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The leather dash on my 2013 Boxster has started to shrink and bubble up in a few spots. I'm considering a few options, including having a shop pull the windshield, stretch the leather and glue/rivet it back down. The only catch here is if the windshield breaks, I'm liable for the replacement. (Total cost is around $800-1500 from the quotes I got.
I want to make sure i'm considering all options before I make a decision. Has anyone had experience with leather / carpeted covers, similar to a dashmat? I'm looking for something that's relatively expensive that will look close to OEM.
And before you all flame me, I know this is considered "minor" to you, but when you have compulsive OCD like me, I'm ripping out my hair every time I see it.
Typically a repair like this would require the dash top to be removed (which can be done without removing glass) and then having the repair done. I would talk to an upholstery shop or the dealer to see if they can recommend someone.
I’m curious what may have led to the lifting, did you buy the car used and or can you confirm what products were being used on the dash? Or perhaps the car was exposed to high temperatures for long periods?
Typically a repair like this would require the dash top to be removed (which can be done without removing glass) and then having the repair done. I would talk to an upholstery shop or the dealer to see if they can recommend someone.
I’m curious what may have led to the lifting, did you buy the car used and or can you confirm what products were being used on the dash? Or perhaps the car was exposed to high temperatures for long periods?
All of the upholstery shops said they’d have to remove the windshield to work on it. I’ll search later tonight to see if I can find articles on removing the dash top and see if it is something I am willing to tackle as I think this will reduce the cost significantly.
The car was purchased from a dealer in idaho and had this issue when i saw it. I know for a fact it had sat in the sun for 3-4 straights in 90+ degree weather. Unsure of what products was used on it.
The car also came with a sunshade in the trunk, which leads me to believe the last owner likely covered it up in the sun. Makes me wonder if the 4 weeks in the sun at the dealer can shrink a dash...
I’m pretty confident the dash can be removed, we had a member that recently had their dash replaced from the standard rubber to leather which is basically replacing the entire dash top. I would talk to another shop or the dealer to see what is standard.
I doubt 4 weeks in the heat would cause the leather to lift but if the dealer or previous owner used large quantities of product or cleaner it could have caused the glue to weaken which would lead to lifting.
I’m pretty confident the dash can be removed, we had a member that recently had their dash replaced from the standard rubber to leather which is basically replacing the entire dash top. I would talk to another shop or the dealer to see what is standard.
I doubt 4 weeks in the heat would cause the leather to lift but if the dealer or previous owner used large quantities of product or cleaner it could have caused the glue to weaken which would lead to lifting.
Hopefully they’ll chime in. I havent been able to find any dash removal posts yet.
i have found some salvage yards selling black dashes for the 981 for under $300. Only downside is I’ll lose the deviated stitching.
I'm not sure what we're looking at, do you have any better photos from a different angle? Is there an area (webbing between two points) that's lifting because the leather has shrunk in between? Is it really the leather that is the problem, or just adhesive failure (or both)?
Also, why is the leather so glossy? I wonder if it was over-conditioned (causing the leather moisture level to change and affect the hide's "tension" and/or affect the adhesive underneath too).
I'm not sure what we're looking at, do you have any better photos from a different angle? Is there an area (webbing between two points) that's lifting because the leather has shrunk in between? Is it really the leather that is the problem, or just adhesive failure (or both)?
Also, why is the leather so glossy? I wonder if it was over-conditioned (causing the leather moisture level to change and affect the hide's "tension" and/or affect the adhesive underneath too).
Here is another photo from the windshield. It appears to have shrunken and the adhesive failed.
Another likely less expensive alternative is to contact one of the aftermarket leather trim shops, I bet they could get that dash off in a shorter amount of time and replace the leather with the same matching stitching. I believe there’s a shop in NorCal that does this.
I wanted to add some closure to this thread. I ended up taking the car to an upholstery shop who had experience working with shrinking leather dashes. The process involved removing the windshield, lifting up the leather, stretching it, and re-gluing it all back down together. On one section, they had to add a leather extension to be able to tuck the leather under the dash and secure it.
I wanted to add some closure to this thread. I ended up taking the car to an upholstery shop who had experience working with shrinking leather dashes. The process involved removing the windshield, lifting up the leather, stretching it, and re-gluing it all back down together. On one section, they had to add a leather extension to be able to tuck the leather under the dash and secure it.
Looks great now!!! May I ask which shop did the repair work? I'm from the Bay Area too, just want to know for references!
08-31-2019, 07:53 PM
Leather Dash Shrinkage Options for 981
