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How to Restore And Repair Cracked Dashboard?

How to Restore And Repair Cracked Dashboard?

Classic cars, both expensive and affordable ones, all suffer from the same problem – exposure. No matter how much some classic car owners refuse to accept it, the passage of time will eventually do a number on any classic car. Mechanical and bodywork wear aren’t too big of a deal. You can replace a strut or fill out a rusted body panel. However, a cracked dashboard can be a real pain to fix, just like other damaged portions of an interior. Dashboard repair is a thing, but the real question is just how effective is it? We’ll talk you through some options and talk about what you can do to restore your dash fully.

Why do Dashboards Crack?

Owning a classic car can be a blast if you take care of your vehicle. However, there’s always that risk of something breaking beyond repair. As it turns out, dashboards are near the top of the list of “things you don’t want to deal with on a classic car.” The main reason being that a cracked dashboard is tough to fix. Why do dashboards crack in the first place?

The moment your car left the factory floor, the race against time was on. Whether we’re talking about a vintage Mercedes or a 20-year-old E46, they’re both in the same boat when it comes to material decay. How do we battle his constant wear on of materials? By making sure that our maintenance is on point.

A dashboard is like your skin – it cracks when dry. Considering that most classic car owners buy the car second or third hand, there’s always that risk that the previous owner didn’t take care of the dashboard or the rest of the vehicle for that matter.
Here are some of the main reasons why dashboards crack:

  • UV Radiation – Anything left in the Sun for too long will deteriorate. Although it is the source of all life on earth, our Sun is also slowly baking us with UV rays. UV radiation is especially hard on paint and any part of the interior that is regularly exposed to the Sun. If left to bake in the Sun for years on end, the dashboard is more or less guaranteed to crack. The absence of maintenance and conditioning will definitely speed up this process.
  • Heat – Another reason why dashboards crack is heat. There are places in Arizona where you can legitimately bake a tray of chocolate chip cookies simply by leaving them on your dashboard for a few hours. Imagine what happens with the dash in that heat? High temperatures, just like UV radiation, will absolutely kill your dash.
  • Lack of Care – The last on the list, but equally harmful, is lack of care. Even the most basic maintenance will significantly reduce the risk of your dashboard cracking prematurely. You don’t have to go deep into car detailing either. All it takes is treating the dashboard with your dash cleaner of choice once in a while.
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Prevention Over Dashboard Repair

Dashboard cracking is one of those problems you’ll definitely want to prevent instead of repair. As it turns out, prevention isn’t that hard either. There are two components to dashboard maintenance – keeping the dashboard out of direct sunlight and dashboard maintenance.

Keeping the Dash Out of Direct Sunlight

We fully understand that not everyone has a garage or a tree to park under for that matter. However, you don’t need either of these to keep your dash out of the Sun. A simple windshield sunshade will do just fine.

All you have to do is remember to put it on whenever you leave the car in the Sun. Also, scouting for parking spots in the shade pays in dividends as well. It might be worth walking a bit further to and from your car if it means protecting the dash.

Dashboard Maintenance

Automotive detailing can be a chore or a form of meditation, depending on what kind of person you are. If cleaning is not your thing, don’t worry. Keeping your dash fresh and conditioned takes a few minutes, tops. Find yourself a dashboard conditioner that you like and make sure to apply it every week. Combined with parking the car in the shade, these two methods alone will keep your dash lasting much longer.

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What Dashboard Repair Options Are Available?

Most of what we’ve talked about so far is related to prevention. But what about repair? What options do you have if you want to fix a cracked dashboard? Unfortunately, most of the dashboard restoration methods available out there are Band-Aid solutions that won’t last too long.

There’s a bunch of crack fillers and other products that promise awesome, long-lasting results. Truth be told, if you have tiny cracks that aren’t deep, some of these products could help. However, keep in mind that although crack fillers can eradicate smaller existing cracks, they won’t prevent the rest of the dash from deteriorating.
In most cases, when a dash starts to crack in one area, it will crack all over.

Dash Wraps – Are They Worth It?

