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Help me! Restoring a ‘70 442 convertible and my dash pad has a crack running the width of the pad right above the upper air vent/ash tray. Dash is not installed at present. Not very big crack but fear it may grow under strain of engine vibration, road bumps, sun beating through the windshield. Am wondering what you experienced pros would do? Any ideas or guidance would be greatly appreciated. I hope it’s visible in the pics I’ve loaded.
you can patch it up..but it will come back...anything you put on top of it will give way and the crack will come back..its vinyl on foam..the repair materials expand at a diff rate than the pad..plus there is nothing that matches that grain...but heres what i have done
buy a wood burning kit...weld it and use a straight blade razor to slice off any material that sticks up..use some sand paper too..smooth it out the best you can..put felxible spot putty on it and finish sand it..get flexible rock guard and practice spraying a pattern you can live with..start at a foot away..then go an inch closer till ya can live with it..which will never ever match..but you can blend it out so its not so bad...but it will always be noticeable..especially to you...
or...you may be able to buy super glue with a needle tip and work it in so it doesnt spread...like super glue stitches...it will hold it together but theres a scar....but its done..no repair can be made to be undetectable
it thru the vinyl..but the base is compromised too...unfortunately, time is not your friend..it will continue to grow...i worked in an interior shop for some time...i would tell you to save your money on a repair towards a purchase of another pad..
Last edited by marxjunk; June 27th, 2020 at 03:36 PM.
Just to give you an idea what your dash pad will look like eventually here’s mine I’m leaving it because it’s too big of a job and expense to do a dash pad for me which I’m kind of pissed about
Another question for the Olds masses.
what other years of dash pads are compatible with 1970? Maybe ‘71 and ‘72? Just in case I come across either of them.
thanks to all.
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My dash pad was cracked on my 71 cutlass with pad removed I scrubbed and let dry overnight. Bought a tube of Dap white caulk and RUGGED black spray paint by Rust oleum. Work Dap in the crack wipe off access and let setup. Then sprayed the rugged black over entire dash pad, let it dry. Next day sanded pad to the texture I wanted then spray with automotive paint to the original color. The rugged black comes out like a fine undercoat and is sand able. I would practice with a piece of cardboard and get use to the spray can. You need to play with your speed and distance from the pad. Good luck!
There's a company named Just Dashes who can wrap it in new vinyl and dye it to the original color for you. I didn't use them myself because there was a six-month turnaround, but you could give them a try.
$1400 for a just dashes restored pad....i have a friend that has a customer that he is restoring a dozen cutlass's..he puts just dashes in there..and personally, i am not impressed they look too fat and bloated, and he cant get the chrome bead in about half he has done..just a lot of money
also, i know theres people that just love the look of their pads..i am just saying, i can see a redone pad across the drivewat, at least the ones ive seen up close
June 27th, 2020, 03:02 PM
Cracked dash pad
