How To Repair Cracked Auto Dash

When restoring older cars, it is oft too expensive to replace a cracked dashboard. And, that is assuming a new dash board is available. In cases where new parts are too expensive, too difficult to observe, or incommunicable to notice, you will need to restore what is already there. The padded dashboard on this 1971 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser is a good instance.

Step 1

As you can see, this dashboard has a hole that needs to be repaired. Almost one-time cars and some new cars have dashboards made from vinyl over urethane foam. Over fourth dimension in the sun, the vinyl gets brittle and the dash board gets cracks. Many newer dashboard don't have whatever foam at all. Instead, they are made from injection molded TPO or ABS. But, these dashboards can also get cracked or become holes from exposure to the sun.

Step ii

Use fourscore grit or 180 grit sandpaper to bevel into the harm. Make sure that you sand out any dried-out and crusty foam, too.

Step 3

Melt some of the polyurethane welding rod into the void that was created when y'all sanded out the crusty, dried out foam. The urethane rod is very flexible and closely simulates the urethane foam. Turn the temperature all of the style up and the melted rod come out bubbly. Some of the bubbles remain encapsulated within the polyurethane and simulates the foam even more. Overfill the hole slighly. You volition exist sanding it downward and it is better to overfill slightly than having to find out that you need to melt more than polyurethane rod into the hole later on you have sanded it. Of import Note:If you accept ane of the newer dashboards that don't accept any cream, you may skip this footstep.

Step 4

This is what information technology looks similar after filling the hole.

Step 5

Use 80 grit sandpaper to sand the urethane level with the surrounding area. The urethane is very stretchy and elastic and then, if you employ actually curt strokes when you sand, it may just stretch back and forth rather than getting ground away. A proficient manner to prevent the back-and-along stretching is to put your pollex on height of the sandpaper over the area that you need to sand. And so, pull the sandpaper while maintaining downward pressure with your thumb over the urethane.

Pace half dozen

This is what the damaged area looks like after the urethane welding rod was sanded down.

Step 7

Mix some Padded Dash Filler with the foam hardener according to the instructions. Utilise a spreader to apply the Padded Nuance Filler to the damaged area.

Step 8

Allow fourth dimension for the Padded Dash Filler to cure. Sand it smooth starting with 180 grit sandpaper and and so 320 dust sand paper.

Footstep ix

This is how it looks later sanding polish the Padded Dash Filler.

Step 10

Spray on Flextex VT. You lot may want to spray the texture coating on something else showtime. You will get different size texture depending on your spray gun settings and how much y'all reduce (dilute) the Flextex with lacquer thinner.

Step xi

Sometimes, the Flextex may get footling "nibs" on information technology that tin can hands be knocked off by lightly scuffing the surface with a scuff pad.

Footstep 12

This is what it looks like. Of course, Flextex is black. If your dashboard is black, you lot are finished. If non, you are going to need to put a coat of paint over the top of the Flextex.