Printable Version of Topic
Click here to view this topic in its original format
914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Dashtop crack can it be repaired?
Posted by: jrblackbox Mar 15 2018, 12:15 PM
Anybody have any luck repairing small cracks in the dashtop? maybe some type of filler or vinyl repair? TIA
Posted by: mepstein Mar 15 2018, 12:20 PM
You can repair the crack but not the cause of the crack. It’s going to happen to 45 year old foam and vinyl. The better, thicker plastic dash caps look very good or treat yourself to a new 914rubber dash pad if you want it to look new again.
Posted by: mmichalik Mar 15 2018, 12:23 PM
I just received my new dashtop from 914rubber.com and I have to say it looks awesome!
Posted by: jrblackbox Mar 15 2018, 12:31 PM
I'm way to cheap to buy new! After all it is just a small crack, not worth replacing the whole top.
Posted by: mepstein Mar 15 2018, 12:38 PM
I'm way to cheap to buy new! After all it is just a small crack, not worth replacing the whole top.
Call it patina and move on.
Posted by: Mikey914 Mar 15 2018, 03:40 PM
yes it can be repaired and retextured. It will crack again around it eventually. It's the mature of the beast. It's way cheaper to slap on a cap. If you don't care about the authenticity. Daily driver why not just use a cap?
Posted by: jrblackbox Mar 15 2018, 05:45 PM
Some things I am way to anal about I guess.
Posted by: Mikey914 Mar 15 2018, 06:03 PM
That's why we make the replacement dashes 
Posted by: boxstr Mar 15 2018, 07:01 PM
You might check with a local automotive dealership that sells used vehicles. Talk to the used car manger or sales manager and ask if they have a detail person that makes vinyl repairs on there cars.
Craig at CAMP
Posted by: toolguy Mar 15 2018, 07:17 PM
get a carpet dash saver. . I have one that is molded to fit all the curvatures. . were readily available 'back in the day'. . .
Posted by: 98101 Mar 15 2018, 08:37 PM
That's why we make the replacement dashes
I love that, but it will be pretty hard to install in my 1970 without the side vents.
Posted by: Mikey914 Mar 15 2018, 08:52 PM
That's why we make the replacement dashes
I love that, but it will be pretty hard to install in my 1970 without the side vents.
The side vents are not part of the upper dash (lower). You can use on a early. In fact the orange car I show it pictured on is one of the 1st 400 cars made.
Posted by: Mikey914 Mar 15 2018, 08:57 PM
Here ya go, and yes about 1/8” at the glovebox clearance
Attached thumbnail(s)
Posted by: 98101 Mar 15 2018, 09:01 PM
That's why we make the replacement dashes
I love that, but it will be pretty hard to install in my 1970 without the side vents.
The side vents are not part of the upper dash (lower). You can use on a early. In fact the orange car I show it pictured on is one of the 1st 400 cars made.
I get that. But the R&R instructions make it seem much easier to reach the fasteners via the side vents that I don't have.
Posted by: mepstein Mar 16 2018, 03:53 AM
That's why we make the replacement dashes
I love that, but it will be pretty hard to install in my 1970 without the side vents.
The side vents are not part of the upper dash (lower). You can use on a early. In fact the orange car I show it pictured on is one of the 1st 400 cars made.
I get that. But the R&R instructions make it seem much easier to reach the fasteners via the side vents that I don't have.
Replacing a dash pad is a bitch no matter what year. It's just one of those things that takes time and patience. Just 9 or ten 13mm nuts but each one takes some time to work through.
Posted by: Vacca Rabite Mar 16 2018, 09:24 AM
Oh neat! I really like the carpet on your car Mark. How did you go about doing that?
Zach
Posted by: malcolm2 Mar 16 2018, 10:01 AM
Try YouTube. I remember several videos that repair very large cracks with baking soda. The vinyl kits from auto parts stores have little hot irons that work well. I have only used them on my boat tho.
Posted by: bbrock Mar 16 2018, 10:23 AM
I've been intrigued with this site: http://www.docstotalpackage.net/ He has a lot of videos on YouTube (search "docstotalpackage") but warning, they are anything BUT professional. Wonder what others think.
I've wasted way too much time looking at dash repair videos on YouTube. The problem is that almost all of them repair the cracks using a variety of methods, but then spray the entire dash with a texturing product. It makes a nice repair, but doesn't match what was originally there. Videos showing how to repair AND match the color and texture are harder to find.
Posted by: mepstein Mar 16 2018, 10:34 AM
The problem is the whole dash is 45 years old so once it starts cracking, it won't stop. It will just crack in a different area.
