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When I got my '69 in 2016 it had been disassembled since 1983. The interior parts had all been nicely bagged and stored in a cool dry basement. The dash pad must've been resting against something pointed for a while because it has a ~3/16" diameter X 1/8" deep dimple in it. Is there a safe way to smooth it out without risking making things worse? I've thought about just breaking out the heat gun but with some hesitation. The vinyl is still flexible and the foam underneath is still soft.
I have a r/s lower dash pad with the same thing. I tried the heat gun and massaging it with my fingers, didn't help. haven't gotten it out. Bought a good used one.
I had a similar issue with one of my Corvettes. New pad had been leaning against something for a while before I bought it and had a little bigger indent than yours. After sitting on the shelf in my garage for two months the dent was still there. I put it on the patio table on a nice hot day here in Palm Springs. After a few hours, the dent was gone. If your pad is still out of the car, weather in Brentwood is pretty nice, maybe try the same thing. Greg
I think the underlying foam has been permanently compressed where it will not return to original shape. My suggestion would be to put some [already mixed] 2-part epoxy into a small-needle syringe, carefully stick the needle thru the vinyl skin at the center of that dimple, and squeeze out epoxy until the shape you want has been formed. When you remove the syringe, just wipe the surface off with an alcohol pad and you shouldn't even see any surface distress.
I have used a Wagner heat gun to bend the original vinyl/paper backing on my 73 hardtop. First I tried a hair dryer, but it didn’t help. I have used a heating pad to get my dash pad flexible so that it could be removed from the car. If your windshield is already installed you will need to get the dash pad flexible, as it needs to bend in the center. Try the sun first and maybe it will get the vinyl warm enough. If you purchase a heat gun, just go with the lowest heat setting. Good luck.
Eli
Thanks for the responses and suggestions gentlemen.
The dash pad is on the bench and there's no windshield in the car. Yesterday I put the heat to it (a Wagner heat gun set on low from about a foot away) until the vinyl temperature was near the pain threshold and "finger massaged" the dimple. After several cycles of applying heat, massaging and letting it cool, I was able to reduce the depth of the dimple by about two-thirds. Now it's barely noticeable and, IMO, ready to be put back in the car.
'69 - Way To Remove Dash Pad Dimple
