We all know the problem; most of us have had a dash start cracking on us, some of us have tried to fix it. The uncracked dash was one of the selling points for my overpriced '93, then one cold winter morn it split down the middle, front to back. Now I'm thinking about fixing it again.

I don't want a hard plastic dash cover because I've been told that those crack even faster than the original, and the carpet covers, while nice, just don't look quite right. Anyway, it'd annoy me knowing my dash was still cracked under the carpet.

So, everybody spill - how have you tried to fix the dash cracks, and has it worked?

I tried to fix it on the '82 GL. I used paintable silicone to fill the cracks - reasoning that it was flexible enough to hold up to the weather changes and had good adhesive qualities - and painted the whole mess with Krylon Fusion. It actually came out quite good for an $8 fix, even now, 6 months later, it looks far better than before I got to it. Fusion, with proper preparation, sticks extremely well to plastic and vinyl. BUT, the silicone handled the weather changes better than I'd hoped...when it got good and hot, the silicone expanded and rose above the level of the crack. So, no cracks, but seams where they were.

Another idea I have is to use something like epoxy putty to fill the cracks - it's shapable until it cures, I can apply texture to it, excellent adhesion, and it's hard when cured so it shouldn't expand back out of the crack in the heat. The only other concern is dying/painting the stuff to match the dash.

I also saw some black, Bondo brand bumper repair epoxy at the auto parts store. I was thinking if it's designed to fix a rubber bumper, why not a vinyl dash? My only concern there is applying texture before it cures.

One last idea: Perhaps I could use epoxy to fill most of the crack and provide support and adhesion, then cover only the very top with one of those garbage vinyl repair kits that never seem to work. Anyone tried one of those kits on the dash?

Any thoughts? I mean ANYTHING, repair ideas, opinions on dash covers, cost of uncracked dashes at junk yards, etc., etc.

Thanks!
--
-Sean, Thinking of calling my car 'Black Lung' for the cigarette burns in the seats, the Marlboro wrappers under the handbrake cover and the nicotine film all over the instrument cluster.

Check out this web site. I discovered it sometime ago but never have pursued it. I just use a cover for now that I got from IPD, I think. http://justdashes.com/FAQs.htm. Good luck.
--
1986 245: Turbo sway bars, Bilstein HD shocks.

>>>Free to good home, used, but like new condition dashmat for 240 Volvo<<<

(I'm pretty sure I still have this in the garage stored in a couple of zip lock bags.)

Although I had a crack free dash until a few years ago, I have always had a carpet dashmat on my 1990 240DL. This one was given to me by a friend a number of years ago from his wife's 240DL. Seems the wife rear ended a car and the damage wasn't too bad... until a pickup rear ended her, so then it was a total loss. This dashmat is a burnt umber color (reddish-brown).

Shipping only in the USA, honor system that the new owner sends me a check for actual shipping charges...(probably $5 via USPS priority mail).

Is it just me, or is part of being a 240 enthusiast, that you have a garage full of Volvo stuff that is just too good to throw away??

Log in and send me an e-mail if you want it.

John
--
If it needs to be maintained, repaired or replaced on a 1990 240, I've probably done it. '90 240DL, 245K looking forward to 300K badge. >>You haven't really worked on a car until you draw blood<< :-}

I'll take it, John, if shipping isn't much. It's not quite the right color, but would probably look better than the cracks and maybe I can pass it on when I figure out what to do about the cracks permanently.

Thanks for the offer! Very generous of you, and, you're right - being an old Volvo owner means having a bunch of parts that are too good to throw away but you can't use. I'll send you an e-mail...

Hmmm, I see new Volvo replacement pads at $266 from these guys:

http://www.myswedishparts.com/

Not cheap, but if I were going to want the dash renewed this is the way I would go. The labor involved and the age of used ones makes the idea of installing a junkyard dash cover unappealing.

All of the other band-aids likewise don't seem worth the effort.

To each their own!

John

Has anyone tried the expensive (and the admittedly less sporting) route and got the ABS plastic IPD dash cover?

Just wondering... something like that would be at the bottom of my "able to purchase" list... :-)

-Ryan

--
--------------------------
Athens, Ohio
1990 245 DL 130k M47, E-codes
1991 745 GL 280k (Girlfriend-mobile)
Buckeye Volvo Club

I'd love to hear how well they hold up as well. Even IPD's catalog warns that the hard plastic cover will eventually crack so I ain't about to spend the majority of my current "Volvo fund" to try one.

Oh yeah, and also the fact that they don't even offer one for the '93 disuades me. Forgot about that until just now when the IPD page loaded. I imagine the difference has only to do with the false speaker cover hole, but not sure.
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-Sean, Thinking of calling my car 'Black Lung' for the cigarette burns in the seats, the Marlboro wrappers under the handbrake cover and the nicotine film all over the instrument cluster.