Posted by: Chris914n6 Mar 17 2018, 12:17 AM
Find a vinyl upholstery guy. Ask around at restaurants if you need a reference.
Otherwise a dashmat. Keeps the sun's rays and heat off the dash and it will last longer, plus hides flaws.
Posted by: Mikey914 Mar 17 2018, 08:28 AM
The upholstery guys will want to "wrap" them. We have a guy and he does a good job, but there are issues with getting the corners around the cluster all the way down. He did a nice French stitch across the front of the cluster. Looked good, but you are not hundreds of dollars, and for the effort you might as well put something that's OEM looking and isn't "puffy".
My personal opinion is to -
1- get the vinyl kit for texturing, give it a shot
2- if you don't like it put a dash cap on it
3- replace the unit
I'd go new, for the reasons listed above.
Really depends on your budget and time you want to throw at it.
Posted by: mepstein Mar 17 2018, 08:42 AM
The upholstery guys will want to "wrap" them. We have a guy and he does a good job, but there are issues with getting the corners around the cluster all the way down. He did a nice French stitch across the front of the cluster. Looked good, but you are not hundreds of dollars, and for the effort you might as well put something that's OEM looking and isn't "puffy".
My personal opinion is to -
1- get the vinyl kit for texturing, give it a shot
2- if you don't like it put a dash cap on it
3- replace the unit
I'd go new, for the reasons listed above.
Really depends on your budget and time you want to throw at it.
We had to get a couple 911 dash tops done when the supply of new ones dried up for a while. They cost $350-400 to get done. JustDashes charges double that. Might as well buy new.
Posted by: gothspeed Mar 19 2018, 09:11 AM
The problem is the whole dash is 45 years old so once it starts cracking, it won't stop. It will just crack in a different area.
+1 .. I have been trying my hand at 'repairing' my dash pad. I found the surface material to be very brittle and I ended up removing a lot of it. I used a fiberglass filler to restore the shape of the area above the gauges. I have sanded it smooth and am considering doing a texture paint or matte felt finish, as done on some race cars.
Posted by: Mikey914 Mar 19 2018, 09:24 AM
It's basically the way they were made.
The OEM version was a 2 sided mold. That the thin vinyl (surface) was pulled into one side and the the frame was put into the other side. Foam was them shot into the cavity. Thia gave the dash some "give". Unfortunately, differential rates of expansion and contraction work to create cracks at focal points for the stress. This is why they all crack in the same areas.
We believe ours to be better in that using a more dense material that self skins the density is more uniform and the substructure is more stable. This is all done under very high pressure (as some of you may remember me mentioning blowing out my molds. It was definitely a trial and error process, and there are still variables we have to control, but we've finally got it down.
Posted by: Mblizzard Mar 19 2018, 10:06 AM
While my wife has very little interest in my 914 one of the things she insisted on me fixing, and fixing right, was the dash. When I asked her why she was so insistent on fixing the dash right she provided some very simple and insightful reasons.
She said that the one thing that you always see as a driver and passenger in the car is the dash. You have to look out across the dash every minute you are in the car. If there is a scratch on the side of the car you may only see it every so often when you look directly at it. But you look directly at the dash every time your drive or ride in the car. That is something that is worth fixing right even if it is expensive.
She insisted on a new dash. So should you. Just my thoughts.
On fixing a dash. There are ways and some are better than others. I had a very good friend that explained to me that basic truth in older cars is that the plastics and vinyl's were not designed to last. The plasticizers used in them were very prone to breakdown by UV light and once a dash starts cracking it will never stop.
So the bottom line is if your dash is cracked in one spot, it is cracked in 100's of other spots that you just cant see. Don't bother with repairs. Replace or cover are the only options that result in lasting results.
Posted by: ericoneal Mar 19 2018, 11:18 AM
Just throwing this out there...
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/768405-recovered-my-dashboard-plasti-dip.html
Posted by: gothspeed Mar 19 2018, 02:41 PM
Thanks for the replies. I could get one from 914 rubber but if I could fix it I would be money ahead for other stuff. That plasti-dip texture may look acceptable with a matte finish.
I will look into some other finishes as well and report back the results. Otherwise it may have to be the 914 rubber version 
Posted by: mepstein Mar 19 2018, 03:45 PM
The thick plastic dash cap is amazingly good. Not stiock but it just snaps on and you’re done.
Powered by Invision Power Board (http://www.invisionboard.com)
© Invision Power Services (http://www.invisionpower.com)