My dash cracked!!!

[Bonzi Lon]

I'm just SICK!!!

Went out today to show a friend my car. I backed it out of the garage, first time in about a month, when I got out I noticed a crack in my dash. At first I thought it was in the windshield, or my eyes were deceiving me, then looked closer and it IS in the dash. It has been crack free from new until today. I don't know what happened to make it crack. No one has been near it, nor was it cracked last time it was out. It has been colder in the garage over the 26 years it sat than in the past week. I can no longer brag about a crack free dash. What a bummer.

I don't know if Hagerty would cover anything like this or not.

Bonzi Lon

[bobc]

Bummer! Did you every use anything on it? If so, what?

[FricFrac]

Dash cap - they are pretty impressive in their quality and you won't have to worry about cracks again. You can get yours patched but it WILL crack again.

[Carl Beck]

Hi Lonny

That is a bummer.... most likely it just reached its limit on thermal cycles.

Subjected to thermal cycles over an extended period of time - all of them will most likely crack sooner or later. The one's sitting in the most stable climates will probably last the longest - but they are man made plastic after all - the truth is that it is amazing that many have lasted as long as they have.

While extreme swings between the high and low temperatures in the thermal cycle will hasten the break down, even smaller differences will cause expansion then contraction within the materials - and sooner or later they reach their limit.

VU and Ozone are two of the environmentally hostile agents that attack the long chain polymers used in the vinyls such as this. Coatings/Protectants might help shield or slowdown the chemical actions/reactions that break down the original structures - - but the sad truth is that sooner or later they will reach the end of their life-cycle.

The dashes in both my 72 Z's have had Armor-All used on them since new - both are still crack free - but as they approach 40 years of service - it's just a matter of time....

FWIW,

Carl

[zcar70]

Too bad! Must have been a shock for sure to see that.

I agree, dash cap is the way to go. Unless you can find a NOS dash and are willing to pay $2k plus, it is the best option.

And they look great.

[WingZr0]

Welcome, your now truly a member ;-) . No no no but truly I feel fo you. Go for a full cap if you do. Got one on mine which I mistook for uncracked dash but pod gauges don't look mounted as nice or flush nor the rest of the dash. Still nicer than a thousand cracks . You'd be much happier getting your small fracture mended though by Just Dashes IMO.

Edited December 14, 2009 by WingZr0

[Frankensteinz2]

I 2nd the dash cap. I have had people in my car commenting the dash and how it isn't cracked at all. I don't bother mentioning its a dash cap, you can barely tell. Unless your going all original, just cap it, right around a hundred bucks i think.

[jmark]

Here is what I am using on all my dashes now.

http://www.detailedimage.com/303-M2/Aerospace-Protectant-P12/32-oz-S2/

[zcar70]

I checked with JUST DASHES in LA and they do not repair dashes. They build a brand new, heat formed dash on the stripped framework. Cost is about $1200.

Better than a NOS dash but makes that $90 dash cap look pretty good!

[Rich1]

There's also Dashboard Restorations USA in southern Washington. They follow the same process as Just Dashes--total cost about $850. My dash is there right now.

Dash caps are great for a few years--until they begin to warp on you...been there, done that...

Rich

http://www.dashboardrestorations.com/

[Arne]

Also Dash Specialists in Medford, OR. No web site, but I've seen good reviews in the muscle car world, and here's the BBB's take:

http://www.bbb.org/oregon/business-reviews/auto-restoration/dash-specialists-in-medford-or-22011618

[7T1240]

Lon, condolences to you...that's a bummer.

Also Dash Specialists in Medford, OR. No web site, but I've seen good reviews in the muscle car world, and here's the BBB's take:

http://www.bbb.org/oregon/business-reviews/auto-restoration/dash-specialists-in-medford-or-22011618

Hi Arne.

Do you know of any Z owners who have utilized their services?

Gary S.

Also, Mark...thanks for the tip on the 303 Aerospace Protectant.