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Noticed this crack in my dash on my '72 Supreme today. I'm wondering if anyone knows of a good way to repair it. I really don't wanna replace the dash pad, so any help would be appreciated. It's on the passenger side about 5 inches in from the edge.
Don't even attempt to fix that crack - neither with the dash in-place nor via removal of the dash. You'll involve yourself in a complete nightmare. Some things are best left "as-is" as they provide character & charm.
Don't even attempt to fix that crack - neither with the dash in-place nor via removal of the dash. You'll involve yourself in a complete nightmare. Some things are best left "as-is" as they provide character & charm.
I like that answer Norm. Thank you. Any advice on preservation going forward?
I like that answer Norm. Thank you. Any advice on preservation going forward?
Dave - I don't have much experience on what products work best to protect plastic dashboards. I've always used Armor All Original Protectant as it's supposedly formulated to protect against UV & I've heard good things about Turtle Wax Dash & Glass Interior Detailer as it is supposedly formulated to protect against UV. On any vehicle I've ever owned I also crack the windows to reduce heat buildup from IR.
Dave - I don't have much experience on what products work best to protect plastic dashboards. I've always used Armor All Original Protectant as it's supposedly formulated to protect against UV & I've heard good things about Turtle Wax Dash & Glass Interior Detailer as it is supposedly formulated to protect against UV. On any vehicle I've ever owned I also crack the windows to reduce heat buildup from IR.
I normally do crack the windows when I'm out and about, and I keep it covered with a good quality cover when I'm home.
How could this happen all of a sudden? Seems like it might have been abused at one point.
The dash material is made with addition of plasticizers that create flexibility.
When those evaporate (forming the film you clean off the inside of your windows), the plastic becomes brittle and eventually cracks from shrinkage that accompanies loss of those plasticizers.
The crack itself is indeed sudden. But, to your point, it was likely that early owners didn't treat the car as a garage queen. It could have been parked in the sun for years. The crack could have been delayed by avoiding heat that accelerates the degradation.
The dash material is made with addition of plasticizers that create flexibility.
When those evaporate (forming the film you clean off the inside of your windows), the plastic becomes brittle and eventually cracks from shrinkage that accompanies loss of those plasticizers.
The crack itself is indeed sudden. But, to your point, it was likely that early owners didn't treat the car as a garage queen. It could have been parked in the sun for years. The crack could have been delayed by avoiding heat that accelerates the degradation.
Adding to Gary's statement, it should be noted plasiticizers, while having been discovered about the same time as PCV PVC (Poly Vinyl Chorinated ~1875), both PCV PVC and plasticizers did not reach global (historical) volumes in commercial vehicle production until ~1950s. The types of plasitizers has changed remarkably since the 1950s (most are of the phthalate variety). These early plasticizers were new, novel & I would suggest more experimental in their earlier days of production/usage. Today's plasticizers are remarkably different than those employed 50 - 60 years ago. Some things are simply a product of their times, in this case very early experimental usage with a large learning curve.
Last edited by Vintage Chief; Oct 31, 2021 at 08:57 AM.
Not easy, it can be repaired, but the dash pad would need to be removed. You can plastic weld from the back side, then fill the outer side and try to match the grain and color of the repair surface and/or repaint the whole dash pad.
You most likely didn't appreciate my humor (or lack thereof), but I'd leave it as-is. Nothing wrong with demonstrating a little character for a 50 year old classic, Dave.
You most likely didn't appreciate my humor (or lack thereof), but I'd leave it as-is. Nothing wrong with demonstrating a little character for a 50 year old classic, Dave.
No worries Norm...I got what you were saying. I'm good with leaving it as is, and going forward I'll do what I can to help prevent further issues 😀
The dash in my 71 98 has a single crack in front of the steering wheel. I've wanted to buy a cover for the dash or repair it but I've never gotten around to it. Lately, my 96 98 is taking all of my time.
Noticed this crack in my dash on my '72 Supreme today. I'm wondering if anyone knows of a good way to repair it. I really don't wanna replace the dash pad, so any help would be appreciated. It's on the passenger side about 5 inches in from the edge.
once cracked it is almost impossible to fix and blend into the non-cracked area to look 100% original.
