Dashboard restoration

[ixfxi]

Originally Posted by blkvrtswp

Console cover arrived today, here are some pics draped over a spare console I have. Fitment looks great, but I think the console will be easy compared to the dash!

ah man... you have no clue what you are in for.


my dash is done, the center console + door panels are the tough parts.

You see, you're just draping shit over the OEM parts, you havent actually attempted to piece all of the puzzle together. You cant wrap the entire center console, it will look amateur. The center console's HVAC/Radio bezel is supposed to swoop down. Under that, you're supposed to have a black section that surrounds the ashtray+ 12v plug, mirror controls, etc...

The main problem lies in the area with the ashtray + mirror controls, there is no way to terminate the leather and cinch it under anything, since the plastic is all molded together. That is the area I am stuck at and at this point, not sure what I am going to do. Its a clusterfuck.

Best of luck bud. Currently, its looking like a home made batman costume.

[Kuma]

Originally Posted by Lux240

I believe 3M makes a spray on adhesive for these kinds of things. Can't go wrong with 3M

3m90 spray adhesive only. 70 will come loose with you rubbing up against it. be careful when applying it near seams... too much and it will come through. you'll be able to clean it off leather, but it's still an avoidable headache.

[collegekid]

Originally Posted by Protaters

Dont buy coverlay. They are great options but degrade faster than the dash does. Also anything with a tiny bit of shine is no good for sight either at the track or just driving daily. The Gloss on the CF dash isn't good for visibility. So, here is what I did.

First remove the s13 dash. I'm sure all of you know how to do this. Or there is a search function lol

Depending on the severity of the cracks buy a can of fiberglass resin, or even just some gorilla glue 5 minute sandable epoxy. Also buy a filler. I used baking soda. I know it's weird but it worked. I also went with the resin because it finishes smoother than the epoxy and you'll need like 4-6 tubes depending on cracks. Finally buy 3 cans of matte or flat black plastidip.

Take the baking soda and pack the cracks full until you can no longer see the crack

Then, Mix up the resin and pour it evenly over the cracks wait 1 hour then sand down until smooth with 120 grit DA sander or by hand either way works of course. After that take your 3 cans of flat black or "matte" plastidip because 1 can = 1 coat. Put 3 coats of flat black plastidip and you're finished. Just install the dash after that

Has anyone else had any successful, long term dash restorations?
I know there are countless google search results and methods to do this but does anyone here have something verified to work for a long time?

I'm looking for something like

"This is what I used"
" this is my method"
"It has lasted me x amount of time"

Originally Posted by wao138

I don't know what I am looking at but it interests me. Is that a wrap? Is it reconditioned? Anyone have any clue since op is banned?

I have 3 dashes in my basement but I would like to recondition them before I reinstall it

1 is my original black one with airbag deployed but no cracks
1 is a green one i found with no cracks
1 is a black one I found for extremely cheap in good condition no cracks

Has anyone ever painted dashboards? I know Vatozone sells some interior spray paint but what are some products people have used that actually stick and don't come off if you look at it wrong.

What are you guys doing as far as replacing the vents that ultimately break off ( every single dash i have has it broken off)?

[blkvrtswp]

Originally Posted by ixfxi

<snip>

The main problem lies in the area with the ashtray + mirror controls, there is no way to terminate the leather and cinch it under anything, since the plastic is all molded together. That is the area I am stuck at and at this point, not sure what I am going to do. Its a clusterfuck.

Best of luck bud. Currently, its looking like a home made batman costume.

Thanks, Mike. Good luck on yours too. I'm probably almost as picky as you are so I appreciate the advice. Did you wrap your dash yourself or have it done?

I'm less worried about the console. Hell - I'll file the holes bigger if the lighter/switch/ashtray won't go in nicely due to the leather. I have a spare console so I can afford to get a little crazy. I also thought about jigsawing the whole black ashtray surround area out and tucking the leather around it. But I really do not like the OEM finish there - I would prefer to cover it.

I'm going for a real CF plus red-stitched leather theme, so OEM black plastic is not in the end game plan. I already have the radio bezel, arm rest and ashtray in CF. Vents, column cover, door switches also will be done in CF eventually.

That leaves the rear vert seat and side panels - currently both are ok but will need to be redone to match the front.

Question - Would anyone recommend using some kind of tape over the single, not deep crack I have on the dash? Or just leave it? Wondering if the crack would show thru the leather.

[ixfxi]

Originally Posted by blkvrtswp

Thanks, Mike. Good luck on yours too. I'm probably almost as picky as you are so I appreciate the advice. Did you wrap your dash yourself or have it done?

I'm less worried about the console. Hell - I'll file the holes bigger if the lighter/switch/ashtray won't go in nicely due to the leather. I have a spare console so I can afford to get a little crazy. I also thought about jigsawing the whole black ashtray surround area out and tucking the leather around it. But I really do not like the OEM finish there - I would prefer to cover it.

I'm going for a real CF plus red-stitched leather theme, so OEM black plastic is not in the end game plan. I already have the radio bezel, arm rest and ashtray in CF. Vents, column cover, door switches also will be done in CF eventually.

That leaves the rear vert seat and side panels - currently both are ok but will need to be redone to match the front.

Question - Would anyone recommend using some kind of tape over the single, not deep crack I have on the dash? Or just leave it? Wondering if the crack would show thru the leather.

Do not use the word "jigsaw" when working with your interior. Jigsaw is not a precise tool. Get yourself some rotary tools (ie: dremel type tools and bits) and pray that you do a good job.

