You should end ALL your videos with Ginger !! Once again you have amazed me with your prowess ! WOW !!! I have all kinds of wordy dirds to emphasize how impressed I am but I don't use them on YOUR channel !!
An added trick to using body filler is add epoxy resin. This fill not only give you the same end result when dry but you'll get less pinholes when dry. Also depending on how much resin you use in the body filler making it thinner it will self level. A rule of thumb with the mixing ratio is 10% resin to the amount of filler at this ratio you will not need to add resin hardener when you mix everything.
I think im gonna have to take out my dash to cut out and weld some rusty metal near my windshield frame on my 83 celica. Thinking about doing this but worry it will crack again in the Australian heat and the different expansion rates of filler and the plastic dash. Might have to try the product you used. Result looks good
To reduce chance of the bondo cracking, there's a type called "short strand". It would have been ideal for the thicker applications such as some of the cracks being filled in this dash. Another type called "long strand" is especially for bridging gaps and probably would have been a good choice for the speaker holes in this dash. Both short and long strand body fillers remain flexible and adhere better than plain bondo. They have fiberglass strands mixed in, which give them more strength. But the stranded bondos don't sand and finish well, so they're usually used under a layer of standard bondo. Personally I would have used a flat paint or, even better, truck bed liner for a tougher matte coating with some texture. That can be sprayed or rolled on. It also can be tinted to just about any color.
you know I was thinking about fiberglass but I knew it was going to be a rough texture but Bondo with fiber glass mixed in to give it Flex I really thanks for that info I did a little body work here and there but I didn't know that stuff existed
I was going to say the same - use short-strand first to just below level, then bondo over the top - and glaze over that. The short strand is tough as hell compared to bondo - I use it over welds as a sealant - the glaze would add a very fine finish. Priming it all with glass resin would promote adhesion no end. That's some job you did, 65ford - good work.
Hi: Can you tell me would this work on vinyl too? I was told that I had a plastic dashboard, but it's vinyl that has turned hard. Need lots of input since I'll be the one doing it.
@@divineintervention212 Actually that's a good point. Most places that restore dash pads do this type of repair (maybe with fiberglass mat or gorilla hair or tiger hair) and then wrap it in vinyl fabric. Theres a particular type of vinyl you need to use that is 'strechy' so it can conform to the original contours.
On the edges of existing gashes to be filled be it metal or plastic or in this case vinyl, I always add some insurance holes drilling in a 1/4” from the edge giving the bondo a place to push through and mushroom in behind it locking the patch area in better than just counting on the rough surface for adherence. THAT dash came out awesome. One could say it’s the newest & shiniest item on that ride😉Great work as usual. It’s refreshing to see someone else who believes in waste not want not using their hands and mind to revamp the old and keep it alive. That’s what I love about your channel, you’ve got the Midas touch using those frugal fingers lol! 👍🏼👍🏼
That came out Great! I used raptor liner on my 72 bronco dash, rolled it on with a dollar tree mini foam roller, gave it pretty good texture, I first sanded the cracks level with a belt sander and filled them with spray foam, but it had too many big bubble voids in it, so I used the low expansion foam spray was better for sanding and forming.
I've done spot repairs with spray contact adhesive. Pull down just an edge spray the contact adhesive and stick it back up. I've also used the twisty spiral push pins designed for headliners and those were pretty good too.
Wow! That came out amazing. I'd love to see a short update video after you've driven around to see if the bondo cracks or holds up where it meets the vinyl. Nice work!
I thought I was the innovator of Bondo dash repair! I did it 10 years ago on Honda AZ600 dash top, came out great then black SEM Bumper Coater. Try Krinkle Paint for heavy texture. If you spray satin clear on top you will get the matte finish.
Interesting technique and great results! I wonder if you could use spray foam to fill in the bigger gaps and then do Bondo over that? I've done that with wallboard and joint compound and it works great so long as you sand/scuff the foam so the other stuff can stick to it.
Very clever mo, you always supprise me with your abilitys :-D I'm not sure about the super shine look, a matt finish would draw less attention to it. And the two speaker grills could be slightly darker to seperate them from the dash. But that's only my opinion. I often talk crap lol.
Good job man. Dang, that turned out soooo much better than I would have thought possible. Thanks for recording and posting this how to vid. Awesome dog.
Did this do my 280z and it cracked again within a year... Did it again but used cans of spray foam to do the under layer and bondo on top and it works great.
I've seen many repairs like this fail and the reason is people don't cut out enough old foam no vinyl. The crack always needs to be widened to around 2inches and foam pulled from under the vinyl. Everyone just does a shallow V on rotted foam and it never holds.
Nice job Moe.I’ve actually used good stuff spray foam and grind it down with a small air grinder then fill in the air bubble holes with bondo. Had good luck with that technique.
@@KM-the1st-only I’ve used it for uses such as this. Clean out the loose material and carefully fill the void with the foam, as it will expand greatly. Then sand, grind, shape and contour. You will be left with pinholes from air bubbles. Use bondo or whatever filler you like to fill them in.
