Dashboard repair

[anthperry]

Before I start thinking about replacing my current cracked dashboard, has anyone had any good results repairing one?

Anth

[Blanca]

In the same boat here, three cracks, one from screen to speeds. , 20+ years ago I bought a kit on eBay that had a liquid vinyl and some grained patches you ironed onto the finished job that blended in the grain.,, not seen lately. thought of using black hot glue but the finish doesn't blend with the old stuff very well,
Considering the size of the problem with many old cars suffering the same fate I would have thought a solution other than a re-skin would be about.
Mind you, it seems anything over t5 years old now is commercially considered just so much scrap.

[anthperry]

There’s a dashboard cap available which clips over the top and for what it is actually looks like it does a good job. Problem is I can only seem to find it for LHD Motors!

If I’m going to repair then it’ll need to be something that can be done with it in situ. If it’s coming out then it makes sense to replace with a solid one.

[twenty]

In the same boat here, three cracks, one from screen to speeds. , 20+ years ago I bought a kit on eBay that had a liquid vinyl and some grained patches you ironed onto the finished job that blended in the grain.,, not seen lately. thought of using black hot glue but the finish doesn't blend with the old stuff very well,
Considering the size of the problem with many old cars suffering the same fate I would have thought a solution other than a re-skin would be about.
Mind you, it seems anything over t5 years old now is commercially considered just so much scrap.

Checkout the various videos from the Sweet Project, staring with

[martauto]

A very simple idea
What do you fill the cracks with and how do you prepare them first ?

Mart.

[flybynite]

Checkout the various videos from the Sweet Project,

The issue with E30 Dashboards is they are not solid plastic like that repair, when they crack, there is damage to the foam underneath and the crack leaves a kind of 'wound' with raised edges because the crack is formed by the vinyl pulling away from each other.

To have the dash level again the crack needs to be cut back quite a distance. If you don't do that matching the grain won't help as there will still be a visible hump.

I have not seen a E30 dash crack fully hidden without covering or spraying it completely with something. Still have 3 cracked dashboards waiting to be proved wrong

[Blanca]

A very simple idea
What do you fill the cracks with and how do you prepare them first ?

Mart.

You need to warm the edges with a heat gun and push the crack inwards as will be raised, use plastic filler putty and fill deep into the crack then make sure you have a nice level finish Then as it says in the video press the grain into the putty and allow to dry, it will be 99% good if you are careful and take you time. I did a Rover SD1 some (many, many) years ago and it was almost invisible.
I also tried one of the plastic over caps on my Mercedes Cosworth, it was OK but tweeter holes and edges were not too good.

[skintsaint]

Been looking around for years for a way to repair these easily, found it best to just buy a dash mat to hide it all