DIY Dash repair with pics

[psbnsx]

Some of us have cracks in the dashboard (up front and center) near where the dash meets the windshield. After searching these forums it appears there is no repair option other than an expensive replacement of the offending piece.

I have devised a very inexpensive cover. I made it from some thin black vinyl material that I had laying around. Fortunately it also has a grain to it that somewhat resembles the grain of the dash. It is cut such that it completely covers the cracks yet still leaves that round sensor exposed, and it's attached to the dash via double stick tape.

Are the results as nice as an uncracked dash? No.
Does it look better than before? Yes, I think so.
How much did it cost me? Absolutely nothing!
Is it reversible? Yes, if I don't like it I can peel it off.

Sounds like a good compromise to me!

 

[mickeylex]

I agree, your fix looks better than a cracked dash.

I think your project is a great quick fix and it's heading in the right direction. Nice to see someone take a shot at handling the dash crack.

If you have some more of that stuff laying around, you might want to try to cut a piece that leaves only the round sensor exposed. I think that might look even better since you are using cut vinyl. That way the gap between the new piece and the dash is not as noticeable.

 

[psbnsx]

Thank you for your comments. I think I will make another using your idea for a cover with just the round sensor opening instead of my original design.

I'll post pics of that, too.

______________________

Philippe

 

[psbnsx]

Here are the pictures of a newly designed cover for the dash cracks. I just made it, and I think it looks better than my original cover I made.

Philippe

 

[queenlives]

Some of us have cracks in the dashboard (up front and center) near where the dash meets the windshield. After searching these forums it appears there is no repair option other than an expensive replacement of the offending piece. <snip>

funny you should post this - just yesterday i uncovered my car, went for a ride and noticed that mine is cracked, too... was wondering how much it cost to replace that piece.

now i'll never know, cause i'm taking your 2nd attempt approach. thx for sharing.
hal

 

[dquarasr2]

Many thanks for a great idea!

Any chance you'd be willing to post the dimensions?

 

[needspeed]

You may get a better result using thinner material. Go down to office depot and take a look at some of the self bound notebooks. They have a very think black leather looking vinyl that will lay very flat on the surface.......Steve

 

[Hugh]

I wonder if removing the cracked dash piece, overlaying the vinyl "patch" then giving it a blast with a heat gun would "fuse" the pieces together. Then again if you're not careful you could end up with a gooey mess.

The second patch looks very good. Great idea.

 

[matteni]

Good work!

Please post the materials used, tools to prep the plastic, dimensions, and the adhesive you are using.

Thanks!

 

[psbnsx]

For those of you interested in making my dash crack cover here's some more information:

The patch itself is 38mm x 73mm. The hole is 15mm diameter.
The material I used happens to be some old black vinyl material I had laying around. I'll bet the same type of material could be found at any auto upholstery shop. I used an exacto knife to cut the material.

First, cut a rectangle 38 x about 90mm. Then cut the hole in the center of the rectangle (I used a 15mm washer to trace the opening.) Next lay the patch on the dash so that the hole is directly over the sensor. Then trim the length back until the patch fits nicely between the windshield and the raised part of the dash. In my case the final length was 73mm; it may be different in your car due to individual variations between cars.

Finally, I attached it to the dash with some common double sided tape placed on the back of the patch. I simply pressed it in place. Done.

I hope my instructions are clear! Good luck.

Philippe

 

[mickeylex]

Nice work.

You can also find textured vinyl at a local fabric store. I saw some at a JoAnn Fabrics while out getting some fabric for home project.

 

[D'Ecosse]

... I saw some at a JoAnn Fabrics while out getting some fabric for home project.

Dress-making, Nalesh? :biggrin:

 

[mickeylex]

Dress-making, Nalesh? :biggrin:

Well, it's summertime and I need some nice clothes to show off my sexy legs. :tongue:

 

[redshift]

Cool, good idea. I've also found that black epoxy fills in the gap nicely and is virtually undetectable.

 

[SoCalDude]

Cool, good idea. I've also found that black epoxy fills in the gap nicely and is virtually undetectable.

Does it come in black or do you have to mix color into it?

 

[Juice]

Sorry to disagree, but I think the fix here looks worse than the problem. You are now drawing attention to a problem that only a NSX owner would probably notice.

 

[Shumdit]

You can buy the epoxy in black. Looking at it, I would think one of the small liquid syringes used to give small children medicine (any Walgreens, etc. Pharmacy has them) would work to "inject" the mixed epoxy precisely in the void to minimize cleanup. I do not have a cracked dash (yet, knock on wood), but the pics seem to make it a possible soloution.

 

[redshift]

You can buy the epoxy in black. Looking at it, I would think one of the small liquid syringes used to give small children medicine (any Walgreens, etc. Pharmacy has them) would work to "inject" the mixed epoxy precisely in the void to minimize cleanup. I do not have a cracked dash (yet, knock on wood), but the pics seem to make it a possible soloution.

You can also use tape to mask the crack while applying the epoxy. Its a real pain to do it well, but it can be done with some patience. :smile:

 

[matteni]

Does it come in black or do you have to mix color into it?

Great question. Also - if you have done this would you please post a picture of your results?

 

[myf16]

Here's another idea. Wait for the AC evaporator to start leaking. Don't worry, it will leak if you wait long enough. Order the dash part, assuming it's still available (it's over $200, I think). The evap replacement requires removal of the entire dash, exposing the cracked piece. Remove and replace it, then continue the evap replacement. Problem solved!

Oh, and repeat every 10 years. :biggrin: