Date: Sun, 09 Feb 1997 07:29:37 -0800
From: Jim Boyd <gumby@joshuanet.com>
Subject: Re: Repro plastic dash cover
Adam Harmon wrote:
>
> I have the plastic dash cover that is purchased aftermarket. Can
> anyone tell me how to successfully glue this sucker down? I got the mg from
> my father, and i cant seem to find an epoxy that will hold it to the heavily
> sun-damaged dash board. If anyone has success in installing this, please
> let me know what product you have used, and how you got the replacement dash
> to stay in place while it dried? thanks all, Adam.
Hey Adam:
I can totally relate to the frustration you are experiencing with your
dash cover. Over the years, I have replaced 5 or 6 of these, with only
2 of these obtaining satisfactory results.
It starts off with purchasing a cap that fits right. No matter how much
you try, a poorly fitting cap willl never look right! I have had friends
who have purchased caps from Moss and VB, sometimes with good results.
It seems like each car is a lttle different!
My local Moss distributor (Economy Foreign Car Parts, (916.342.1821...no
financial interest!) gets their caps from a Sacramento, CA manufacturer
and I've had pretty good results with them. Don't use the clear
adhesive that looks like caulking and comes in the kit. It takes
forever to dry and DOES NOT work, IMHO.
The last dash I capped had the original black plastic cracked in several
places and chipping off everywhere. I just knew that the cap would
never adhere. So, placing the cap on the dask, I outlined the bottom of
the cap on the dash. Then, *very carefully*, I took a utility knife and
barely cut through the old black plastic. I removed ALL the old black
plastic on the dask so that the new cap was glued to the original foam
on the dash. A wee bit scary, not knowing if this would really work!
I purchased an adhesive from 3M for plastics. Can't think of the exact
name, but the guys at Economy can tell you! The trick with this
adhesive is that you have to place a thin layer on the cap, hold it in
place for about 30 seconds, remove it for about a minute, then replace.
It sticks instantly! BUT, when you remove the cap for the minute, small
strings of adhesive come away with the cap like spider webs! You need
to protect your dash instruments and steering wheel with newspapers or
something similar. These "webs" are almost impossible to remove when
dry!
This glue bonds to the dash in every imperfection that the dash has. I
have heard of others who have filled in small cracks on their dash with
the aerosol insulation that is available from Home Base, Home Depot,etc.
They spray the stuff on their dash (it expands a lot!), let it dry ,
then use an exacto knife to cut sown to proper height. A little sanding
and presto, your dash foam looks like new! If you apply this insulation
stuff, I'd suggest using it on the conservative side!
Hope this helps; good luck!
Cheers,
Jim Boyd
Paradise, CA "...that guy is always so long winded!"
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