Great Dash repair for under $30.00!!!

[alfaman]

by the way...shouldn't this thread be moved to the restoration area?

[GTV-GR]

...about the woodgrain, as above mentioned go to a hobby-crafts store they have this thin sheets of quality wood (balsa) for r/c planes, cut them down and paint them with a lacquer.

[akitaman]

Bumper repair, is pretty much the same. I'd use it.

[steve69]

That's impressive. Although I confess to having a dash cap, I have never put it in. Since I have two dashboards I think I'll give it a try. Not nearly as bad as the one you show. Incidentally, the foam filler is a pretty good fix, as the density and chemistry are the same. This should prevent the pulling back that was mentioned.

[karmat]

I know this is an old thread... but Akitaman, you rock! I'm trying this out this week.

Karl

[GTVnut]

Mate, you are a genius! Sensational.

[lowmileage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by karmat I know this is an old thread... but Akitaman, you rock! I'm trying this out this week. Karl

[john.harrill]

Finding myself unemployed, I decided to tackle the rehab of the dash in my '78 spider while I have the time. I'm in the process right now.

I used the 3M Automix sandable bumper filler and it works great! The dash was almost terminal, with many deep cracks. I sanded and filled them. Mixing the two parts of the filler produces a substance that is both durable and sands very well.

I have applied the first coad of Dupli-Color truck bed liner and I like the texture. The color is not consistant between the repaired areas and the rest of the surface.

Will applying the dash paint remedy this?

[akitaman]

Yes, dash paint will. But I would apply one more coat of the bed liner first. This has tends to blend it out .

[GTVnut]

Hey John any chance of some pics so that we can all benefit from your experience with this method?
Cheers
Jon

Quote:

Originally Posted by john.harrill Finding myself unemployed, I decided to tackle the rehab of the dash in my '78 spider while I have the time. I'm in the process right now. I used the 3M Automix sandable bumper filler and it works great! The dash was almost terminal, with many deep cracks. I sanded and filled them. Mixing the two parts of the filler produces a substance that is both durable and sands very well. I have applied the first coad of Dupli-Color truck bed liner and I like the texture. The color is not consistant between the repaired areas and the rest of the surface. Will applying the dash paint remedy this?

[john.harrill]

I'll try and borrow my teenager's SureShot and post some pictures tomorrow.

[john.harrill]

So, here are the photos of the dash repair.
1. As recommended on the BB, I user the 3M Automix EZ Sand Flexible Parts Repair. The 3M numbers are 5896A and B. This is neat stuff. Very much like regular epoxy, it mixes well and sets quickly. Mix small amounts at a time. Dupli-Color Truck Bed Coating (in the blue spay can) produces a rough, almost granular finish. Dupli-Color Vinyl and Fabric paint provides a way to even out the color after the initial layers of bed liner coating.
2. Unfortunately, I have no before pictures. Here is the front view of the repaired dash.
3. This is the top. On the passenger side there were 3 cracks that extended from the nose of the dash to the windshield. Each defroster vent had a crack going from the vent to the base of the windshield. Two additional cracks went from the driver’s defrost vent: one to the nose of the dash and the other to the depression where the main gauges reside. There was an additional, small split above the turn signal indicator.

• After a thorough cleaning, I used a DA sander and removed the edges of the vinyl where it had puckered. The sander worked okay, however I hand-sanded using 60-grit to bring the areas around the gaps to below the level of the surrounding dash.
• I mixed the Automix on a paper plate and began by pushing the material as far into the gaps as possible. A plastic knife or popsicle stick works well for this. I added enough of the material to build it above the surrounding area. I had to re-apply the Automix twice to get everything up to the proper level. Next, I sanded using 120-, 160-, 300-, then 800-grit sandpaper. I did not apply any body putty over the filler material.
• I applied 3 coats of truck bed liner, lightly sanding (800-grit) between coats. I allowed 2-3 hours between coats. Even after the layers of bed liner were applied and sanded there was a noticeable difference between the filled cracks and the rest of the dash. I despaired that I might have to start over from the beginning. However, once the vinyl and fabric paint was sprayed on, the color evened-out perfectly.
• There are still a few issues with the dash: The nose on the passenger side small depressions just behind the edge. Probably caused by white-knuckle driving sometime in the past. Next time I will expand the areas on which I apply the Automix to get a more consistent finish.

[akitaman]

Are you happy with it?

[john.harrill]

Quote:

Originally Posted by akitaman Are you happy with it?

[GTVnut]

John thanks so much to responding in such a detailed way, great pics, the result looks good and the explanation is great too. I'll do a detailed post when I repair the dash in my sud. Hopefully the 3m filler is available in Oz.
Best regards
Jon