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911SC dashboard crack repair without removing from car
In the known history of 911SC's has anyone "successfully" (i.e., nearly imperceptibly) repaired a dash crack without the massive and risky (to the windshield, for one) job of removing the dashboard?
It seems that with enough time and precision surgical work this can be done, and still with less time than removing the dashboard and reinstalling. Use burr to ream out crack, use traditional body filler and filler-primer techniques, and the final skin pattern can be recreated so as to match the original vinyl using a thin layer of light filler coated finally with a light viscosity oil before the underlying light-duty filler dries and an original piece of a vinyl can then be pressed against it. With the steady hand, patience and micro-work of a plastic surgeon one can adjust the human face and do so in a fashion that is subtle and not perceivable to have been other than what came out of the womb. Surely doing a dashboard is a lower bar than that. Perhaps this is considered so unorthodox and practically impossible to achieve that it makes Pelican forum contributors throw up in their mouths. But in my particular circumstance this is the only option. I don't like seeing dash cracks all the time right in front of my face, and I believe I have the ability to make this happen. I just don't have experience with this. Any and all opinions are welcome and appreciated! Last edited by octanemaestro; 12-01-2019 at 01:19 PM.. |
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Repairing the dashpad surface in place is likely possible but will be very challenging given the tight space the windshield creates. Recovering the repaired dashpad, with vinyl or leather, is not fully possible in place as the edge sits basically under the edge of the windshield. I will say I pulled my original 30+ yr old windshield and reinstalled it, with my lovely wifes help. I had never touched car glass before so was a rookie. We had the dashpad recovered in leather before the reinstall. It wasnt easy but we did it without breaking the glass. Doing the dashpad crack repair and recover is way easier after pulling the windshield so I would go that route if I were you.
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I have repaired dashboards with colored RTV.
Use a large ice cube to get smooth finish
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Then again "ill-advised" and "perils" could indeed be perfectly appropriate ways to describe the endeavor of repairing dash cracks, however nicely it can be done. For the uninitiated, like PDR (paintless dent repair), with extreme patience and skill you can repair even glassine surfaces so a dash should be relatively easier. Last edited by octanemaestro; 12-01-2019 at 02:22 PM.. |
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Depending on where the cracks are I don't see any reason a vinyl repair kit wouldn't work. In the video attached you can see the guy is using some precision tools, thin spatula, soldering iron with attachment, heat gun with attachment. You could also use toothpicks, single edge razor blades, even paperclips if needed. Some small cracks near the windshield may prove challenging but most others should be able to be performed relatively easily. I would just use extreme caution with the soldering iron and heat gun you don't burn something accidently, such as carpet, seats, door panel, etc. Most of these kits come with an assortment of colors and grain paper so you should be able to get a dead match if you take your time and use a color wheel.
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Black silicone or rtv caulk... best your going to get...
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The Mighty Pieholio
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There are products that fill cracks in leather and vinyl. Why don't you use those? Here is a quality example. https://colorplus.com/products/flex-fill-crack-eliminator. You can mix dye into the product so that it matches better before you apply dye over the repair. You have time to re-create the finish before it hardens but that will take some experimenting. My thoughts are I would like to see you pull your windshield, repair the failed dash surfaces and then re-dye the entire dash. For dye.......... https://colorplus.com/products/surflex-custom-color-match
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This one specifically mentions dashboards and has an additive. But be prepared the monotone voice will put you in a trance.
Last edited by drcoastline; 12-01-2019 at 03:03 PM.. |
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Yes, it did look terrible but if you listen he made the repair the wrong color on purpose for the demonstration. I would think if that was a real repair he would have taken more time to match the color.
Last edited by drcoastline; 12-01-2019 at 03:26 PM.. |
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I apologize for thinking this might be a troll-y comment...I've been informed otherwise. In this fake news world, I mistakenly suspected it was a fake comment. Your comment is appreciated as are all the others.
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There are people who specialize in dash repair and can perfectly match colors and textures. Call around to autobody shops if you can't find one nearby. When I worked at a shop these guys would come by weekly to fix damage from stereo thefts.
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911sc , crack , dashboard , repair , without removing |