cracked dash and door panels
09-14-2016, 11:16 PM
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cracked dash and door panels Tried to get a good search going for the reasons a dash and door panel will crack. The only excuse I could find was the sun.
I am looking for a WS6 and have a friend who had an LS1. He keeps telling me not to be interested in any cars with the cracked dash or door panels as this means someone beat on it. His theory is that when the car is hammered or shifted hard (M6) the frame will bend and cause the whole car to twist slightly. As they panels are the weakest they will crack after a while.
So is it the sun? Beating on the car? A bit of both? Or are they just that fragile it does not even matter?
I am looking for a WS6 and have a friend who had an LS1. He keeps telling me not to be interested in any cars with the cracked dash or door panels as this means someone beat on it. His theory is that when the car is hammered or shifted hard (M6) the frame will bend and cause the whole car to twist slightly. As they panels are the weakest they will crack after a while.
So is it the sun? Beating on the car? A bit of both? Or are they just that fragile it does not even matter?
09-14-2016, 11:47 PM
#2
Beating on the car has nothing to do with it. Dash - primarily sun. Door panels = old and defective factory molds coupled with heat/cold cycles.
Plenty of reading on the door panel issue here: https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-f...uote-pics.html
The good news is that if the door panel issue is caught early, the repair outlined in the thread is effective. I did it years ago on mine and they look perfect to this day, in spite of being parked outside in the heat of the Kansas summer and the brutal cold of its winters.
I religiously cover my dash every day as it's parked outside and to this day no cracks (so far so good)
Plenty of reading on the door panel issue here: https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-f...uote-pics.html
The good news is that if the door panel issue is caught early, the repair outlined in the thread is effective. I did it years ago on mine and they look perfect to this day, in spite of being parked outside in the heat of the Kansas summer and the brutal cold of its winters.
I religiously cover my dash every day as it's parked outside and to this day no cracks (so far so good)
Last edited by RevGTO; 09-14-2016 at 11:58 PM.
09-15-2016, 03:56 AM
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Beating on the car has nothing to do with it. Dash - primarily sun. Door panels = old and defective factory molds coupled with heat/cold cycles.
Plenty of reading on the door panel issue here: https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-f...uote-pics.html
The good news is that if the door panel issue is caught early, the repair outlined in the thread is effective. I did it years ago on mine and they look perfect to this day, in spite of being parked outside in the heat of the Kansas summer and the brutal cold of its winters.
I religiously cover my dash every day as it's parked outside and to this day no cracks (so far so good)
Plenty of reading on the door panel issue here: https://ls1tech.com/forums/pontiac-f...uote-pics.html
The good news is that if the door panel issue is caught early, the repair outlined in the thread is effective. I did it years ago on mine and they look perfect to this day, in spite of being parked outside in the heat of the Kansas summer and the brutal cold of its winters.
I religiously cover my dash every day as it's parked outside and to this day no cracks (so far so good)
09-15-2016, 06:36 AM
#5
Does a good tint (cough other than legal) and windshield according stop or minimize dash damage? Or do I need an actual full custom cover for it... I have no garage to put my car in.
09-15-2016, 11:46 AM
#6
yes a good tint that is fully UV blocking and has as much solar/IR reflectivity as possible for the price will help. you don't need dark (illegal) tint for it to be effective.
for the windshield there is tint that can be put on and be legal and not impair vision, but it's not cheap.
last i looked at tint i was looking at V-kool.
the stuff off the shelf at home depot or autozone for $30 i would not trust to be effective, you want to find a tint installer that's been in business and carries a reputable film like Johnson, 3M, V-kool and so on.
And I think the ceramic films now are the most effective but they cost more, as opposed to the metalized films.
for the windshield there is tint that can be put on and be legal and not impair vision, but it's not cheap.
last i looked at tint i was looking at V-kool.
the stuff off the shelf at home depot or autozone for $30 i would not trust to be effective, you want to find a tint installer that's been in business and carries a reputable film like Johnson, 3M, V-kool and so on.
And I think the ceramic films now are the most effective but they cost more, as opposed to the metalized films.