Recovered my dashboard - with Plasti Dip

[Concestor0]

Recovered my dash using Plasti Dip and it looks great.

I had numerous cracks across the top and had considered having it sent off to be recovered with leather or vinyl but the cost seemed a little excessive ($700 or so) and the stitched seam across the front spoils the lines.

I could have used some sort of paint I suppose but I didn't want a hard, plasticy surface and I did want some texture. The Plasti Dip has a firm rubber feel and I used a small paint roller to apply which created the subtle, slightly pebbled texture.



I repaired the dash with Bondo Bumper and Flexable Part repair. The product fills and sands quite well. The Plasti Dip is available in cans but the color choices are limited so I bought one can of red and one of black and mixed in a separate container to match the original burgundy color.



I applied four coats allowing 30 mins drying time between each coat. Applying with the roller wasn't difficult and there are no visible lines. I used up the entire 14.5 oz can of red plus the mixed in black so the coating is quite thick and durable. The amount of texture can be adjusted by using a using a longer or shorter nap, I used 3/8 nap on a 4" roller.

It remains to be seen how well the Plasti Dip will stand up to the Sun, I may apply some sort of protectant.

[boyt911sc]

Could you post close up pictures of the area where the crack/s were? The dash looks good. After the repair with the plasti dip, were the old cracks still detectable? I have a dash I like to recover and your method seems to be an ideal one. Keep us posted. And thanks.

Tony

[Winter]

That looks sweet! Great creative low cost DIY.

Keep us posted on how it holds up. Someone else has a thread where they did a similar "process" but the final "paint" job was - I think - a spray on plastic used for pickup bed liner.

I'll do something similar to this process at some point.

Nicely done!

[Trackrash]

Nice job.

[redturbo911]

Wow that actually looks great. Plus you save hundreds.

[weseeeee]

Looks good, keep us posted on how it holds up. I need to do something in the near future due to the cracks in my dash, and this may be just what I was looking for.

[Winter]

For cross reference, here's the link to the other thread.

Dash Repair 101

Both you guys should be applauded for coming up with low cost creative solutions to the cracked dash conundrum.

[nineball]

plasti-dip is some neat stuff. i did my targa bar with it



and the grille on my dd

before



after

[6771911esses]

But wait...there is more! Just kidding, great to learn about alternative solutions.

[DGriz]

I have used spray truck bed liner on dashes in the past to camouflage crack repairs.

[daltvater]

Just converted my mountain bike to a beach cruiser and used some plastidip to change the color. Neat product just be careful not to bang it, it won't chip like paint but discolors in the spot that sees the contact.

[Carbster]

This is brilliant. And I felt foolish for asking someone about this. Thank you for doing it first. What kind of filler did you use? Also was there much prep work? Did you need to pull the glass as Ive seen a few people mention it makes replacing or covering the dash easier but I cant say replacing the windsheild is easy.
Thanks!

[Concestor0]

Thanks for the positive reviews, I'll be sure to report back on how it holds up.

"Could you post close up pictures of the area where the crack/s were? The dash looks good. After the repair with the plasti dip, were the old cracks still detectable? I have a dash I like to recover and your method seems to be an ideal one. Keep us posted. And thanks."






There are a couple of faint lines (more or less not noticeable) where I got lazy and didn't fill/sand as much as I should have with the Bondo flexable surface product but not visible enough that I am concerned. Overall the results look like an factory original dash.

I did do a little fibreglass work on the back to repair and re-enforce a cracked area. I did not have to remove the windshield, I recall that prior to '86 (?) that the glass would have to be removed.

[Nomadic]

I wonder if vinyl textures could be used while plasti-dip is setting up???

Grain Pad - 17

[KTL]

I'm going to plasti-dip my whole car (re-paint of a racecar). Can't beat the cost and the flexibility (literally and figuratively) of using it. Durable finish that withstands flying debris and if it gets messed up, God forbid I should rub fenders with anyone, I can peel it off and respray very easily.

[Les Paul]

The only problem with Porsches is the lack of fender seams. I've had it on my 356 for a year and am always touching it up. After a year in flat black I'm ready for another color.

[nineball]

i'm not exctly sure how this would work on a dash but i love the stuff. it was what i used for a filler when doing custom work on a dash for radio installs. i think it would be perfect for this application as it is made for parts like flex. it works like a dream and sands like butter.




just to give you an idea




gray stuff is the filler

[Winter]

Nice to see the interior guru himself, Nineball, chiming in on this thread.

I'm going to have to get ready and suck it up, remove the windshield and get going on this. My dash is horrible, as is most of the car. But this thread is inspiring me.

Cheers!

[inthedoghouse]

my previous owner did the whole car in black with the valve stems and emblem in red. I am still removing it here and there but no damage at all to the original paint. If its only a very light coat, it can be a pain to remove.

[nineball]

actually you want it to be a thick coat, but done correctly. the best application of plasti-dip is 2-3 light coats (think translucent) 10 mins apart, then 3+ heavier coats 30 mins apart. the thicker it is in the end the easier it is to remove as it stretches like mad.