I wouldn't want to deprive Todd of the opportunity to put a big smile on your face and receive the gratitude that I know he is going to receive. :)

What does it look like installed?

What does it look like installed?
Like this!!!! :D (http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=58817&postcount=2)

Thanks for the pic's SWEETS !! ;)

Thanks for the pic's SWEETS !! ;)
Any time Darlin'.:p

Ok..I'm chompin' at the bit here.....We're almost there.....:rolleyes:

Its 2 screws my 4yr old daughter could install this thing.

Go ahead show Lady's Buck who really the buck in the family.:D

I voted to wait for Todd. I mean, in the off chance that something goes wrong, you'll never hear the end of it if you don't!

That being said...

Come on Todd!! Step up! We're ALL waiting! :)

Can you get the color to match the grey interior? I like the different color but I will get it only if it could match the dark color interior...

Hello There ladyRidge,

Glad you got it!

Sorry to here about your family member also. My Grandmother had a stroke Wednesday night and I also had to go up there to helpout with things. It is very stressful being she is 78yrs old. I just got back, Shes hangin in there but we dont know.

OKAY, OKAY,

I know this may come as a shock to you all, but I do have a primary career also, and sometimes a need to give that some attention. :D

Webwader, I have been trying to get my Lady to understand that patience is a virtue......you're not helping! LOL. And you're right, I would get a wonderful feeling seeing her light up with joy at the new addition to her RL.

Mayfielh, yes, your 4 year old daughter probably could install the two screws, but, and my Lady knows this, I am a meticulous person, and a perfectionist when it comes to this type of thing. Ironically, so is she, but she won't admit it to you guys. Just look at some of the vinyl work she has done and you'll see how perfect she wants to be. The big difference between us is that I like to measure twice, cut once; she likes to measure once and cut twice. LOL. Nothing bad meant Babe. I love you to death, you know that.

Perkolater, you have a very good point, and she would NOT here the end of it. Two years from now I'd be saying "boy it would have been nice if you'd have waited....", and she'd say "oh, leave me alone" which is our little humor phrase for "okay, I've had enough fun with this for now, let's move on to something else." ;)

Aibikr, "Good things come to those who wait... " that's another one I've tried to teach her, but alas......sometimes the excitement is too much. You're right, that would be a good video, but really, my Lady is very good about not bothering me while I'm trying to do something for her. But prior to me getting started is a different story. What can I say, she's a dreamer and I'm the voice of reason.:rolleyes:

5S Dude, That is exactly the type of thing I told her a want to be careful of, although I was not specifically thinking of the airbag, but it is a hell of a good thing to pay attention to. As for screws, the cover came with "drill screws" so I don't have to worry about accidentally sending a whirling drill bit too deep through the panel. I just want to know what's back there before I go punching holes in it. BTW, my Lady will tell you that She's the artist, I'm the technical one. She does pretty well with leveling things, but doesn't like to.

How's this for stepping up, Perk... I've committed to Lady to install it tomorrow, and that's what I will do. I'm sure she will have picts on here within minutes of the job being done. LOL

BTW Swishman, I noticed that the two mounting screws are offset toward the hing on the mounting plate. Is it possible to put two more along the other edge to give it added stability and strength? or is there some reason I should not be putting screws in that location?

Todd

Looks good. I'm itchin' to get mine on along with the dress bars I ordered at the same time.

Well said Lady's Buck. Sorry I added to her already over enthusiastic state. :o Ladyridge, you just need to curb your enthusiasm and heed the the words of a wise man. No, not me, silly, Lady's Buck. :D

NC Blue-

Word, Brother! Same for me plus:

Electric Tailgate Lock
Custom Bed Cover

It's going to be like Christmas all over again!:) :)

I don't think I can contain the excitement...

Photos of my installed dash cover.

Todd surprised me so I didn't get the chance to do my photo shoot over his shoulder. Besides..I probably would have been a back seat installer and that would have made him crazy. :D

The only thing I would like to suggest Brian, if you are reading this, is add a few more screws to the piece that is attached to the truck itself.
Two screws did not make it stable enough so Todd is adding more tonight.
Other than that...It looks great..fits well...adds to the flow of the dash and I really like that Drew can hide his taco's when not eating them. :eek:

and a few more...

Looks great!!! My thinking is there are 4 holes in those hinges for a reason. Fill em up.