One of the solutions that most classic car owners have turned to is wrapping the dash from scratch. You’ll find a whole variety of dashboard wraps online. Textures are ranging from the standard factory vinyl and leather to carbon fiber if that’s your thing. There are even complete dashboard restoration kits out there.
Wrapping the dash is a time-consuming job in some cases, but it’s also the only actual dashboard restoration method that will last. Here’s what the process looks like in the case of the 1980s Saab 900 turbo. Keep in mind that similar steps apply to other makes and models.

Step 1 – Remove the Dash and Prep All Surfaces

First, you’ll need to remove the dash from the car. Make sure to strip anything and everything that is in the way. Remove glove box doors and other similar components as those will be wrapped individually if necessary. Once removed, thoroughly clean the dash and prepare it for wrapping.

Step 2 – Begin Applying the Wrapper

Start applying the wrapper over your dash. Make sure to use contact cement or whatever adhesive the wrapper manufacturer recommends. Start by anchoring the wrapper ends to a point where you can stretch the material as tight as you need to.

Step 3 – Eliminate the Wrinkles

Removing wrinkles is arguably the hardest part of the process. We suggest using an old credit card or a squeegee. Oh, and you’ll need a lot of patience. This isn’t a job that can be done in 20 minutes.

Why do Dashboards Crack?

Step 4 – Remove Excess Material

Once you’re satisfied with the wrap job, staple the edges around the glove box opening, instrument cluster opening, and any other part of the dash that should be open. When you’ve stapled everything down, start removing the excess material. Try to trim as much material as you can, as it will make fitting the dash easier.

What Dashboard Repair Options Are Available?

Step 5 – Install the Dash

At this point, you might want to leave the dash to set for a few hours or however long your adhesive of choice requires. Once that period is up, install the dash back into your car and enjoy your brand new looking interior!

At this point, you might want to leave the dash to set for a few hours or however long your adhesive of choice requires. Once that period is up, install the dash back into your car and enjoy your brand new looking interior!

Summary

Wrapping your cracked dash truly is the only lasting solution for a cracked dashboard. Although the process isn’t difficult in most cases, we understand that some simply don’t feel comfortable doing a job of this magnitude. There are plenty of upholstery shops that will be glad to take on the job for you! At the end of the day, you’ll get a professional service and a quality wrap job.

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4 thoughts on “How to Restore And Repair Cracked Dashboard?

  1. Hi sam….great write up!

    I particularly liked the last picture with the stitched cover…… it appears that the “change pocket” on the top is still intact with this installation.

    Can you provide any guidance on where to obtain this?

    Appreciate your help!

    1. I agree that stitched dash was really cool. The owner mentioned that it was a custom job done by a professional upholsterer and from what I gathered, it cost more than the car itself. But he had EVERYTHING done to match – seat skins, interior panels, kick panel, dash, center console, etc all reupholstered. If you’re looking for something similar, I would suggest approaching a professional upholsterer.

      Best,
      Sam

      1. thnx sam….

        There is something somewhat similar on eBay in the UK…. they said they would do left hand drive for the same price but do not have any detailed pics or instructions/guides how to stretch & attach it….(plus there are two stich rows on the top…. either side of the coin tray)…. so not such an “attractive” way to gamble my $$$$

        Is there any more guidance you can give on the work you did in the 1st pics? (like where to start?…. will this work on badly cracked dash & what prep work is needed to keep things smooooth?

        Like…. guidance for dummies… hahaha

        Appreciate yr help!

        Rgds,

        Ko

        1. If you read through the blog post again, you will see a step-by-step description of how to apply stretch-vinyl to wrap your dash. The tips are all in there and pretty simple and it’s by far the least expensive and most permanent option that I have found. One tip is that stretching leather or vinyl over your dash will look best if you fill in the coin tray – I have done this once using a custom-cut piece of wood and on another dash using Bondo body filler. Both worked fine. You can try keeping the tray as-is, but you will need something really stretchy or it will look funny, and I would use contact cement to be sure it sticks to the deep spots.The one option that I have not tried yet is adhesive stretch vinyl – like faux carbon fiber wraps that are sometimes sold for car exteriors. That might be an interesting option.

          Hope that helps!

          Best,
          Sam

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