dash repair

[dogma420]

tomo---how about posting a current picture in your gallery...you only have an original exterior picture.

how about a good interior and a good exterior picture.

[bemmerguy714]

I wouldn't pay $1,400.00 for a NOS dash, they are made of cheap old vinyl plastic and could crack.

Im gona cry. :disappoin

[lonetreesteve]

Sorry, Bemmerguy!

I didn't mean to offend anyone by my statement. Look at the bright side, as you can see in the pics in my last post, 30-year + original uncracked dashes do exist and as long as you take care of yours and don't keep the car parked too long in the warm California sun, it should last at least 30 years!

I think those of us who live in states where there truly are 4 seasons, are more at risk. In Colorado, we can have hot, dry summer days and very cold, wet winter days. And in here in Colorado, this can all happen on the same day in the Spring or early Fall! This kind of fluctuation in temperature and humidity reeks havoc on old car dashes! My main point was that with today's plastic technology, the restorations will last a lot longer, (even if neglected) and cost half of the $1,400.00 NOS price tag. I saw in your gallery that you only paid $1,000.00, which is actually pretty good and a lot less than what they are selling for as of late.

[TomoHawk]

I was wondering,

If you take out the dash., can you still operate the car? It would be very convenient to have the radiator guy take the dash out, and service the heater parts. While your dash is out to the restorer's shop, you can bring your car home avoiding storage charges & theft.

Go over the wiring while the dash is away. Clean the connections to make your gauge lights brighter, undo/fix any PO wiring "patches," etc.

When you get the dash back the radiator guy can reinstall it for you. They are supposed to be experts at that stuff. You can save your knuckles.

thx

[Zedrally]

I guess that depends on model?

The 240 should, but how do you intend to drive it without gauges!

Removal of the dash isn't that complicated as many assume it is, it's just that not many people feel confidient to do this. Follow the FSM instructions and you can't go wrong...

[ezzzzzzz]

The only thing that comes to mind is the ignition and the ammeter. The wiring would have to in place for both to operate. I'd have to look at a wiring diagram. I think most stuff is fed through the ammeter (could be wrong here). You'd lose turn signals and brake lights too. All of these are in the dash harness. If I did this it would be with an escort behind me to block the cops and prevent someone slamming into me at a stoplight.

[TomoHawk]

On the 280, there are only gauges and lights for turn signals & high beams, so the car should be able to run with no dash. AFAIK, nothing on the dash connects to the ignition & fuel controller. And I don't think you can get cited for not having one. if you go along with traffic and the rest of the car is working fine, you should be able to drive around for a while- or until you run out of gas.

[hls30.com]

All the way up through a 280ZX the dash is not necessary for the car to run.

Will

[lonetreesteve]

Okay, here's your chance:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/240z-260z-dash-AMAZING_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ42612QQitemZ7995740110QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

[xray]

My experience:

1) Dashrestorations.com: reasonable cost ($4-500) freight to and from Australia is like $600, although I don't know all the freight options for sending things overseas. Some members saved some cash doing a group shipment, so try searching for their thread. IMO, the resto'd dash looks good, but is not quite an identical grain, and the dash vinyl/plastic material is harder than original. But, it won't crack anytime soon....

2) found dashboardrestorations.com out of Brush Prairie, WA. Emailed them, called them, no answer. Haven't found any other good leads on resto services.

3) No DIY repair ever looks good. Dash caps look OK, but IMO still look like they are a cover, especially around the gauge faces.

3) I bought an original dash. Not lonetreesteve's but an old one. Looks right, dash material feels right. Will it crack? maybe. But it's a risk I'm willing to take.

Any other options?

Steve

[Inf]

A dash cracks mainly due to embrittlement when UV rays break up the polymer chains which make up the vinyl, not so much due to temperature changes. The cracks just present themselves when the material strains against itself as it tries to contract as it cools. Since the vinyl wants to shrink faster than the supporting material, it needs to stretch. Since it is brittle now from UV damage, it just cracks instead. A healthy dash skin should not crack just because the temperature goes from 80F to 15F in the space of a few hours.

Protect your dash from UV rays first and foremost IMO.

Also, some ebay sellers will claim their dash is great and will last forever because they live in a cloudy area. UV rays pass right through cloud cover.

[kurtwwalters]

I've got a half cap that I got off of an old parts car on my 72. I have 4 dashes - 1 out of an old parts car, one still in a parts car and 2 in cars to be restored - all cracked. In Arizona the sun is relentless and original Z dashes don't stand a chance. To date I haven't seen a 240 dash in AZ that isn't cracked - including one on a 71 that sold for 18000 at Barrett-Jackson. At some point I'm going to have DashRestorations do the one I have out and then install it on my 72. If I'm happy with it I'll have them do my 70. It can get upwards of 160 inside a car here in the summer, so I wouldn't trust any old - no matter how perfect - or NOS dash.