Help with dash speaker screen repair.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,255
Likes: 82
From: Brampton Ont.
Help with dash speaker screen repair.
I've read that fellow members have tried repairing these with Eastwood Vinyl repair kit as well as epoxy with not much success but the damage was much worth than I have. I know an option is to spend over $300.00 on a new one but it's been said "having to do that would mean that I failed my attempt to salvage an original part".
The dash has been removed and I can dye the dash after the repair. I believe it's only a crack and no material is missing. The rest of the dash is in great shape.
Anyone had luck with such a repair?
The grills are a bit depressed at the moment due to the pressure I applied during cleaning but did reset into it's original position.
The dash has been removed and I can dye the dash after the repair. I believe it's only a crack and no material is missing. The rest of the dash is in great shape.
Anyone had luck with such a repair?
The grills are a bit depressed at the moment due to the pressure I applied during cleaning but did reset into it's original position.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
Mine's the same way and I've chosen to just leave it 'as-is'. I cannot come up with a simple/reiable way to repair those cracks without clogging up those holes in the process. If anyone else has a good way to make this repair, I'd also be very interested. 
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,280
Likes: 4,372
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi 7T1,
You mention the clogging the holes.... disregarding the holes, have you found anything that actually 'glues' the vinyl?
I'm thinking of a door panel, but I believe the vinyl is the same.... anything to glue that material? Not close a gap, just seal a split as shown in mmvlf's picture?
Regards,
Alan
You mention the clogging the holes.... disregarding the holes, have you found anything that actually 'glues' the vinyl?
I'm thinking of a door panel, but I believe the vinyl is the same.... anything to glue that material? Not close a gap, just seal a split as shown in mmvlf's picture?
Regards,
Alan
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 193
Likes: 2
From: Illinois
Hi 7T1,
You mention the clogging the holes.... disregarding the holes, have you found anything that actually 'glues' the vinyl?
I'm thinking of a door panel, but I believe the vinyl is the same.... anything to glue that material? Not close a gap, just seal a split as shown in mmvlf's picture?
Regards,
Alan
You mention the clogging the holes.... disregarding the holes, have you found anything that actually 'glues' the vinyl?
I'm thinking of a door panel, but I believe the vinyl is the same.... anything to glue that material? Not close a gap, just seal a split as shown in mmvlf's picture?
Regards,
Alan
Wish me luck.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,541
Likes: 268
From: iowa city iowa
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C3 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
My car came with a perfect dash pad. At some point when I was under the dash working on wiring, I put my had on top of there and pushed down on that part and split the damn holes. Yea, it made me sick.
This is probably kind of a bubba fix, but this is what I did.
With mine, anyway, you could not see where I screwed it up if it was flat. The breaks closed themselves up and were hidden. So I used fiberglass strands underneath to hold them where they should be and you can not see it from the top.
I should mention that I sprayed dye on mine to go from red to black, so that may have helped. Also, two years later, I have never had it out baking in the sun, so I don't know how that will affect it. So far, though, it has held up to two years of being moved around in the shop with no problems.
Like I said, kind of bubba, but I could not shell out that much money to cover my own stupidity. Btw, after that I taped a small piece of cardboard over them so when I was upside down in the car working under the dash and I tried to pull my tired old body out, if I put my had there I would feel it and remember to find something else to grab onto.
This is probably kind of a bubba fix, but this is what I did.
With mine, anyway, you could not see where I screwed it up if it was flat. The breaks closed themselves up and were hidden. So I used fiberglass strands underneath to hold them where they should be and you can not see it from the top.
I should mention that I sprayed dye on mine to go from red to black, so that may have helped. Also, two years later, I have never had it out baking in the sun, so I don't know how that will affect it. So far, though, it has held up to two years of being moved around in the shop with no problems.
Like I said, kind of bubba, but I could not shell out that much money to cover my own stupidity. Btw, after that I taped a small piece of cardboard over them so when I was upside down in the car working under the dash and I tried to pull my tired old body out, if I put my had there I would feel it and remember to find something else to grab onto.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,255
Likes: 82
From: Brampton Ont.
Hopefully we can find a solution.
The gaps in the photo are pretty small, I was thinking of using something like JB Weld to fill in the cracks, and as the 5 minute epoxy starts to get dry, work it with a toothpick to clean/round out the holes. When dry, and if cosmetically correct I would then dye the dash silver. Does anything think that would work?
It seems as though you never dye it, therefore can you see the clear "super glue" once it dries? How long has the repair been done?
I decided to use some Loctite super glue carefully place into the cracks with a toothpic. Then I quickly worked and wiggled the crack area to be sure the glue was well distributed. Also leaving the top surfaces flush to each other so when you pass your hand over the damage you don't feel it. Let set over night and seems to be quite solid. I haven't installed the pad yet but plan on being as gentle as possible as not to disturb the fix.
Wish me luck.
Wish me luck.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 427
Likes: 1
My '76 is the same across the speaker holes and a slight horizontal crack in the middle.
I wonder if you could reinforce on the backside of the speaker holes a small piece of 'screen door' nylon that is spot glued on the areas of no holes to give some support. Once dried it should eliminate the tendency to 'depress' which likely caused the crack in the first place.
With that done could a wee bit of Crazy glue fill the cracks on top and a slight scuff with a Scotchbright pad remove any shiny signs of a freshly 'glued' repair?
Just trying to think of some solutions as I think a traditional vinyl repair would be too much for such fine work.
I wonder if you could reinforce on the backside of the speaker holes a small piece of 'screen door' nylon that is spot glued on the areas of no holes to give some support. Once dried it should eliminate the tendency to 'depress' which likely caused the crack in the first place.
With that done could a wee bit of Crazy glue fill the cracks on top and a slight scuff with a Scotchbright pad remove any shiny signs of a freshly 'glued' repair?
Just trying to think of some solutions as I think a traditional vinyl repair would be too much for such fine work.
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Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
I like the [sturdy] nylon mesh idea. With access to the underside of the dash cap, the speaker area should be cleaned well with lacquer thinner, adhesive sprayed or rolled onto the mesh section. If the adhesive is a "contact" type, it should be rolled/sprayed on the underside of the dash cap, too, and left to tack-up.
Once mesh is applied, that should stabilize that area so further cracking wouldn't occur; and the speaker sound shouldn't be impeded by the added mesh.
If the cracking on the surface is very noticible, a little polyester body filler laid into those small cracked areas (toothpick, flat-bladed X-acto knife, ???) should hide that cracking. And if some gets into those holes, a drill of the same size (or a bit smaller) twisted into those holes should draw out any excess putty.
Final step would be to recolor the dash cap (or only that area, if the dye match is really good). SEM "ColorCoat" liquid dye sprayed on would be the BEST choice, IMO. I'm not a fan of the aftermarket spray bombs that are called "interior dye".
Once mesh is applied, that should stabilize that area so further cracking wouldn't occur; and the speaker sound shouldn't be impeded by the added mesh.
If the cracking on the surface is very noticible, a little polyester body filler laid into those small cracked areas (toothpick, flat-bladed X-acto knife, ???) should hide that cracking. And if some gets into those holes, a drill of the same size (or a bit smaller) twisted into those holes should draw out any excess putty.
Final step would be to recolor the dash cap (or only that area, if the dye match is really good). SEM "ColorCoat" liquid dye sprayed on would be the BEST choice, IMO. I'm not a fan of the aftermarket spray bombs that are called "interior dye".