Topic: How to repair your dash! (Lot of pics)

[Rick]

actually i have a oldschool vinyl dash repair kit my dad gave me (not sure where it came from) but its got patches in it so you can create the proper grain on the fill you put in,,,this patch could work to recreate the the grain even when useing bondo when its almost dry.

Five years ago I spent 3+ months laid up after a major back operation.  I remember seeing all kinds of infomercials in the middle of the night.  One of the products I remember (through the vicodin/percocet delerium) was a vinyl repair patch product.  Supposedly you could use the kit to match the grain on stuff like vinyl chairs and such.  Does anybody else remember seeing a kit like this?  jcrrieta, what's the name of the stuff you have -- that may be it.

[Hitman]

Yes, I remember seeing those kits as well.  Amazing the crap you can buy on late night TV.

[TransAmGuy]

I've got one of those kits...................

[jcurrieta]

ok mines older then that unless they repackaged them.... im gaan find it and take a pic for yahs

Its called Vinyl Repair Kit  (The Gripper) made by VIA-CHEM INC. of 755, boulevard Lebeau, ST.Laurent, Quebec, Canada  and shows a part number of VRK-12
But this package is from believe it or not 1981,,, im guessing the luquid vinyl is no good but atleast i have the patches still incase its dried up. It looks like in the instructions you use and iron (on low heat) ontop of the grain patch overtop of the liquid vinyl you spread into the repair area.

[Rick]

ok mines older then that unless they repackaged them.... im gaan find it and take a pic for yahs

Yeah -- do that.  I'm sure I'll recognize it when I see it...at the time, using it for dash repair never occurred to me.  Of course, I was doing well to find the bathroom as zonked as I was on those pharmaceuticals...

[jcurrieta]

i just updated that post with pics

[Clint s]

I have seen those at wally world and  some of the box auto stores.  you fill in the crack with some "rubberized"  glue stuff and then mix the vinyl paste to match the color.    You can the match the grain with a  piece of leather.  Most of them come with flat piece of circular metal on the end of a stick.  You heat that with a lighter lay the correct grain over the glue and vinyl paste and the heat from the iron hardens the paste and creates the grain.  All in all they do not work very well.  You can patch stuff, but you can always tell, because the grain never matches up.  I have patched a few snowmobile seats with fair results.  I am sure with practice you could probally get better at it.  My friend who works at a BMW dealer says they use a guy who comes in to repair dashes,  and if he can get at it he does a very good job and the stuff he uses is similar to this.  I will probally have him do a few cracks on my dash,  he does it on the side with his companies supplies on the cheap.

[RENOVATIONS]

My friend who works at a BMW dealer says they use a guy who comes in to repair dashes,  and if he can get at it he does a very good job and the stuff he uses is similar to this.  I will probally have him do a few cracks on my dash,  he does it on the side with his companies supplies on the cheap.

Is that Dr. Vinyl by chance?

[Clint s]

I think it may be I will ask today.

[78trans1]

I did this for my dash about 2 years ago ,but never posted it because I was waiting for the outcome of time. I used bedliner coating and the pre-mixed bondo putty that comes in the tube. I also prepped the dash surface from contaminants. The outcome well.....It looked fantastic at first, but the dash ended up cracking from the sun exposure. I had horizontal breaks that ran front to back of dash, but maybe this will last longer on small cracks. I'm just gonna buy a new dash. Anyone know of the fit of the new dashes?

[RENOVATIONS]

Anyone know of the fit of the new dashes?

Good question...none of the guys who bought the repro's have posted any reports on fitment .....

[jcurrieta]

I did this for my dash about 2 years ago ,but never posted it because I was waiting for the outcome of time. I used bedliner coating and the pre-mixed bondo putty that comes in the tube. I also prepped the dash surface from contaminants. The outcome well.....It looked fantastic at first, but the dash ended up cracking from the sun exposure. I had horizontal breaks that ran front to back of dash, but maybe this will last longer on small cracks. I'm just gonna buy a new dash. Anyone know of the fit of the new dashes?

I find if you use too much bondo tube putty in anything it will shrink and crack with time.... i always use bondo if the its bigger then a pin hole.

[OldMan]

Hey I know this post is old but I was wondering if the original poster was still active and how well the repair is holding up?  Pictures would be nice.  Thanks.

[jphillips3333]

Says he was here on 9 May.  You could always PM him with this thread and get some shots ...

[rhino33]

has anyone ever ordered the dash cap from NPD? does it cover the whole dash or just the top?
I`m unsure because they dont list 2 different covers for the difference in the space where the ashtray is.