Windshield sun visor mat to keep the sun out (my neighbors think I'm a dork), slightly cracked windows (weather permitting) to keep the heat out, ArmorAll. When it cracks, wear it like a badge. Kinda like the paint rot outside.

I've had an 87 that came with a few cracks in 2000 but it didn't crack more.
Now I have a 92 with a totally clean dash - Florida/Mississippi/Georgia car!

I avoid interior use of Armor All like the plague. It vaporizes from the dash (or whatever) and deposits itself on the inside of the windows, from which it is almost impossible to remove. Also, should you ever want to paint anything in the interior of that car, you will have nothing but trouble. The only thing I would use Armor All for is tires and the rubber part of bumpers.

Epoxy putty takes paint quite well, as long as it is thoroughly set. I think I like the idea of bumper repair compound better, though I've never tried it.

The problems with dashboards from the junkyard are several: First off, they can be very difficult to find---I've never seen a perfect one for an 85-90 740. They all crack down the middle, usually in a V or Y shape, and the tan ones fade to an ugly purplish color. For some reason, the early 240 ones (75-79) seem to be more durable than the later kind. The flat top 140 is even better. Many of these are still intact after 35 years.

After you've found one, you have to get it out without damage, and then into your car. Changing a dash is a complex, time consuming task. If you twist or flex it at all, it will be much more likely to crack in the near future. This usually seems to happen in extremely cold weather.

Be careful, Dag. Mine was a Florida/California car with an uncracked dash too. Then one winter day - *SPLIIIIT*

I wanted to scream. People say its the heat that cracks 'em, but you know what I've noticed about vinyl? It expands in the heat and contracts in the cold. The UV and heat might weaken the vinyl, but I think it's when the dash material gets good and cold that it starts to crack. Just a theory.

Thanks, man.
--
-Sean, Thinking of calling my car 'Black Lung' for the cigarette burns in the seats, the Marlboro wrappers under the handbrake cover and the nicotine film all over the instrument cluster.

Pick and pull, not that hard to find a good 90-93 dash. Not hard to swap.

hi Robert.
im suprised you seen some good ones.
never seen a good one at the mans mall.
the newish 83 turbo from a volvo mechanic had a replacement dash and its allready cracked.
good luck
mike

Hi Bob,

I found one without any cracks, brought it home and stored it out of the way in the basement, hanging from hooks in the ceiling joists. After a year, I noticed a new split in its covering. Just looked yesterday, (maybe two years now?) it is cracked in two places.

So... I guess it wouldn't have fared much better put to use, with sunshade or without. Or maybe moisture swells the foam?
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere.

Is it possible that hanging the dash is the cause of the splits? I had a notion that maybe another element in the dash crack equation is the stress put on it (if any) when one drives like a psycho, i.e. cornering on two wheels.

Could body roll/flex stress the vinyl?

I recently noticed four or five 240's in Fredericksburg that have uncracked dashes. All are '90+ models, so maybe they're due and will develop cracks soon, but it still makes me envious. Maybe I should ask them their secret.
--
-Sean, Thinking of calling my car 'Black Lung' for the cigarette burns in the seats, the Marlboro wrappers under the handbrake cover and the nicotine film all over the instrument cluster.

Hi Sean,

I haven't a clue what really cracks the dashes, whether the vinyl gets brittle or the foam changes or what. I always thought it was the sun, so I bought some of those folding sunshades and used them in Summer. Reading this thread gives me serious doubts about that theory.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

My father said there are two kinds of people in the world: givers and takers.
The takers may eat better, but the givers sleep better.

Well, there you go Art, you need to invest in a dash humidor. I gotta go up into the attic to check something, I think my nitrogen tank needs switching....

Sean,

This seems to be my own secret. Nobody has said a word about it:

easy to do,
looks great,
protects,
last long,
ages with the car.

This is what you do:

find a nice piece of leather that you like. Cut it to the desired form. Glue it with contact sement (a rubbery glue) - and that is it!!! The edges will smooth out over time.

Tell me what you think,

Gadi

Sean,

This seems to be my own secret. Nobody has said a word about it:

easy to do,
looks great,
protects,
last long,
ages with the car.

This is what you do:

find a nice piece of leather that you like. Cut it to the desired form. Glue it with contact sement (a rubbery glue) - and that is it!!! The edges will smooth out over time.

Tell me what you think,

Gadi

Gadi, I thought about that - I have some leather lying around because I make holsters and sheaths with it, I thought about covering it up. It wouldn't look original, but if it looks nice, does it really matter? My hardwood handbrake cover is far from original but I think it's one of the best things my car has going for it. I may consider that. Thanks for bringing it up!
--
-Sean, Thinking of calling my car 'Black Lung' for the cigarette burns in the seats, the Marlboro wrappers under the handbrake cover and the nicotine film all over the instrument cluster.

