How can I stop a dash crack?
 

I have a 944 with a perfect dash, until now.

A hairline crack has started at one of the vents by the windshield. It started towards the interior of the car and is less than 1/4" wide.

Any suggestions? Super glue? Anything?

Keep the car from getting too hot inside? I'm sure significant expansion and contraction play a part in dash cracking.

Don't use Super Glue. It doesn't play well with the foam backing or the vinyl skin. I am not sure what would work well, though.

About the only thing that you can do is ask Superman to circle the globe counterclockwise, setting up a time warp so that all time stands still.

Short of that, get a dash cap or a dash carpet. The crack will still propagate, but you won't be able to see it.

gb

No!!!!

Chia Dash is a ripoff! I used it once, a few weeks before putting my car away for the winter.

Don't chia-fy the dash unless you plan on bi-monthly pruning.

http://www.jimhillmedia.com/mb/image...%20Bug%207.jpg

wow...once again this forum has saved me from certain disaster

my FR Wilks do it yourself Chia Dash Cover is going on eBay !

http://cgi.ebay.com/ONE-FULL-POUND-OF-CHIA-SEEDS_W0QQitemZ5604824828QQcategoryZ101965QQrdZ1QQ cmdZViewItem

actually I have used and do like some of the SEM product line

but has anyone used:

http://www.sem.ws/product.php?product_id=123

or

http://www.sem.ws/tip.php?tip_id=4

with any luck?

that is the coolest picture i've seen in a while... any clue where to find a high res version?

Years ago I bought a dash cap from Accuform. After a few years it develpoed a slight warp. I asked Accuform how to repair this and they sent me a full replacement unit. Any way you figure it, the dash cap looks a lot better than a cracked dashboard. Just follow the instructions to the letter. Very little adhesive (supplied) is used, around the edges to give the plastic room to expand and contract.

I have yet to find a dash cap that doesn't sound cheap and tinny/hollow when you tap on it though. Maybe some expanda-foam stuff under it would help?

You mean the original doesn't look and sound cheap?

ha ha, you got that one right on, bob !!

I always wonder what happened to the steel dashboard that had a removable padded cover on it. Seems as if it would add lateral stiffness to the body where it is needed the most. Most older cars that I have worked on were built that way, not out of compressed cardboard with a leatherette cover a few microns thick.

I have also noticed that the "grain" on most 944 interior parts is different part to part, resulting in a strange look.

To do a dash cover right, pull the dash so you can get good pressure evenly on the cover, Otherwise it'll always look like an add-on. Mine does. My wife took out her dash before gluing the cover on and it looks a thousand times better than mine.