Repairing cracked dash?

[Zesty]

I just bought a pretty nice dash, but it does have a nice crack along with a couple other smaller blemishes.

Is there any product out there that works well with the Nissan dash material?

Like some type of "Liquid Leather" stuff? I think it will be a real easy fix, but I just don't want to use some unproven product and mess my new dash up. Thanks.

[!Zar!]

The only products that I've used is that dash repair kit. You can get it at most auto parts stores. It comes with a soldering iron and a round metal disk. You apply the paste that's given to you cover it with some cloth and heat the cloth up with the iron. Works better than nothing.

[chuy]

Just get it reupolstered before you put it in. When I bought mine it has a repaired spot and its very noticable.

[Zesty]

How much is that typically?

[drew935]

I tried the liquid leather stuff and it didn't come out too well. So maybe I'll try the dash repair kit next.

[Zesty]

Damn, I don't really want to get it reupholstered(sp?). The entire dash is cherry, except for one nice crack and a couple little scuffs. I was at least hoping their was something that would at least "seal" the cracks, and ensure that they won't split/crack even further.

drew935, could you elaborate on your experience with the liquid leather?

How much does a typical reupholstry for a dash cost?

[FRpilot]

i didnt know you can get the dash reupholstered. i thought it was like brittle plastic

[nsn240]

Originally Posted by FRpilot

i didnt know you can get the dash reupholstered. i thought it was like brittle plastic

it is, i think he ment getting it apolstered in leather, vinyl or suede

[Zesty]

Any experience on how much the reupholstry runs?

[kY.gordon]

a buddy of mines had some custom interior peices done including the dash and the bill came high so i bet it runs more then the cost of a nice dash without a crack, unless you want to spend the money for personal intrest, i would go for a newer dash or maybe a new oem one.

[Zesty]

Sorry for all the pricing questions, but what is the going rate for a used cherry dash?

If you can't already tell, I'm poor!

[Lost_DriFter]

i know how u feel when i got my 240 there were 2 cracks on the dash one on each side and now that my car has been sitting while im doin the manual conversion i got 4 more new cracks pisses me off so i threw towels over it so the sun doesnt get to it more than it already has but imma jus buy a new dash but in black (mine is blue ...)

[Zesty]

Basically I am a dirty white boy. I'd rather have a car that runs well rather than looks good.

The dash looks good, it's not so much that I want to make it look perfect, as I would like to "seal" the cracks so that they don't get any bigger!

Like, I don't care if I put something on that doesn't quite match the color, so long as it seal the crack.

I'd rather have a mis-colored streak in my dash, than a crack that just keeps getting worse.

So yeah if any of these products will just at least seal the crack and ensure it doesn't get bigger, I could live with that.

[Zero_SX]

best choice is to get it reupholstered. looks the best and you know it will come out good. and take care of it, dammit!!!

[neverlift]

guy's buy a dash rug,covers cracks,and you can customize it to match the rest of your car

[chuy]

I got a price quate of $60 and my dash is cracked under the pass air bag.

[Zesty]

^That's not bad at all, IMHO. I don't even have airbags, so it would probably be even easier.

I paid $60 for this dash. It may be a bit too much, maybe I got ripped off I don't know! All I know is my current dash is the low-point of the car, and this new dash is nice aside from the one major crack and a couple little scuffs.

I figure if it's about $60 to reupholster, then I'll just leave the dash as-is for awhile, and when I get some more cash I'll drop the cash and reupholster it, and I figure I'll have a like-new dash for a bit over $100, which is a lot but fuck it at least I'll have a cherry dash

[BlackSilEighty]

I filled mine in with putty and painted it with a small brush. Buy some craft paint and mix the colors together to get the perfect shade of gray. My crack is above the gauges. If it's in a more noticable spot I would suggest putting a nice sticker over it or something

[Spec7]

Just a thought, and no guarantee's that this will work. I would also recommend trying this out on a badly cracked dash that you have no need of and no intentions of ever using again.

Find an automotive upholstery shop and purchase a yard and a half of automotive seating vinyl matching the color of your interior. Purchase a can of 3M adhesive spray; the tackiest you can find.
Trim any buckled vinyl cracks on the dash so you have a smooth surface to work on. Clean the dash with simple green then rinse with boiling (or very hot) water and place the dash in a cool spot to dry and cool down overnight.
Next day, warm the upholstery vinyl up so that it is pliable to work with.
Spray a single line of adhesive down the lengthwise center of the dash and lay the vinyl down along the adhesive with no wrinkles. Apply pressure on the vinyl to adhere it to the dash. Trim the vinyl to fit the dash, paying specific attention to all of the interference fitment areas (ie. vents and dash ends) so that the vinyl does not impede re-installation. Lift the vinyl back and spray more adhesive under it and slightly stretch it as you press it to the adhesive. Let it dry and check out how it looks and fits.
If I had one laying around, I would try it myself. If this works, it should cost less than $50.00 and a couple of days to accomplish.

[603240sx]

ya try it your self. i did the doors in my mazda my self. the vinyl was like 6 bucks per yard. take your time and make sure you buy a big peace so you dont have any seems, that adhesive spray does not work with vinyl to good. but beleive it our not shoe goo works great. it just takes longer to dry, but if u get it on somthing u dont want it own u can wipe it off with out a problem.

[Zesty]

Originally Posted by BlackSilEighty

I filled mine in with putty and painted it with a small brush. Buy some craft paint and mix the colors together to get the perfect shade of gray. My crack is above the gauges. If it's in a more noticable spot I would suggest putting a nice sticker over it or something

Actually mine is above the guages also, but it goes all the way to the front vents. What kind of putty did you use?

I also thought about using that "Shoe Goop". And I do just happen to have an extra dash to mess with/practice on....the dash that's in the car is actually in really bad condition, the dude before me already tried to use some bondo type crap and messed it up even more, but it is brown anyways so who cares!

[BlackSilEighty]

I either used bondo or house putty. That was a few years ago so I don't remember. shave the crack with a razor to make sure it's flush and then just smooth some bondo into it. sand it just enough to get it flush then hand paint it with some sort of craft or poster paint. Something flat, no gloss. Buy black and white paint so you can mix it to match the dash color as well as possible. It looks better, but not brand new.