As for being as picky as me, I doubt it. Have you gotten checked for being OCD? I havent, but I can assure you that my line of work is therapeutic for my condition - assuming that I am OCD. I havent gotten it checked, but I am going to assume I am as it takes one to know one. Nowadays when I go home I could give a flying fuck if this or that is perfect. I get it out of my system at work.

So to answer your question, yes - strip the fucking dash. I took a mint black dash to my interior shop (way back when) and they did the work. Turned out nice, except they used RED stitching and I requested BLACK. Nothing some dye wont fix.

That wasnt the problem though. You see, when I attempted to fit all the HVAC parts such as the vents - it was too tight a fit. As a test, I left the car parked in the sun (with car cover on) to heat the interior and bake the fresh paint (chassis was fully painted at that point). Well, a few weeks go by and I eventually pull the car back into the garage only to see that some of the vents had cracked due to the reduced tolerances. Learn from me: remove as much of the OEM foam and vinyl, strip that dash down before attempting to wrap it. This way everything fits better.


And to answer your last question: In addition to the damaged HVAC vents, I noticed a seam going down a small section of the dash. What is that seam, you ask? Most likely a crack that developed and is barely visible under the leather material. Now if the material had been stripped, then the crack would had not developed.

So. Learn from my mistakes. I still think the center console & door panels are the biggest challenge though. Dont worry, you'll soon see what I am talking about. :-P

[blkvrtswp]

Awesome info - thanks again! I'm now thinking about shaving the vent areas vinyl & foam down, test fitting the vents etc, and if I can't get them to fit right not too tight, I will strip the entire dash of vinyl & foam. Seems like a time-consuming job but I do have plenty of time (no wife/kids/mortgage!).

Door panels - I did 2 pair in a black checked vinyl, this pic is of my 1st one (2nd pair my good ones). Came out nice despite the cut marks I made where it bunched up, but glue lifted in the inside corner. Not unexpected - I'll be fooling around with them all summer I bet. Wondering if the leather stitched one would stay down better since it has the stitch running right where I had difficulty with bunching & lifting.

Thanks also to the other guys who replied about the 3M adhesives.

I still have some piping to add to this on the edges, and cut out the holes, but it looks good.

[moebiius]

^^^^....can I see a picture of before and after?

[blkvrtswp]

Currently hoping to pickup a spare S13 dash this weekend, because I want to remove the stock vinyl & padding to make the fit better. My current dash only has 1 crack so I want to save it. Also I am in the middle of a convertible top replacement and reassembly after a full paint job - the leather wrap is top on my list for the spring.

I will post pics and details when I get started.

[Konster]

Looking good Jeff.

[blkvrtswp]

Thanks Konster - I'm glad I have a lot of spare time on my hands....

I just picked this up, Weldwood HHR Contact Adhesive << the HHR is the key here for high temps. I'm going to use it for the leather dash wrap, on recommendation from Broadfield (and many others). The other Permatex high temp spray on glue I used lifted in the corners on my door panels after 1 year. No more fooling around, dropped $45 on freakin' glue!

FYI in stock and shipped out very quickly from here: http://www.yourautotrim.com/noname37.html

[MeSs]

Originally Posted by ixfxi

So to answer your question, yes - strip the fucking dash. etc

Very useful info Do you have any pictures of your dash?

[EDacIouSX]

i want to fix my dash the right way but im so lazy omg. why can't someone do this for me for a few hundred bucks and have it come out amazing lol.

[esar20foo]

You can fill the cracks with crazy glue and baking soda, then sand it down until it's all smooth and even. Then coat it with rubberized truck bed liner. Ends up with a textured finish and looks pretty cool. You'll spend less than $30.

[vbxchjh]

I have been trying to buy a nice dashboard for my S13 for a month now with no luck I'm wondering if anyone knows of a company that restores them at a reasonable rate

[blkvrtswp]

I'm tired of all this spam on Zilvia. Every fucking day I get multiple notifications for BULLSHIT SPAM replies in subscribed threads. 2 days in a row for this thread.

If anyone wants to see how this turns out, I'll be on NICO exclusively unless / until Zilvia fixes this fucking mess of a forum.

I won't be back until Captcha is implemented.

Bye!

[ixfxi]

yeah, i agree.

I made a thread about this and it appears that no one is listening
http://zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=587403

[blkvrtswp]

SPAM rage passed, small update:

Spare dash secured for $30. Extra console ready to go. Now I just need time and temperature.....

[MeSs]

Any updates yet?

[JBB]

Would like to see some progress of this, have been lurking since the beginning

[blkvrtswp]

Waiting for some temps above freezing. I expect this project will get going in April.

[fatduece]

Whatta ya live in a retirement home? Do it inside!! Lets see this happen.

[MeSs]

Good luck

[fatduece]

^I'd beat the sh!t out of you if I could.

[MeSs]

Still no updates?

[blkvrtswp]

Eh, I got distracted by carbon fiber and an RX7 I bought. The spare dash is on the workbench at least. It's fall, it's dark when I get home - nothing else to do I guess. I'll try to make some progress.

[collegekid]

Found this on facebook, thought it to be relevant.

http://www.urethanesupply.com/Padded...d-Dash-Filler/

[Z_Spool]

That's actually the method I will be using on mine. We've used it at resto shops I've worked at in the past and it does a good job in the short term at least. I've never seen how it holds up long term though.

[Konster]

Originally Posted by blkvrtswp

Eh, I got distracted by carbon fiber and an RX7 I bought. The spare dash is on the workbench at least. It's fall, it's dark when I get home - nothing else to do I guess. I'll try to make some progress.

That came out really well.

[MeSs]

*Bump from hell*
Progress?

[hellaslows13]

Originally Posted by MeSs

*Bump from hell*
Progress?

Would love to see more from this thread