I have a small crack in my dash close to one of the seams where the speaker panels are maybe half of an inch. Has anyone had any success repairing these and having them stand the test of time?? Hate to plunk down 4 hundy for a new.
Thanks......

 

I am currently reworking my interior, I have been told that vinyl can be rejuvenated, then apply crack filler and redye. I haven't tried this yet because I will probably recover the entire dash. :cheers:

 

SharkintheWoods,

I have not had to repair the dash yet, however I have had great success reparing cracks and tears on the door panels.

Although some may think this method is bubba, it seemed to work for me. I purchashed Loctite brand super glue (not the gel). If it is just a hairline crack, gently push down on one side of the crack and apply a little glue to the edge. Quickly psudh the crack together so that it is even and wipe away any excess glue with a towel or finger. This may make a pretty uch seemless repair by itself. If not, Permatex also has a vinyl/leather repair kit. I think the kit was $10-$20 or so. The kit has various colors of what initially looks like paint. Place a small amount of the appropriate color ( or you can mix with other colors to get a different shade if needed). The kit also has several leather grained patterns that need to be applied over the repair area and then heated. I used an iron, although be careful not to burn any of the surrounding areas. After heated for 30 seconds to a minute, the repair should be allowed to cool. The grained pattern is removed and you should have a pretty much seemless repair.

It does require patience and you may want to practice on something else a few times, to get the hang of it.

Let me know if you have any questions. I know I have seen a thread where another member used a similar method on his seats and they looked great when he was finished.

Ron

 

Ron,
Where did you purchase this Permatex repair kit?? At the auto parts house or at a discounter like wal mart??
Thanks
Eric

 

The dash top on my '79 was pretty cracked up around the speakers and defog vent, so I bought a carpet cover that most of the Corvette houses carry... It doesn't look too bad once it's in...

 

Eric,

I am not sure if Walmart carries this or not. I believe I got my kit at PepBoys, but I think most auto stores carry the kit. Do a search for Permatex Vinyl and Leather Repair and you can see exactly what is in the kit and some other suppliers that carry it. The kit comes with a small round metal object that the instructions suggest heating up and then placing over the patch, but I did not have too much luck that way. The home iron worked great though. You can apply more of the liquid repair over top and heat again if needed. Good luck!

 

I bought one of the hard plastic covers/cap for $100 and really like it. Just used velcro pull straps to hold it on tight while adhesive sets. Did have to paint it though. No need for dash rug. Much much harder to crack now. Maybe a sharp knive would cut it. :thumbs:

 

They have the caps for the top around the speakers and stuff? What are the chances that an upholstery dude could recover the dash?

 

Never thought about shoe goo.. that stuff is better then sliced bread for keeping the kids sneaks on the road for a few more miles!! :hurray: