Cracked dash - what are my options?

[Guest]

I have a crack in the dash of my 2002tii 1972. I have a 69 LeMans that I have used a dash cap on and it looks fine - is anything like this available for a 2002?

[Harv]

Yea there is a cap but it's for the 74 on one piece dash. You can use it on a two or three piece dash but it will look like the one piece dash.

Other than that there is Just Dashes. It will cost you about 900 bucks or so, but will get you a new dash out of yours.

I think there are some patching methods but I'm not familiar with them.

John

[1936spyder]

Yep-

Just Dashes is a good option, also 2002AD sells recovered upper 2 piece dashes for $600 + core exchange. They have a pic on there website. I've been tempted to do this myself...

If you don't wanna throw down the bills right now for that, I had a really nice 2-piece velour dash mat made by the California Car Cover Co. that only set me back about $50. It hides the cracks on the upper portion and if you wanna keep the lower exposed (if it's clean/uncracked like mine), just don't use the lower piece. It has a very nice finished look-good tailoring/fit. If you want pics. lemme know...

Wen

[SteveJ]

I'm running a toupe on my car as well. Came with the car from the PO.

Yes, it looks like Hell, but if I peel back the carpet and expose the cracked dash women faint and little children run away.

I got a chuckle out of the insurance appraiser. Sits in my car and says the interior looks really nice...as he runs his hand over the carpeted dash.

$50 and to the uninitiated your dash will look presentable.

It will be a long time before I can justify that many hundred dollars for a dash. I'd rather spend it on rubber and rally entries.

[Otis]

In my opinion and very recent experience, don't "eff" around -- yank the dash and ship it to Just Dashes. It will take a long time (the polar ice caps will probably melt before you get your dash back), but the expense, effort, etc., will be time and money very, very well spent. There are several words for their work -- stunning, exceptional, perfect -- etc., etc., etc.

[jerry]

i very recently 'rehabbed' a ratty, cracked dash with missing vinyl.

i sanded every crack till smooth (they tend to curl up at the edges) and filled with flexible bondo (it's typically used on plastic bumpers and as a type of thin glazing filler). sanded smooth and reapplied as necessary.

after cleaning whole dash thoroughly, i sprayed with SEM brand textured coating to apply a light texture to even out the appearance. don't need a lot, btw.

when dry i resprayed with 'landau black' vinyl spray from eastwoods.

i am VERY pleased with the appearance. it's NOT perfect, but so very much better looking. just respraying a faded dash with the landau black would do a lot to freshen the look in its own right.

[SteveJ]

I'd love to do that, but I fear I would need a permit from the city to bring in enough fill for the canyons in my dash.

Post a pic.

[jerry]

Post a pic.

this is a copy from my project page. i lightened the photo before reposting so the black appears alittle washed-out. the area below the plastic bag was all cracked and is virtually hidden now. i'm confident i could have done more for the big crack at the end of the heater vent but it doesn't bother me enough to continue.

this was a dash destined for replacement until i played with it.

[mtriple]

Any opinions on the BMP dash cover? I have one waiting to be installed in my garage..

[SHEN]

The dash cap say's its for a one pice dash but I have a 73tii with a two piece and it fits great. BMP will have it (Thats were I got mine) ..

[MikeWooldridge]

I have a crack in the dash of my 2002tii 1972. I have a 69 LeMans that I have used a dash cap on and it looks fine - is anything like this available for a 2002?

If there is a "Dr Vinyl" franchise nearby, give them a call. Mine was fixed 3 years ago and still looks quite good...not perfect, but not noticeable at all.