Looks good LadyRidge! Your RL has been blessed by the Hand of Todd. :)

Looks great!!! My thinking is there are 4 holes in those hinges for a reason. Fill em up.
It's actually the 2 black screws that need a little help with a few more. But that was also my thought. :)
It is very nice. I am very happy with it. Nice job swishman. :)

Boy this one flipped a 180 on you. Here you were getting ready to show Todd your installation prowess only to end up getting shafted on the whole experience. ;)

j/k Todd it looks great.

Drew if you're reading this you need to see how long it takes your mom to realize you left a taco in the secret cubby. :D

Thanks for sharing all of the details, pics, instructions and tips. Looks awesome!!!!

Ok! Some time has passed since we were all present to witness the installation of LadyRidge’s Dash Cover. We need an update and long term evaluation of this product! Is it stable during use without rattles and has it required additional hardware and or bracing. How does the quality of the embroidery look long term? Does it open and close without much effort. We are choppin at the bit over here!

At you leisure J.C. I know you’ve got other stuff to take care of too. Take care.

Ron (5S Dude)

Woo hoo! Received an e-mail yesterday that the status on my order (dress bars and dash cover) is now in production! Thanks for those posting the pictures. Gives me something to look forward to.

I got a status email yesterday too, but it's rather cryptic and I'm not sure what it means as far as delivery time. I hope it arrives this week.

Ours arrived this morning and we just got back from all our errands and are contemplating installing it. The instruction to make the indentation back a 1/16th of an inch farther than where you press the screws in to make the initial mark. What did Todd use to make the impression for the screws to drop into?

Looks cool. Wouldn't mind seeing some photos without the hands in them. One open and one closed. Any chance?

Yeah, I just snapped a series, but I'm having fits with my photo program. I'll see if I can get them posted soon.

Sorry about the hands. :)

Here's ours in black. I like it!

I'm sorry, I'm REALLY trying to be positive here... I know that BasickKoncepts tried really hard to make this, but I just don't think it works. That's only my opinion. In order to make this product better, I might suggest adding more screws, maybe another set of hinges that are more compact, add in the REAL Ridgeline logo, or just add the logo itself on, and finally, try to work the indent or indents on the side of the truck and door panels into the dash panel, maybe with a touch of the metal trim already on the interior.

I think you have a great concept going, but I think a few more details need to be added to make it an even better product.

I'm sorry if my comments came across as negative or offensive. I just feel that with all of the products you offer that you could come up with things that have more of a true aftermarket feel as opposed to a "made with $5 in parts from Home Depot" feel. I guess I just look at things from the business standpoint of "why would someone buy this item from me as opposed to making it themselves". If an item looks and performs like it is an engineered product, more people will buy it. I look at situations such as SixOpRidge station that the tailgate lock isn't working quite right after a period of time, as well as LadyRidge's comments about the Dash Cover needing more screws, and these things make my ask myself "why should I buy these products if people have issues with them". Please understand that this is not a personal attack on you or the products you make. It's constuctive criticism to help you make better products that will satisfy more customers, therfore, appealing to more potential buyers, which will ultimately result in more business and less returns. People buy items from other people/companies becuase they cannot make the item theirselves, or do not have the time to do so, or both.

I am looking forward to all products you come out with as I am a potential buyer waiting in the wings.

WhiteRTLnav - I don't have the product so I'm not going to comment on it directly. I'm not sure your post was delivered to the correct audience here. Yes you are entitled to your opinion no one is trying to take that away, but I feel like you might be better served delivering it directly to Brian at BasicKoncepts instead of posting it here. I say this because people seem happy about the product in general.

Like everything our trucks included the longer you wait the more you get for your money, damn auto unlock feature. :D

I'm sure Brian would like to hear your opinions and would probably take them into consideration for the rev 2 product.

Yeah, you're probably right. I tend to post without thinking late at night. I swear, they should have a late night blockout for me! LOL

My comments to Brian were well intended.

That's what I figured because they were very constructive.

I'm sorry, I'm REALLY trying to be positive here... I know that BasickKoncepts tried really hard to make this, but I just don't think it works. That's only my opinion. In order to make this product better, I might suggest adding more screws, maybe another set of hinges that are more compact, add in the REAL Ridgeline logo, or just add the logo itself on, and finally, try to work the indent or indents on the side of the truck and door panels into the dash panel, maybe with a touch of the metal trim already on the interior.

