Hideous Dashboard Restoration Attempt.

[3rd_gear_Ted]

You still might be able to apply and ice cube finish the RTV as a smooth top coat of sort on top of the foam filler.
If it dont work, it peels off

[rennch]

I will sand and begin to shape the foam today to see how that turned out.


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[Charles Freeborn]

In my experience the foam core is not really structural and gluing to it may not hold - it will simply shear at the glue / foam line. The "structure" is the inner and outer skin. If you replace that with something that bridges the gaps and really bonds to the original skin(s), or re-skins completely you'll have restored the structural integrity.
I've made similar repairs on formed foam / skinned parts by filling the crack (as you have done) then re-skinned with CF or fiberglass cloth and epoxy and then filled / sanded / painted over the patch.

[rennch]

BACK FROM THE DEAD!

after about 45 minutes of sanding, it looks like a dashboard once again. I will apply a skimcoat of body filler over any low spots and over the phone to reinforce and seal it, send again, then it should be ready for vinyl or leather.

I sprayed a bit of guide coat black on it so I could see what areas I still had to address.











Until next time...


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[kenikh]

Word.

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[rennch]

Test fit looks pretty good!

Would love to hear your opinion on leather versus vinyl to cover the dash.


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[drcoastline]

Looks great Emptyo, you're doing a nice job. I think leather is going to be a bit harder to do and I think most are two pieces with a seam either across the front of the dash or on the flat of the crease where the hump meets the flat section. Also keep in mind, the dash flows into the door tops which flow into the quarters which flow into the parcel shelf. In my crazy head all those pieces would also need to be wrapped in order to keep everything consistent. Vinyl I think will be much easier and if you get the OEM black vinyl from our host, world upholstery or a few others you can skip all the other pieces as they will be very close in color and texture. A little heat on the vinyl to release the tension and it will pull very easily around the corners. you could wrap all in one piece and look nearly stock. I would go vinyl.

[Geneman]

wow its hideous great work!!

[drcoastline]

Oh yeah, and you are going to need to work that dash a whole lot more before you try and cover it. Fill and sand just like body work. Vinyl will show every imperfection. The leather may be a little more forgiving but rest assured That dash needs to be perfection before you cover it.

[kenikh]

Vinyl looks more correct

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[DaveMcKenz]

Nice job.
I might put some reinforcing mesh or fabric across your foam repairs and cover in resin. It was suggested above, and I agree that the epoxy to foam bond is weak and covers a pretty small area. After coming so far, I would hate to see a crack appear due to heat cycling or vibration. And you really are doing a great job.
Good luck,
Dave

[dyount]

Has any of the brain trust had any experience using a vacuum bag/pump system to put vinyl on a 911 dash?
I've got a crack in the middle of mine and I'm thinking about taking a "whack" at my dash. (In a past life I spent countless hours doing veneer work in a bag and was known for being able to veneer a mosquito's butt if needed)
I'm thinking cut out the crack area and add fiberglass/mesh and a layer over top and bottom of dash and then cover/stretch in a bag over like weldwood contact adhesive (the old school solvent variety stuff)

[RSBob]

Originally Posted by kenikh

Vinyl looks more correct

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Dear Vanilla Ice,

From a man who uses "Word", don't you think 'Proper' would work for this post?

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To the OP, didn't think you could pull it off, and I am happy to eat my words. Like my esteemed colleague and compatriot Mr. kenik suggests definitely go vinyl.

Signed, Mr Rogers

[kenikh]

Originally Posted by RSBob

Dear Vanilla Ice,

From a man who uses "Word", don't you think 'Proper' would work for this post?

----------

To the OP, didn't think you could pull it off, and I am happy to eat my words. Like my esteemed colleague and compatriot Mr. kenik suggests definitely go vinyl.

Signed, Mr Rogers

I prefer CD to vinyl

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[drcoastline]

Originally Posted by DaveMcKenz

Nice job.
I might put some reinforcing mesh or fabric across your foam repairs and cover in resin. It was suggested above, and I agree that the epoxy to foam bond is weak and covers a pretty small area. After coming so far, I would hate to see a crack appear due to heat cycling or vibration. And you really are doing a great job.
Good luck,
Dave

Personally I wouldn't have put any foam in. I would have gone straight to body filler. The foam will also squash when pushed and leave an impression.

[rennch]

Ok, finally got a chance to skim it with some body filler.

I'll hit it with some 80 grit in a while and see where I stand as far as level goes. I have some spare vinyl here, so I can throw a bit on with some light glue and see how it lies.








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[rennch]

First sanding, and it's starting to feel pretty smooth! I have one more crack I'd like to epoxy, and I need more hand sanding, but I'm pretty close to guide coat, glaze, and vinyl!



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[timmy2]

Looking good. Did mine a few years ago. Foam and body filler and 4 way stretch vinyl.
Finally, back in the game!

[rennch]

Did a quick test glue of some vinyl and I am encouraged by how flat and nice it is sitting. I still need to do a bit more sanding, but I think I can pull the trigger on this pretty soon.






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[drcoastline]

Way to save that dash. You're doing a great job emptyo.