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Cracked dashes - thoughts? 200

posted by  scorron on  Sun Sep 10 12:27 CST 2006
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last visit: Tue Oct 7 21:10 CST 2014
[RELATED]

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.






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