I think you have a great concept going, but I think a few more details need to be added to make it an even better product.

I'm sorry if my comments came across as negative or offensive. I just feel that with all of the products you offer that you could come up with things that have more of a true aftermarket feel as opposed to a "made with $5 in parts from Home Depot" feel. I guess I just look at things from the business standpoint of "why would someone buy this item from me as opposed to making it themselves". If an item looks and performs like it is an engineered product, more people will buy it. I look at situations such as SixOpRidge station that the tailgate lock isn't working quite right after a period of time, as well as LadyRidge's comments about the Dash Cover needing more screws, and these things make my ask myself "why should I buy these products if people have issues with them". Please understand that this is not a personal attack on you or the products you make. It's constuctive criticism to help you make better products that will satisfy more customers, therfore, appealing to more potential buyers, which will ultimately result in more business and less returns. People buy items from other people/companies becuase they cannot make the item theirselves, or do not have the time to do so, or both.

I am looking forward to all products you come out with as I am a potential buyer waiting in the wings.


WOW !! :confused: :eek:

Ridgy Dash

Much better font to match the way it is on the truck, Brian. That looks very sharp.

Thank You Truckin,

We'll work with ya :)

Any one else have this aux plug?

Any one else have this aux plug?
It's a plug for an Ipod or Mp3 player....I think!! :D

Isn't that the AUX plug that is only available to those w/ NAVI? (not having a Navi, I've never seen that, either)

-ridgeln

Must be, I dont got have navi, did put sirius in today though.

Yes, it's the iPod or MP3 jack that should have been stock on all the trim models, but is only on the NAV. They made the cubby tray just the right size for an iPod to lie in, but they didn't make it big enough for the power cord attachment. It works, you just have to tilt it. It would have be grand to have a power outlet in the cubby area so the cord didn't have to hang down in front of the dash.

Truckin' - I agree that there should have been a power outlet in the storage tray area - there should also be one IN the center storage area.

-ridgeln

ridgeln, are you talking about the center console? That would have been great.

I wanted to add a note about Brian at BasicKoncepts. I emailed him this morning with some suggestions to make his instructions more clear and a question about adding a couple more screws. Minutes later he called and talked to BIGGUY about our installation process. He was open to all our suggestions. He's such a friendly person. I appreciate that kind of responsiveness.

Brian,

That updated font looks INCREDIBLE!

Hi Truckin' - yes, that's exactly where I want one! I know I've seen a mod here that someone added 3 outlets in the center console. Time to go looking.

- ridgeln

edit: here's the LINK (offsite) (http://www.thebaseonline.com/ridgeline/outletinstall.html)

I ordered mine this weekend....I post pics when it comes in...

Brian-

Please tell me that the Tan door that I ordered from you will have the lettering like this. :D It's awesome!

Better yet, tell me that this is a picture of mine! :D

How is the fit of these covers on the right side? On the pictures, it seems to stick out a tad on the right. When closed, does it fit snuggly accross the entire dash?

Thanks!

Thats because it has about a 1/2in over hang. Yes it fits snuggly accross the entire dash.

After a couple of weeks delay, we got our dash plate properly installed today. Our first attempt at the install left it crooked and we munched up the screw holes in the process of trying to realign it. To rectify that we moved the two screws in toward the hinge and added two more screws at the outside edges so that it is attached in new holes now. All those bad holes are covered up.

We had some concerns about the loose fit of the part that attaches to the top of the cubby space, so we did some modifications to make that sit more flush. We cut off some of the excess material and folds on the back side of the mounting plate. We added some large washers to give the screw heads better stability.

You can see the excess material in the folds in these photos and this is how we trimmed that away and made it flatter so it would hold tighter.

We spent some time trying to find smaller or better hinges. We finally found a cabinet maker familiar with hinges who said that the hinge Brian used was about as small as you can get with a hinge that locks in an open or closed position. We thought about putting another hinge on it, with the two hinges over the dividers in the cubby compartment. This may still be a better idea for stability and to leave the middle cubby more open. We didn't feel like running back to the place we found those hinges, so we left that part the same as shipped by Brian.