OLD LEATHER SMITH here, very nice, great job, considering what I do 4 clients I would cover it with leather, infact the 1 time I did I carved the leather before installing, still think you did a great job, God's BLESSINGS ✝️⚾🙃
Bondo or bog is best used at a minimal amount, I'm not sure if it's still available but there use to be a product that was 2 part foam mixture that sets similar to dashboard foam , in either case it is better to re skin the entire dashboard and have all fresh material as the aged material can continue to crack in other areas.
"This is your dash on crack!" Hahahaha!!!! You really have a strong ability to visualize what something can look like and set your brain for the goal. Really great technique!!
I have now watched a few of your videos over the last week or so. After watching your dash repair I decided to subscribe to your channel. I like how you think outside the box on your repairs. Thanks : > ) Romans 10:9-13
If you were going to resin over the top you will need to body filler over the top of that. You might as well fiberglass the entire thing and then body filler. It would be very robust and likely last indefinitely.
hey Moe, that was very cool. I did not know Bondo would flex when warm. This reminded me of fiberglass boat repair. I also did not know about the hammer paint. You could do a whole video just on different paints and I would watch. Back in the nineties I was dating a woman that put vinyl daisies all over her dashboard and even rooftop to cover cracks and dings. The dash on my 94 Corolla looks new even though it sits in the Florida sun, it will probably outlast the rest of the car as a lot of plastic parts are failing. I like how you showed the finished item at the beginning, I need to do that more. Thumbs up!😎👌
Hey thanks. I think they use foam and vinyl to give the car soft textures. So simply for aesthetics. Could also just be a carryover from the '70s when the dash was considered a safety device before airbags.
Back in the early 1980's, my first real job was at Vinylsmith Repair in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The local used car lots kept us extremely busy. Back then, it mostly was GM vehicles that kept us busy. The Camaro door handle, arm rest and dash, the Chevy pickup dash and arm rests.
turned out really professional looking. I hope it lasts for you. I typically only get about 6-12 months in the Texas sun before rattle can paint fades which is why I've been putting an activated clear on top of everything I paint
Yeah, I know what you mean. It really depends on the color how long before it fades but a 2k clear is the ideal thing to do. I figured I'd coat it with some good quality wax to protect it from UV.
😊😊hello sir, you did a great job, unfortunately I didn't understand what you said because I don't know your language, can you write what materials you used?
That's a hard one. I've attempted to repair quite a few riding mower seats. The vinyl's just so thin once they start cracking they're lost. I tried coating the entire thing with rubber coating. That didn't work to well. Probably the best success was using ShoeGoo on the crack to prevent it from getting too much bigger.
I filled the cracks on my dash with Bondo on my old beetle but then I also put fiberglass over it. I'm hoping the fiberglass will make it a more long-term or permanent repair but only time will tell.
Very nice job especially forming the welting. Just a little curious on the durability on this repair. I see that the video is about 2 years old. Did it crack anymore? I'm about to embark on a similar project as well. Thanks, John
Looks awesome man! Good work. I was thinking, if you don't like the sheen, use a flat clear coat. You would have a little more protection and the sheen you desire.
Watching this have me a flashback to the 80s when we'd do an entire dash on our lowered custom mini trucks to get a super slick smooth custom painted dash...
Dodge owners are sad right now because they are all plastic and this doesn't help them at all!! Lol Great video very nice finished product I've not had a dash that bad but I'm Def going to do this if I get one!!!
Sixtyfiveford: Great video. Could you have made a speaker grille hole template before bondo-ing, then carefully drill holes in the bondo after painting so the speaker would still be useful? More work, but is it possible? Also, I have a 1987 Fiero GT with a 1 inch crack in the dashbord about mid dash on top. I tried to use a vinyl repair kit (you know, as seen on TV) but it looked like crap and I was able to peel it off. What can I do to keep the crack from getting worse and/or repair it? It has been there for over 10 years and has not gotten any worse that I can see. The car is garaged here in New Hampshire about 99% of the time. I never drive it in the winter and I put cloth over the dash when I take it out in the summer sun. But I would like to "stop" and "hide" that crack (it doesn't have to be perfect) that sticks out in an otherwise perfect dash. Thanks.
Thanks for the tips that turned out nice definitely going that route good thing I got a couple practice dashboards 😂😂😂 keep it coming don't stop the magic 💪
Good work....you know what they charge for a new dash pad. Being a retired painter, I can tell you that the paint had better have UV protection, or it won't last long.
Another great video. I've a dashboard on a couple of buses to refurbish after very poor past repairs from other companies. It's hard plastic (ABS?) . I deferred the job on the basis that I couldn't replicate the ingrained pattern in the plastic- but as sixtyfiveford rightly points out, after painting there's probably none of the pattern going to show through anyway, and even if it does, it will look a lot better than it does now. This channel was a real find.
I think too many people try to go for a concourse restoration on their old cars that's never be there. In my case I figured the dash was already garbage, why not make it usable. I'm the only one who will look at it and see the minuscule imperfections. Everyone else will simple see a non interesting normal dash.
