rickjaffe

I ordered most of the stuff from leather world:

crack filler
adhesion liquid
duller agent
cleaner/prep
clean overspray or spotting with goop off

got the linen color from GAHH;

had some deep discolored cracks. the key for me was multiple thin layers of crack filler, did some light sanding between coats,

then did light coats with a foam brush; bottom coat had alot of adhesion liquid.
then did a couple light coats with just color and dulling agent;
not perfect, but alot better, and it also got rid of the yellowish faded tinge that linen gets.
I'm living with this for awhile and I may put some sealant on, or just work in leatherique type moisturizer.

rixter

I promise to do a full writeup with pics for this in the next couple days
I'd also be happy to fix any pods that have a single center crack for $50 + shp each way if you're not in a hurry
I also have an uncracked early pod that was a tester for some dyes, I can respray this black if someone wants it... say $100 +shp or I can bring to you at SITM if paid in advance

RyanPerrella

how much to fix multiple cracks in a black 1990 pod which i would need back in 7-10 days?

rixter

a) I'd have to see the pod
b) not happening... I'm only doing stuff on my car until after SITM

RyanPerrella

fair enough

rickjaffe

how big of a deal is it to remove the pod? I was planning on doing the fix with it as it is.

RyanPerrella

PITA

ceedee

it's not all that bad
2 phillips screws
2 10mm hex bolts
3 allen key bolts
one 27mm socket to take the steering wheel of
and loosen one philips head at the indicator/wiper assembly.
did i forget anything?

maybe it is PITA

RyanPerrella

honestly i dont know, ive never done it, i have an airbag wheel so there is probably an exra step or two. But i havent decided to tackle it yet

RyanPerrella

I took my pod off my airbag car without removing the wheel. Wasnt all that bad really. So now that its off i am debating on wether or not to try it myself or to let someone else do it.

Rixter, what would it cost and how long would it take for you to work your magic on this pod? Do you use the Rhino liner method? Will that come out looking like the rest of the dash?

If i do decide to do it myself, i ordered a can of this crack filler. (http://www.hirschauto.com/acb/showde..._ID=23&CATID=2) I am going to open up the cracks with a burr and then fill them with this filler, prime it and dye it. Ive only found duplicolor dye, i was going to do it in flat black. But I may purchase a different brand dye.

Below is a pic of the pod

H2

I had some cracks and used the vinyl repair kit ($15?) from NAPA. But first I filled the cracks with superglue in hopes of stabilizing so that the cracks wouldn't get larger. In about two weeks, the NAPA kit repairs failed and the cracks are as large as ever. These kits are crap, IMHO. The theory is good but the execution is difficult and it only lasted a couple of weeks.

Not wanting to properly repair the pod at this time (leather, for me, when I'm ready), I opted instead for a temporary fix....one the plastic pod covers...got it off eBay for $45 or so...the two-piece kind, top and front..installed with silicone. It looks so nice installed that I'm going to live with it until it starts looking weird...like some people predict. But for now, I think it looks great and matches the dash really well. I was really pleased, particularly after all the bad press I'd read about these. Someone is selling these on eBay right now but I don't know if the one I bought is the same quality or not.

The S4 is my daily driver so I'm not too particular about these kinds of things at this point as I'm saving for a new radiator. I'll post some pics one of these days.

Harvey

Podguy

If you do not have the cracks stabilized before covering the pod with leather or vinyl then the cover will crack after a while. Some times in as little as a couple of days.

Here is what I do to get them to hold up. First, I flatten or trim the cracks - some cracks tend to turn out towards the surface and unless you get the extra material off you can never get a good job. At the same time I give the pod a good bath first in the dishwasher and then with some silicone wash. Unless you can get any old silicon from things like Armorall off the pod, the repair will not last.

I used to grind out and fill the cracks with foam. I found this to be problematic as the foam expanded at different rates and the surface would move with temperature changes. I am experimenting with some dashes now that will be covered with either leather or vinyl.

For the cracks, I weld and fill them with plastic rod. The plastic rod has fibers in it and bonds to the vinyl. The weld is low temperature and is easy to smooth. Sort of like soldering.

After smoothing the weld, I apply some fibrated filler mixed with a flex agent. This is smoothed and then coated with a layer of vinyl cloth embedded in more filler. All this sanded and primed with SEM plastic primer.

From there I use SEM plastic primer to lay on a fiber mask over the entire top of the pod. This adds strength and gives some texture to the surface.

The weld holds the old cracks. The vinyl mesh reinforces the repair. The filler with flex agent smoothes the surface and gives some flexibility. The fiber mask combined with the SEM primer acts to put a new plastic surface back on the pod. The pod material when finished can actually be pressed with a finger and will spring back. I do not recommend doing this as there are limits, but the surface remains flexible.

The surface when complete is both bonded to the under materials, but provides surface tension to prevent future cracking. I found when repairing only the visible cracks the pod after a short while will crack somewhere else. Cracking is a way for the surface tension to be relieved as the under foam deteriorates in the heat. By welding the cracks, they are not pushed back together. Extra material is added relieving the surface tension. The SEM dye offers some UV protection – although from what I understand from science UV will not penetrate glass.

After, the pod is either ready to texture and dye with SEM color or to be covered with either a vinyl or leather cover. Pods done this way will last a very long time and take considerable abuse.

No I am not accepting any pods for repair at the moment. Too busy with several other projects.

Dan the Pod Guy

CaseyH

How did you come up with your user name?

Shark Attack

I was told Bondo is best. It adhears well, can be shaped and is also flexable when mixed CORRECTLY. This is the route I will be taking this winter.