In order to keep the door from slipping during installation this time, I suggested stuffing these styrafoam blocks in there to hold it in place until the first screws were secured. We'd talked about using contact glue, but this method worked fine without being so drastic. We did find that a couple of loops of tape made it stay in place while the screw holes were started. We took the tape loops out and reattached it because you could see the tape from the passenger's seat.

This method worked better for us than following Brian's instructions.

A word of caution is in order for anyone who doesn't have a special angled screwdriver that will fit in the cubby hole (we looked all over town to no avail). The screwdriver put some minor scuffs in the outside of the dash during BIGGUY's first efforts. Today we put a few layers of duct tape down to give a barrier between the driver and the dash.

The final result is great. I like the black better than I would the grey. No more having a towel stuffed in there to cover my stuff up.

Compare the third picture to the one I posted in #37 to see how far off it slipped the first time we installed it:

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=67261&postcount=37

Look at the lines at the upper left corner of the dash plate.

Hi Guys. I really like the look of the cover and it is something I am considering.

I just wanted to warn everyone about those dash mats though. They are used to prevent sun damage on the top of the dash. The Delorean is known for the dash crumbling after some years of exposure to sunlight. Some owners have used those mats to protect it. The problem is that either the dash or the mat is off-gassing something that discolors the dash. It leaves a weird purple-brown color that can't be removed.

Maybe the newest covers don't do that, but I have not heard of any differences in them over the past couple of years. It could be that the glass in the Ridge has some coating that will prevent this problem, but if you are using one of these mats be sure to check for any discoloration.

I just wanted to warn everyone about those dash mats though. They are used to prevent sun damage on the top of the dash. The Delorean is known for the dash crumbling after some years of exposure to sunlight. Some owners have used those mats to protect it. The problem is that either the dash or the mat is off-gassing something that discolors the dash. It leaves a weird purple-brown color that can't be removed.

Your concerns are duly noted. It could be a choice of what is worst, vinyl deterioration or discoloration.

However, in our case adding the dash mat really had little to do with either of those considerations. It takes care of a completely different concern. I take a lot of photos while riding in the passenger's seat. The dash mat eliminated the reflections and glare I was getting on the windshield from the vinyl dash.

Truckin, I wanted to show you this right angle screw driver a long time ago but I could'nt find it until just now! Sorry.

I got it at Sears and it's a Craftsman unit. I hope this helps our other members who take this install on.:)

Thanks for the thought. That's exactly the kind of thing we were looking for but no one we asked had anything like that. We didn't think to go to Sears. I hope that will help others. You need to put some pressure on the screws, as they are self tapping, so you'd have push that one up while you did the ratchet.

A word of caution is in order for anyone who doesn't have a special angled screwdriver that will fit in the cubby hole (we looked all over town to no avail). The screwdriver put some minor scuffs in the outside of the dash during BIGGUY's first efforts. Today we put a few layers of duct tape down to give a barrier between the driver and the dash.
Has anyone noticed how delicate the plastic is throughout the RL's interior ?
I scuffed mine with a fingernail the other day........

Truckin' posted:
Thanks for the thought. That's exactly the kind of thing we were looking for but no one we asked had anything like that. We didn't think to go to Sears. I hope that will help others. You need to put some pressure on the screws, as they are self tapping, so you'd have push that one up while you did the ratchet.


You could drill a couple of small pilot holes so self-tapping screws start easily and go in straight.

Another source for a 90 degree screwdriver:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92630

Just ordered my Dash panel in beige, also ordered the 90 degree screwdriver. Can't wait to install the dash panel, makes that space usable.

Joe

I was curious as to the install and details of the plate, thanks to Truckin for the great photos.
Looking at it, maybe small toggle bolts would work better than the screws?

Sorry Guys & Gals ! Been REAL BUSY !!! This is what we use to install the dash plates.

There's no need to buy a 90 degree screwdriver. Just take a 1/4" ratchet with a 1/4" socket and put in a screwdriver head that comes with most drills/tool sets/interchangeable screwdrivers and thats it. Works just like the one shown in the pick's and it ratchet's too for faster screwing. :D

I just wanted to add a user opinion now that we've had ours installed a few weeks.

There is absolutely no rattle with this product. When it's closed, it snaps snuggly into place.

I would absolutely advise getting the black with the gray interior. It matches the dash color very well, much better than the lighter color would.