KBlair

This was a known item even before I flew from Atlanta to Milwaukee to buy the car, but I'd like to get it fixed (or better yet, fix it myself) before it gets any worse.

Passenger side dash leather is starting to peel. Not too bad, but looks much worse after detailing the interior, much more noticeable now.

What's the RCOA? (recommended course of action?)

Nicole

Unfortunately, I have never heard of someone who was able to stop or reverse the shrinking of the leather.

According to a friend who used to work in the Porsche Exclusive department in Stuttgart, the leather glue got weak in hot environments, allowing the leather to shrink and pull away from the vents. I believe that the shape of the 928 dash didn't exactly help either.

Porsche has since found a better, more heat resistant type of glue that they use on today's production vehicles.

In any case, the correct way to fix this is to remove the dash and have it recovered.

Best of luck!

Bryan

Wish I could help you. Wish I could help me.

The leather on my dash is loosening up around the vents and where it's tucked down by the windshield and a pillar. As has been mentioned, the glue fails and the leather returns to it's natural non-stretched state.

Of course even if you had some glue that would hold it, there is NO room to work up that close to the windshield. If I find some sort of specialist leather upholstery shop that does awesome work, I will see if there's an option if the leather has just come loose a little but isn't torn or peeling (which is what mine is like). There might be a solution for this case, but removing the dash and having it recovered is the usual course.

Bryan

John..

Look at is closely.....if the leather is still intact and the dash around the vents has warped, it can be fixed.

Peel up the leather

Cut the dash material around the vents out

Mix up some 3M scotch weld

Put the scotch weld in the "hole"

Press the leather into shape and back under the vents

Hold everything in place with some paint sticks you wedge into the vent and pry against the windshield with.

Let it sit overnight

It worked flawlessly for me, the scotch weld is VERY strong

Bryan

Hmmm. My dash isn't cracked or distorted at all. The leather is coming loose because of the glue failing. That's it.

Maybe this will work?

Bryan

tdelarm

I've actually been able to get the leather in the back warped panels to relax with repeated use of Lexol Leather Conditioner. I goop a bunch on the leather and let it sit for days. This however probably wont solve your problem up front though.

Also, you may want to use caution putting any pressure on your front windshield from the inside as I've heard RUMORS that the windshield can break.

Post any results you get.

Tim
<img src="graemlins/yltype.gif" border="0" alt="[typing]" />

bergstsm

First Hand Knowledge of this!!!

Do NOT put any pressure on the windshield. We were attempting to take the windshield off of a totalled car a few months back, and just as we started to string the piano wire through the seal, John (or me, I can't remember) just put the slightest pressure on the inside, and the whole stinkin' thing just cracked from top to bottom. Very light pressure was all it took.

Regards,
Shawn

MichaelR

Glass breaking from inside pressure? Not a rumor...it happens. Mine is being replaced tomorrow after 6 weeks worth of hassles getting the right trim pieces from the dealership.

My bonehead move was when I was pulling the plastic dash cap off. Gave it a bit of a twist, which gave the windshield a bit of a crack. OK, two cracks.

<img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> <img src="graemlins/crying.gif" border="0" alt="[crying]" /> <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" />

John..

Guys,

Yes, the windshield can break with pressure, but the pressure I am talking about is no more then you put on the windshield when you wash it from the inside. Maybe 2 or 3 lbs of force in the middle of the glass.