You can get the dash at cheap prices from PNP's, but the problem is getting one uncracked.
I don't think a dash mat looks too bad- some of the better ones look ok.
My brother found a good dash at PNP and put it in - looks great. I think this is the only option besides getting a mat- repairs to a cracked dash are pretty noticeable. Or, you could just leave it- a cracked dash is almost a 240 'signature'!

This is a new problem I am facing as well. I heard a while back about using a hot glue gun with black glue. I think it will stay flexible enough, but only time will tell. I plan on putting the IPD fabric cover on over the repairs after that (new cracks will keep coming). I bought the black glue off of ebay and am getting the gun in the morning. I'll post again tomorrow on how the initial repair turns out.

That's actually not a bad idea. Let us know how it turns out, I've got a hot glue gun or two.
--
-Sean, Thinking of calling my car 'Black Lung' for the cigarette burns in the seats, the Marlboro wrappers under the handbrake cover and the nicotine film all over the instrument cluster.

Well. Went at the dash cracks with the hot glue gun today. The black glue looks great but it is a trick to get it in there just right. I finally found that the best thing to do was get a small bead on there and let it cool just a second and smooth it in with my finger (comes right off), then scraping the excess film from the sides of the crack going over with my fingernail perpendicular to it. The hardest part was getting small enough a bead. Maybe the glue gun I bought today at Sears is no good. I'd feed the stick in a bit and the glue would come oozing out fast or not at all. There is no in between. I actually ran out of time today and will need to continue later this week. But I give this method a tentative thumbs up for now. I will make an independent post later this week after some more work, a little driving and a few sunny days.

On one car I used Black silicone rubber, and it blends and looks pretty reasonable and has held up for a couple of years. It did seperate some after some years but still looks reasonable. Finally got a volvo with no cracks in the dash, and have been driving it for the past year, and this summer the dash cracked. Was thinking about a cover simple to preserve the dash, but have not done anything with it yet. I do not think epoxy will work because it is not flexible. Think silicone rubber, or perhaps a simpe latex sealant that remains somewhat flexible is the best. Perhaps I will try the latex on my newer 90.

Come to think of it, I believe it was a latex I used on the dash I tried to seal up. Like I said, it still looks ok, but after it got good and hot, it expanded out the hole and left a bump instead of a crack. But go for it, the more of us that try it the more likely we are to hit upon a good method.
--
-Sean, Thinking of calling my car 'Black Lung' for the cigarette burns in the seats, the Marlboro wrappers under the handbrake cover and the nicotine film all over the instrument cluster.

My opinion (this is strictly opinionated nothing more):

Dash mats are the best solution. They keep heat out of the car in summer and preserve appearance.

It is generally not worth replacing the dash pad because new is out of the question, and used is usually synonymous wiht "demolished".

I have had numerous 240s, few with dash cracks. But once cracked, repairs are usually near impossible because of what you're trying to do. THat's why I say, dash mats are not bad. I have seen attempted dashboard repairs before on theft recovery vehicles and cracked dashes, and they all look like sh*t.

--------------
Chris Herbst
VA/DC Metro

Had a "professional" Dash repair person fix one crack in the dash of our 92 245. What he used was similar in texture to bumper repair epoxy. The repair is virtually invisible and has lasted over a year without a single sign of failure. Price tag for the work was $50.00.

jorrell
--
89 244 171K miles, 92 245 236K miles, 06 XC70, 00 Eclipse custom Turbo setup

hi there.
i have the form fitted plastic cover and used velcro to attach (as ipd suggests) then i put a carped over that?
i like the carpet myself.
i probably seen 1,000 junkyard 240s and never seen one without a cracked dash.
i seen a couple with almost no cracks.
was it a volvo recall? think they will give us new one :*)
i bet if someone would like to spend the money on a specialty shop it could be redone.
good luck
mike

I've got a cracked up dash on a parts car and I think I'm going to experiment with removing all of the pieces of vinyl and then cover the whole thing with laminating epoxy (West Systems) and then fiberglass over the thing. The epoxy should stabilize the dash and once it has been fiberglassed, it could be primed and painted.
The downside of this is that the "leather" grain of the original dash won't be in the new one, but if it's a dark blue or black dash, I don't think it would really matter much.

Another option, if additional thickness wouldn't be an issue would be to apply the epoxy with a stiffener/fiber mixed in it to fill in all of the cracks, sand, and then contact glue new vinyl over the old dash. This method may prove to give a more original look.

I've got this on the "to do" list, but it may be a while before I can get to it.

Everyone has made suggestions concerning the aestheic appearence of the dash, but what really cracks is the foam-esque layer underneath the vinyl. I think the sollution is involves some way of stabilizing the form of the dash through the use of today's awesome plastics or by "fiber-glassing" the dash. I betcha Kane has this one figured out already, he's a genius with plastics and fiberglass on our cars...I'd wish he'd chime in.


Kane??


Kane?! You out there dude?

havent seen kane posting here lately?
too bad as he has some good info.
later
mike