What material used to fix or add on to dash????

[WRENCH-HEAD]

I have seen in some posts people add guages/radios or other extras to their dash and was curious as to what you used to bond to the dash. I am looking to smooth over all of the cracks in mine and cover the speaker holes which are not being used. I am going to then paint it a semi-gloss black. TIA

 

[neverendingproject]

i used fiberglass and welded my stereo cage to the metal in the dash.

 

[colbystephens]

i was poor and just wanted a quick fix for now, so i duct taped the whole thing and painted it black. the strips of tape run perpendicular to the length of the dash, and it actually looks half-way decent. better than the cracks anyway.

 

[WRENCH-HEAD]

Thanks, that's what I need to know. I think i will rivet some pieces to cover the holes and then level the surface with some glass. Since I got a stash of body repair stuff this will be cheap and easy for me. Just can't see buying a new dash for a offroad toy.

 

[Cmoe]

I had an upholster shop lay leather over mine!

 

[diesel4me]

my dilema too..

The dash pad on my 79 C10 is roached from the sun,its cracked all over,and it looks like a former owners dog gnawed on the dash over the speedo cluster...I duct taped it up when I bought it..now its all wrinkled and looks almost as bad as without it,maybe worse..its certainly not helping it sell.people look inside and roll their eyes..too bad,because its a nice truck otherwise..

I thought about using bondo,but it seems to me it would be too brittle,and crack too easily..you need a rubber like substance..I've tried silicone caulking and RTV,but it does not "tool" well,and you cant paint over it to match it to the color of the dash..there must be some sort of flexible rubber like compound that does not cost a mint that would work..

I'm ready to put shag carpeting over it!..anything looks better than a 27 year old dash..

I cant find a decent dash in a junkyard here,and I'm selling the truck because I'm broke,so spending a hundred bucks for a dash pad or a "cover-it" thing is out of the question..I'd try fiberglass cloth and resin,but I have had little success getting it to harden properly,and it stinks for months!..I was wondering about that expanding foam stuff..every time I use that stuff I end up wearing most of it though,and its like POR-15--it doesn't come off!..

One guy said he used "contact" shelving "paper" which is actually thin vinyl with its own self stick adhesive..I used it to "woodgrain" the insert panel near the glove box with good results,but the adhesive I doubt would bond well to the complete dash pad,and all the lumps and cracks will show right thru..

If anyone else has a suggestion on what to use,please post up!..

 

[ryoken]

Couple yards of vinyl and some contact cement.. Cheap, probably $20.. Recover it.. Its not hard, I did my Chevelle dash and it came out sweet and I had never done one before... hair dryer or heat gun to help on the curves...