Fixing a cracked dash pad

[stepside-mitch]

Anyone ever used bondo to patch the cracks on their dash pad? I would imagine it turning out halfway decent if it is done right

[black_sheep454]

The hardest part would be matching the texture. It may look good for a while but they 2 different materials will expand and contract and 2 way different rates so it will probably crack back fast being hit with the sun right next to the windshield.
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[JRANGER]

I bought an overlay online for about $115 on ebay....I test fitted it and it looks great!

[jitteryguy]

Originally Posted by JRANGER

I bought an overlay online for about $115 on ebay....I test fitted it and it looks great!

I'd like to see it after you install it, be sure and post some picture's !

[OleBlue79]

Look what I found.
http://www.urethanesupply.com/produc...stype=products

You could do like I said, trim the turned up edges on the cracks, apply this stuff to fill in the cracks, sand everything down, spray with truck bed liner and paint. As far as the speaker grill I think I would just fill it in. Nobody uses them anymore anyway.

[Rogue_Alphonse]

I used expanding foam and shaved/sanded it down, also wanted to make the dash contoured so I used it as filler. Then I wrapped it in pergo [you know, hardwood floating floors] foor insulation before using two layers of fabric. Honestly it was thrown together but turned out better than I had expected!

[JRANGER]

Originally Posted by jitteryguy

I'd like to see it after you install it, be sure and post some picture's !

Will do...Im going to get my floor pans welded this weekend but I will prob start on that in a week or so....Ill go ahead and put it on as a test fit again and snap a photo this weekend as a teaser for ya

[JRANGER]

OK here is my nasty dash pad and here is it with the ebay cover laying on it..I will just have to cut the high points and then smooth and clean it all...The cover comes with adhesive and that will be that

[special-K]

It won't work for the reason given by Black Sheep 454. Bondo is meant to go onto rigid material and the dash pad is soft vinyl over foam (flexible). They crack because they lose their flexibility

[travis401]

theres a bunch of people over on my car forum (common problem to have a dash pad crack on 3rd gen f bodies too) that full the cracks with a sandable flexible epoxy then wrap the dash in vinyl. they usually turn out looking good. there was even one guy who fiberglassed and airbrushed his.

[ont_guy_38]

Lots of threads on the subject if you do a search

[broey]

if you fiberglass the cracks first you can use bondo as a filler to smooth everything out.

[JRANGER]

check this link out....Basically you have to sand down your raised spots, use alcohol wipes, and then spread adhesive on your dash..This will lay over it and look great!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DASH-PAD-REP...item1c227a1a00

[OleBlue79]

Trim down the turned up edges around the crack. Fill in the cracks with Great Stuff foam. Spray the entire thing with spray can bedliner and paint to desired color.

[Pop's C-10]

Originally Posted by OleBlue79

Trim down the turned up edges around the crack. Fill in the cracks with Great Stuff foam. Spray the entire thing with spray can bedliner and paint to desired color.

that is a good idea..

[Texasupton1]

Does anyone have any photos of this? What could you use for speaker grid?

[mongoose]

theres a guy on here who patched his then put bed liner on and painted it..

looked good from the pictures, i was going to do that with mine, cover the speaker holes as well.

[oldschool18]

and theres a 7.5 tv in the middle in case anyone didnt know what it was....haha

[broey]

fiber glass and bondo for mine too.

[Stepper86]

I used flexible epoxy oon mine, and painted it. You can still see the cracks from sertain angles. But it was easy and didn´t require much work so Im happy with the result. It´s a bad picture. But you can see a small ridge just over the steering wheel. I will take it out at some point and wrap it in tweed, but for now it´s good enough.

[bigwheel15]

Originally Posted by Stepper86

I used flexible epoxy oon mine, and painted it. You can still see the cracks from sertain angles. But it was easy and didn´t require much work so Im happy with the result. It´s a bad picture. But you can see a small ridge just over the steering wheel. I will take it out at some point and wrap it in tweed, but for now it´s good enough.

Looks nice, what is flexible epoxy and where did you get it?

[Stepper86]

It´s similar to silicone sealer, the stuff u use to seal windows and frames on a house. But this stuff acts like a glue and you can paint it. I used something called Sikaflex, you can all so use windshield glue ( used on cars that don´t have a rubber seal like our trucks)
Just lay a bead in the crack and level it up with piece of plasticard, like when you apply bodyfiller. When it has cured you can trim it down with razorblade or a sharp knife if needed.
If the edges of the crack are sticking up put a piece of plasticfoil over the crack and weight it down with something while curing.

[OleBlue79]

That looks good. I bought one like it for my 79 from another vendor on line. The thing to remember with these things is that in 78 I think Chevrolet moved the VIN number to the dash from the door post. If you have one of these you have to either cut a hole in it so the VIN is visible or don't apply the adhesive. Mine looked too good to risk messing it up by cutting a hole in it so I did not use the adhesive. It's been on the dash for close to a year with no problems.

[JRANGER]

hmmm, I will double check but I didnt see a vin on my dashpad

[OleBlue79]

I think they moved the VIN tag to the dash in 1979. I have a 78 parts truck and it seems I remember the VIN tag on the door pillar on that one.