Don't you watch Technology Connections? That is not brown, it is "DARK ORANGE". LOL 🤪 And to get a satin finish, just put some flour in your paint. My useless knowledge I can only accredit to watch RU-vid. LOL
Nice work! Never thought to use plastic filler for dash crack repairs. The different products for different textures could really come in handy. I do have to wonder if that shiny dash will cause reflection and glare issues on your windshield while driving. I guess time will tell.
I like 'Testors Dull Coat' Available at your hobby store, To eliminate shinyness. But cool.. thanks! 50 years in The Body Shop business , I've never had the opportunity to restore a Dash, but I certainly have wanted to try. Got one of the 1st generation Dodge Dakota convertibles.. dash is not great.. Will be.
Best way I've seen is to remove the entire headliner and backing from the vehicle. Remove all the old dried out adhesive and apply some new spray on headliner adhesive, then cut out a new piece of liner and get to sticking. Or...............In a pinch I've seen people use spiral type push pins. 📌
The spiral push pins work pretty good. I generally use spray contact cement and pull down a corner at a time and do it in the vehicle. However if it's one of those that the entire piece has come off, it's easier to pull the entire headliner and do it upside down in your driveway.
I have cracks in the dash of my 87 Ranger and 88 Bronco 2...that Bondo idea might solve that. I thought about filling the cracks with silicone or acrylic resin then repainting but the bondo would most likely work much better....the only issue is the dash is a PITA to remove, totally not worth the effort.
These days propbably the best product for filling the deep voids is Evercoat "Kitty Hair" long strand reinforced fibreglass filler. Then apply bondo for the top coats that is to be sanded back ready adhesion promoter then light coats of primer. As to getting a decent match of the vinyl texture i found using the truck bed spray cans or similar workled only if you applied very light coats with the spray nozzle further away from the surface than you would usually spray from a can. Almost to the point of misting it on and then inspecting before you apply any more to get the desired result. Then a light sand after it has fully dried. Then apply your colour with light coats and final apply Satin clearcoat with light coats dusted on and it will result in a factory matt finish
yes you have bondo skills etc...but not sure it would hold up for years...i am fixing a chevy dashboard thats all plastic from junkyard since my dash is total crap in many pieces and ery brittle... i had to epoxy and fiberglass it together..from its under side.. new dash was $400 ..i paid $10 repair seems solid...but being an out door truck in w fla...not sure how it will hold. up but i like saving money..time will tell
What should I do for a straight line crack from the left upper screw. The cracks so fine if you didn’t know it would be super hard to notice. My dashboard was crackless! I paid 500 for that dash. Beautiful dashboard btw.
Very nice job!...but I got a '86 Cutlass Supreme Brougham and parts are stupidly high for it if you can find them so I doubt I'll attempt such a repair on my dash!...
Too much paint too soon will make a matt or satin paint dry glossy. Once the heavier coat is dry and I leave it a couple of days to let a hard skin form a quick and lighter pass will give you the deisred gloss value. All paints, lacquers, varnishes etc. behave like this. Nice work on this seemingly beyond repair project.
At 7:46 you have a nice start to stretch new vinyl over the assembly and contact cement it into place. The dash spears no doubt rotted out just pull it out and trow it away dont put a new one in make kick panels. They have a spray on vinyl for cars now like paint I wonder if you could do a car dash with it? Finished product looks pretty good now do the door panels to match. What truck was that dodge? Trust me kick panels speakers sound really good look into it. You can make a cheap set of speakers sound really good in the kicks. Yes I think thats an older 1970s 1980 dodge Dakota
Looks like some used chemicals to try to protect the dash ... The best thing is wash a dash with soap and water then apply a very little Olive oil it's the best thing for your dash and Door rubbers stay away from the stupid chemical crap.... Finish sand 240 then primer then put texture finish then paint...
Pretty incredible repair, very impressive work. Only thing I would do different is use SEM vinyl dye as the color coat instead of spray can. It dries more Matte finish
I know we're all manly men here but I would have either painted it outside or wore a mask. I personally cannot stand spray fumes. Either way, good job, it looks great! The only thing I would have done, other than wear a mask, is spray it with a matt or eggshell clear coat. It would protect the paint and cut down the shininess.
SEM sells a texture spray specifically for adding texture back to repaired vinyl dashes and vinyl trim pieces, prior to using their vinyl spray color which comes in most original colors.
I cannot believe you used straight bondo I used medium expansion foam then shaped it the fiberglass it. First I used fleece and stapled it to the backside of my dash top, and thats what alot of fabricators do.I refuse to subscribe to your channel if you continue to stupid things like that. do some research please.
Does anyone make a product to fill/repair the cracks that will cure with a soft foam consistency? Then a vinyl paint/covering to restore not just the cosmetics but also the function of a padded dashboard?
Looks nice but I think personally my self I think I would just order a new dash from a good after market source I'm not saying don't try this go for it if you want to give it a try I just don't think it's going to hold up long term and that would be a lot of time and effort into something your more than likely going to be ripping out again to replace.
