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Guys,
My 2010 Grand Sport is a 4LT. The leather cover is starting to let loose up by the windshield. I am planning on reglueing it probably sometime this fall.
My plan is to have Safe Lite remove the windshield , reglue and then have them reinstall the glass.
My question is: What is the best glue to use . I obviously don't want to do this twice so I want the right glue.
Can anyone recommend a good glue. ( right now I'm thinking of contact cement )
Also, any other tips are appreciated from those who have done this PITA job. Like removing the old glue.
Please: no comments on removing the leather, That is not happening.
Time vs cost.
I can appreciate your plan for windshield removal vs dash removal.
Yet, I have no comments/ answers on your glue or trial-and-tribulation questions.
But.... please followup with us about how your through the glass repair worked.
A suggestion for when you do the repair. Don't just use adhesive. Use an upholstery staple gun to staple the front edge of the leather to the edge of the dash, all of the way across, where the staples won't be seen when the windshield goes back in.
My thoughts on the dash delaminating is that spraying glass cleaner on the windshield and/or using dash treatment likely gets under the edge of the adhesive, contributing to the start of the adhesive letting loose and the delamination. The staples will give an additional mechanical attachment. My car was 2 years old when I bought it, so I don't know what was done to it in those 2 years. I never did any dash treatments; I just wiped the dash off with a slightly damp microfiber. Likewise, glass cleaner was sprayed on the rag, not the windshield.
My car is basement garage kept, with little UV exposure. The dash finally started wholesale letting loose in Fall of 2023, after slowly progressing inward from the windshield for maybe 4 years. I had a local custom shop do the repair with the windshield removal method. As Murphy works, the windshield broke during removal, significantly increasing the repair cost. So far, so good after the first year.
A suggestion for when you do the repair. Don't just use adhesive. Use an upholstery staple gun to staple the front edge of the leather to the edge of the dash, all of the way across, where the staples won't be seen when the windshield goes back in.
My thoughts on the dash delaminating is that spraying glass cleaner on the windshield and/or using dash treatment likely gets under the edge of the adhesive, contributing to the start of the adhesive letting loose and the delamination. The staples will give an additional mechanical attachment. My car was 2 years old when I bought it, so I don't know what was done to it in those 2 years. I never did any dash treatments; I just wiped the dash off with a slightly damp microfiber. Likewise, glass cleaner was sprayed on the rag, not the windshield.
My car is basement garage kept, with little UV exposure. The dash finally started wholesale letting loose in Fall of 2023, after slowly progressing inward from the windshield for maybe 4 years. I had a local custom shop do the repair with the windshield removal method. As Murphy works, the windshield broke during removal, significantly increasing the repair cost. So far, so good after the first year.
Thank you for the advise. I thought about stapling but I wasn't sure if there was anything that the staples would go into. So, that is a great suggestion. Braking the windshield is always a risk on removal. Hope I have better luck.
Pull the dash, do not pull the glass. my opinion. Dash can be removed in about an hour or so. I've done it in my garage.
The issue is the leather shrinks over time and will probably pop off again. I would find someone to recover the dash in new leather, wrap it around the edges, and use staples to secure it from the underside.
I ended up pulling the dash and door panels. Found Cobalt red interior out of a wrecked 2013 and installed that. Kept the 3LT (427) seats, and the original parts are on a shelf.
Last edited by Bluewasp; May 20, 2025 at 10:30 AM.
Thank you for the advise. I thought about stapling but I wasn't sure if there was anything that the staples would go into. So, that is a great suggestion. Braking the windshield is always a risk on removal. Hope I have better luck.
you cannot staple the stock leather. there isn't enough material to staple. Maybe you can find enough material on the upper edge to hide the staples. On C7 the dash was stapled but the leather was not cut at the edge like on the c6. If you want a one time repair have new leather cut and have the entire dash recovered. Otherwise it will bubble up somewhere else.
you cannot staple the stock leather. there isn't enough material to staple. Maybe you can find enough material on the upper edge to hide the staples. On C7 the dash was stapled but the leather was not cut at the edge like on the c6. If you want a one time repair have new leather cut and have the entire dash recovered. Otherwise it will bubble up somewhere else.
The a pillars are stapled with the same material, no?
I'd like to see video of this 1 hour dash removal... It took me over 4 hours in multiple stints. Though I do have a Sony head unit and went very slowly ensuring nothing was damaged and all was labeled. All those damn connections are hell...
I dropped my car off at LG Motorsports last week and they wrecked the dash by running excessive heat into the cabin during a coolant change. Stay far away from them.
I'm taking the dash into Maupin in Dallas/Garland tomorrow so they can fix the dash and a pillars.
My dash looks similar but not quite as bad as yours. Are they fixing the glue issue or replacing the leather.
If you don't mind I am curious what the cost is.
I have the same problem with my 2013 427 3LT. And I just yesterday had a cracked windshield replaced, so missed that opportunity. Pulling the whole dash looks very complicated and not a job I want to tackle. Anybody know a good body shop in SoCal (San Diego or Orange counties)? Not sure I would trust this to the dealer.
The a pillars are stapled with the same material, no?
I'd like to see video of this 1 hour dash removal... It took me over 4 hours in multiple stints. Though I do have a Sony head unit and went very slowly ensuring nothing was damaged and all was labeled. All those damn connections are hell...
I dropped my car off at LG Motorsports last week and they wrecked the dash by running excessive heat into the cabin during a coolant change. Stay far away from them.
I'm taking the dash into Maupin in Dallas/Garland tomorrow so they can fix the dash and a pillars.
I have the same problem with my 2013 427 3LT. And I just yesterday had a cracked windshield replaced, so missed that opportunity. Pulling the whole dash looks very complicated and not a job I want to tackle. Anybody know a good body shop in SoCal (San Diego or Orange counties)? Not sure I would trust this to the dealer.
I did some checking and Safe Lite said they don't do that anymore (come to your house and and not install a new windshield) So, now on to plan B.
Last edited by woodsdesign; Jul 23, 2025 at 10:47 AM.
I had my dash "professionally" repaired by a custom auto upholstery shop in Dallas in March 2021. The car had 18,600 mi at the time. It currently has 23,739 mi & I noticed this today.
I'll be pulling the dash again and fixing it myself this time.
3M makes a spray-on adhesive that I've used for vinyl tops in the past, never had an issue with anything coming loose. It's not the easiest to work with, but it has a pretty strong bond. I think you'll definitely want to use a heat gun on the leather to make it more flexible to pull it tight.
I have heard that some guy us used a hypodermic needle to inject the glue under the leather. Did anyone have success with this approach? Dose the needle leave any visible marks.
Repairing dash on 4LT
