F-Body Dash Pad Remix
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F-Body Dash Pad Remix
So when I first got my 98 camaro I noticed what most of these cars have already,that awesome crack.It never really bothered me at first,it was the entire dash pad rite next to the vent all cracked,pretty much north to south,well the crack got worse as time went by.Eventually it started going east on me and to top it all off my radar detector fell when i was racing and added the final blow.
Now off to the fun stuff,i removed the dash and my plan was to vinyl wrap the entire thing,well all 8 pieces and started from there.
I used a plastic welder to weld all the pieces back together,took some time and was a PITA because how weak the plastic is,not to mention every time the air shifted in the garage another piece cracked(i say this as a joke,but sometimes it seemed like it was happening)
After that i realized that plastic welding it alone would'nt be enough,so i ended up using resin and fiber to make it strong,and it was strong enough to the point that you can actually move the thing without cracking any parts.
Then the top was leveled off so that when it was vinyl wrapped it wouldnt be all bumpy and uneven,sanded it and scuffed the top up so the glue will stick easier(used the 3m super spray glue 90)
Picked the vinyl up from jo-ann fabrics,(you can use any material you like,i was gonna do suede but thought about how the sun will rape it),placed it over the dash,the dash was being held up by 2 buckets,this way you can maneuver around it and lay the vinyl over and cut off the excess.
After that sprayed it with the glue laid it over,2 people is a must for this,after it was on there smoothed out the service and got all the air bubbles out.And that about sums it up,alot better then what it use to be,and wont crack as easily,and even if it does you wont be able to see it,as far as i know as of now lol.And i will have what it looks like in the car tomorrow,just been lazy lol
special thanks goes to blind26,he pretty much was the hole head of this operation seeing as he had the plastic welder
Now off to the fun stuff,i removed the dash and my plan was to vinyl wrap the entire thing,well all 8 pieces and started from there.
I used a plastic welder to weld all the pieces back together,took some time and was a PITA because how weak the plastic is,not to mention every time the air shifted in the garage another piece cracked(i say this as a joke,but sometimes it seemed like it was happening)
After that i realized that plastic welding it alone would'nt be enough,so i ended up using resin and fiber to make it strong,and it was strong enough to the point that you can actually move the thing without cracking any parts.
Then the top was leveled off so that when it was vinyl wrapped it wouldnt be all bumpy and uneven,sanded it and scuffed the top up so the glue will stick easier(used the 3m super spray glue 90)
Picked the vinyl up from jo-ann fabrics,(you can use any material you like,i was gonna do suede but thought about how the sun will rape it),placed it over the dash,the dash was being held up by 2 buckets,this way you can maneuver around it and lay the vinyl over and cut off the excess.
After that sprayed it with the glue laid it over,2 people is a must for this,after it was on there smoothed out the service and got all the air bubbles out.And that about sums it up,alot better then what it use to be,and wont crack as easily,and even if it does you wont be able to see it,as far as i know as of now lol.And i will have what it looks like in the car tomorrow,just been lazy lol
special thanks goes to blind26,he pretty much was the hole head of this operation seeing as he had the plastic welder
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plastic welding you have to do one day,the resin can be applied the day after and that drys super quick,leveling it and filling it may take a few depending on how you did it,and wrapping it is fairly short,and then letting it dry,the glue dries fast,then install
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so far no problems for me,except for the edge around where the vent is,only because im not finished on that part,other then that it seems ok for now,florida sun is a killer
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check this one out http://z28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=133161
Chad
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nice.
what i found works really well for the cracks on the underside is believe it or not, bathroom caulk. i was reading the tube and it's heat resistant, flexible, etc.. perfect for the dash and has been holding very nicely for me thus far
what i found works really well for the cracks on the underside is believe it or not, bathroom caulk. i was reading the tube and it's heat resistant, flexible, etc.. perfect for the dash and has been holding very nicely for me thus far
#17
Wow who have u been blowin @ the dealership I'll take 2 @ that price, cheapest I've seen was like 80 +50 shipping on ebay and it was in 2 pieces. Mine got busted pretty bad and the insurance quoted it @ 780 not including install.