Cracked Dashes: Alternatives?
07-04-2014, 11:15 AM
#31
You need to remove the dashboard to address the cracking in the foam. You really should cut them out, fill them, and sand them smooth. Just putting new material over existing cracks is like putting a band aid on a bullet wound. Heat cycles will form the new material to the cracks and they will be noticeable over time. The dash isn't that hard to remove and reinstall and will allow you to do a much more thorough job. If you really wanted to do it right, you replace the foam as well. I just bought a spare dash for this very purpose. When it's ready, I'll pull my old one and recover that too.
07-04-2014, 02:12 PM
#32
Burning Brakes
You need to remove the dashboard to address the cracking in the foam. You really should cut them out, fill them, and sand them smooth. Just putting new material over existing cracks is like putting a band aid on a bullet wound. Heat cycles will form the new material to the cracks and they will be noticeable over time. The dash isn't that hard to remove and reinstall and will allow you to do a much more thorough job. If you really wanted to do it right, you replace the foam as well. I just bought a spare dash for this very purpose. When it's ready, I'll pull my old one and recover that too.
OTOH, the guy in the video did his 944 dashboard in the car, evidently removing all the old covering and sanding the underlying surface in preparation for the new cover, rather than just slapping a new cover on the old cracked mess. Unfortunately, what his video does not show is how well he was able to fit the new vinyl to the front edge of the dashboard. Nor does he show much about removing the cracked old stuff from that area. The underlying dashboard structure appears to be stamped sheet metal. Is that correct?
From researching materials to recover a motorcycle seat and boat upholstery, I've found there are a slew of materials available. For this application, I suspect that a nicely textured but thin, UV-protected, ductile, and heat-formable material would work best.
That said, I've not yet personally removed a dashboard from a 944, so need to learn more about that from those who have. I've been well into the dash removal in a BMW, though, an experience I'd like to avoid repeating, especially because all those little bits get brittle with age, and you don't know what got broken until it's all back together again....or the heat flapper is inop, or some other such pisser.
07-04-2014, 04:20 PM
#33
Ive got the classic 9 cover waiting to go on the S2, ill make sure i take pics of my work. My dash is in bad shape at the moment and ill be pulling it in about a month to do the job (and put can can red carpet in the car).
07-04-2014, 04:56 PM
#34
07-04-2014, 05:31 PM
#35
I agree that if removal is not a problem, surely the replacement of the cover would be better with the dashboard out of the car and on a bench. I suspect that the most difficult part is the front edge, which ideally you'd want to wrap the new material over and glue on the underside.
OTOH, the guy in the video did his 944 dashboard in the car, evidently removing all the old covering and sanding the underlying surface in preparation for the new cover, rather than just slapping a new cover on the old cracked mess. Unfortunately, what his video does not show is how well he was able to fit the new vinyl to the front edge of the dashboard. Nor does he show much about removing the cracked old stuff from that area. The underlying dashboard structure appears to be stamped sheet metal. Is that correct?
From researching materials to recover a motorcycle seat and boat upholstery, I've found there are a slew of materials available. For this application, I suspect that a nicely textured but thin, UV-protected, ductile, and heat-formable material would work best.
That said, I've not yet personally removed a dashboard from a 944, so need to learn more about that from those who have. I've been well into the dash removal in a BMW, though, an experience I'd like to avoid repeating, especially because all those little bits get brittle with age, and you don't know what got broken until it's all back together again....or the heat flapper is inop, or some other such pisser.
That said, I've not yet personally removed a dashboard from a 944, so need to learn more about that from those who have. I've been well into the dash removal in a BMW, though, an experience I'd like to avoid repeating, especially because all those little bits get brittle with age, and you don't know what got broken until it's all back together again....or the heat flapper is inop, or some other such pisser.
A friend and I just yesterday removed the dash out of my '83 and it took us about 30 minutes, I've heard the late cars are even easier. I have yet to do it on my late car as I purchased a dash that I'm going to refurb/modify and swap in when it's done. It really looks pretty simple and can be done in short time.
07-05-2014, 05:57 AM
#36
Burning Brakes
I need to read up on dashboard removal, but any tips or tricks on that procedure would be much appreciated.
If it could be removed outright, or just pulled back a couple of inches to tuck the vinyl under the front lip, would really help the quality of the cover replacement.
I just bought a BMW 635csi, which has a badly cracked dashboard. Unfortunately, the shape is far more complex than a 944, as it has convex and concave areas, sharper edges, and a nightmare of stuff to detach underneath. Still, some of the procedures and materials for the Porsche 944 recover may be useful on the BMW.
If it could be removed outright, or just pulled back a couple of inches to tuck the vinyl under the front lip, would really help the quality of the cover replacement.
I just bought a BMW 635csi, which has a badly cracked dashboard. Unfortunately, the shape is far more complex than a 944, as it has convex and concave areas, sharper edges, and a nightmare of stuff to detach underneath. Still, some of the procedures and materials for the Porsche 944 recover may be useful on the BMW.
