Dashboard?

[StephenZ]

How crazy would I be to try and strip the dashboard down and reupholster it myself? I have an industrial sewing machine to make it with French stitches…once I learn how to use the thing...just wondering if the openings would be too hard to make fit the cluster and AC vents. Anyone do this themselves yet?

 

[rsporsche]

hi Stephen,

can't answer your question, but i will caution you that the new vinyl will likely crack over the existing cracks.

but i have another idea for you. i had some cracks in my top dash on the e9. i ground them out with a dremel tool to make them valleys - sanded the edges so that i could fill the valley with polyurethane welding material ... basically melting strips into the valleys, then sanding them relatively smooth. then i filled the remainder with padded dash filler. after it dried, i sanded it smooth and painted it with one coat of SEM Color Coat (Satin Black). i then sanded it again to make it look smooth. added another coat of satin black and tapped the wet paint with a SEM graining pad to get the texture right ... then added another coat of paint. i have plenty of the polyurethane welding rods and am just 20 minutes south of Cumming.

 

[rsporsche]

oh - here is a link for the padded dash filler, along with some pics / description ... and a few links to videos

Padded Dashboard Filler | Padded Dash Filler

Padded Dashboard Crack Filler. Part No. 2050-9 from Polyvance. Padded Dash Filler

www.polyvance.com

 

[StephenZ]

hi Stephen,

can't answer your question, but i will caution you that the new vinyl will likely crack over the existing cracks.

but i have another idea for you. i had some cracks in my top dash on the e9. i ground them out with a dremel tool to make them valleys - sanded the edges so that i could fill the valley with polyurethane welding material ... basically melting strips into the valleys, then sanding them relatively smooth. then i filled the remainder with padded dash filler. after it dried, i sanded it smooth and painted it with one coat of SEM Color Coat (Satin Black). i then sanded it again to make it look smooth. added another coat of satin black and tapped the wet paint with a SEM graining pad to get the texture right ... then added another coat of paint. i have plenty of the polyurethane welding rods and am just 20 minutes south of Cumming.

Yeah, that’s a solid method and what I would normally do, and most likely will do.…I was wondering about actually stripping off the existing vinyl and pad to start fresh with new thin foam and sew a custom dash cover for it..I think I’d be in way over my head, but I’m tempted..
I appreciate the offer for the welding rods! I may take you up on that... I’d love to see any finished, classic Bmw, too…so tired of looking at a sanded shell..lol

 

[rsporsche]

unfortunately i cannot show you a finished, classic BMW as my coupe is still sitting in the paint shop ready to paint. long story, but my painter lives up there near you.

 

[StephenZ]

Well, your name suggests a possible rs 911? That’s glorious.

 

[Dick Steinkamp]

Good E3 dashes are hard (maybe impossible?) to find. Yours actually looks pretty good. I believe I'd try Scott's solution. If for some reason it doesn't work out, recovering is an option.

My dash was far worse than yours. I looked long and hard for a good replacement. When I did stumble across one, I would have to mortgage the house to buy it. I have not seen any other acceptable ones for sale in the last 3 years. I contacted Coupe King (Peter) as a possible source for a good dash. His suggestion was to have his upholstery guy cover one. I figured it was worth a try at this point especially considering the price difference with the good one I had found. I think it turned out great. Not totally stock looking of course, with the exposed stitching and the elimination of the dividers in the center valley.

 

[StephenZ]

Good E3 dashes are hard (maybe impossible?) to find. Yours actually looks pretty good. I believe I'd try Scott's solution. If for some reason it doesn't work out, recovering is an option.

My dash was far worse than yours. I looked long and hard for a good replacement. When I did stumble across one, I would have to mortgage the house to buy it. I have not seen any other acceptable ones for sale in the last 3 years. I contacted Coupe King (Peter) as a possible source for a good dash. His suggestion was to have his upholstery guy cover one. I figured it was worth a try at this point especially considering the price difference with the good one I had found. I think it turned out great. Not totally stock looking of course, with the exposed stitching and the elimination of the dividers in the center valley.


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Yes!! That looks awesome. I’d go that route for sure, if I thought I could do it myself… I’ll most likely do the easier route first and see how it goes. I like to make sure I try to do every piece of my restos..I’m a bit OCD, I guess..

 

[m5bb]

I had my dash covered a few years ago. I did not do it myself although I considered it.
I did not have the sewing machine.
I think someone with some good skills, heat gun and good prep as mentioned by Scott and others it would certainly be a DIY project.
I have an extra dash that is cracked and keep thinking I should recover it and sell.
Good luck, let us know if you tackle this.
Gary

 

[Christoph]

Big cracks, but not disastrous and @rsporsche 's method sounds great. I have a small crack near one of the dividers. Someone must have tried to address it with bondo, glue, filler.. to no result. In fact, the stains were much more obvious than the crack itself. Took several hours to remove them without ruining the structure of the vinyl. Rubbed lots of interior care into the dried-out vinyl and decided to leave the crack alone. This is one step ahead but keeping the material slightly humid might help the most.

 

[rsporsche]

Well, your name suggests a possible rs 911? That’s glorious.

no 911 RS here. i had a 911s for 10 years but the reality of it is my initials are RSP ... and i drove a porsche everyday.

Big cracks, but not disastrous and @rsporsche 's method sounds great. I have a small crack near one of the dividers. Someone must have tried to address it with bondo, glue, filler.. to no result. In fact, the stains were much more obvious than the crack itself. Took several hours to remove them without ruining the structure of the vinyl. Rubbed lots of interior care into the dried-out vinyl and decided to leave the crack alone. This is one step ahead but keeping the material slightly humid might help the most.

be careful with Bondo, be sure to use the flexible one as the body filler product will likely crack in a dashboard.

 

[StephenZ]

no 911 RS here. i had a 911s for 10 years but the reality of it is my initials are RSP ... and i drove a porsche everyday.


be careful with Bondo, be sure to use the flexible one as the body filler product will likely crack in a dashboard.

Ahh, yeah, I love the old 911s..almost pulled the trigger a couple times in the past and really wish I had, as they're now worth 10x what I would've paid..LOL
no bondo here...definitely the flexible fillers, for sure. I'll go that route first and if it looks bad, I'll start learning to use my industrial machine to make one...yikes.

 

[StephenZ]

Big cracks, but not disastrous and @rsporsche 's method sounds great. I have a small crack near one of the dividers. Someone must have tried to address it with bondo, glue, filler.. to no result. In fact, the stains were much more obvious than the crack itself. Took several hours to remove them without ruining the structure of the vinyl. Rubbed lots of interior care into the dried-out vinyl and decided to leave the crack alone. This is one step ahead but keeping the material slightly humid might help the most.

Yep..I'll go for the fix method first and see how it goes..I'll share it here, even if it turns out terrible..