Protecting my uncracked mint dash!

[Ben's Z]

Driving around in the beautiful weather today I noticed how freakin hot my dash gets (and it is only 80 degrees out). It is in mint condition with no cracks at all. What is the best way to keep it this way? Should I get a dash carpet? Cap? Some sort of protectant and pray that it still does not crack? How about the reflective windshield shades? Thanks!

[Love my 72 240Z]

Ben,

I got a '72 with a mint dash - I am listening if anyone has comments - Thanks. David

[Coolvibes86]

I have the plastic cover that goes over my dash and has kept it looking like stock. Noone I know has noticed it untill I told them it was a cover. You can get it at blackdragonauto.com, I reccomend them since thats where I got everything to rebuild my Z and i've had no problems with service. Here are some pics of mine.

Edited May 4, 2011 by Coolvibes86

[AZ-240z]

Driving around in the beautiful weather today I noticed how freakin hot my dash gets (and it is only 80 degrees out). It is in mint condition with no cracks at all. What is the best way to keep it this way? Should I get a dash carpet? Cap? Some sort of protectant and pray that it still does not crack? How about the reflective windshield shades? Thanks!

If you go to the "search" function at the top of this page and plug in "dash protection", scroll down and select "any date", you will find about four pages of threads discussing this which I think you will find quite informative. I'm not blowing you off as I, too, am having some difficulty trying to navigate this new format and find things that were helpful to me in the past.

I have a NOS dash in my car, and have the same concerns. I use a dash mat with no glued or other attachment fasteners, keep my car garaged, and use Vinylex, a vinyl, rubber, and plastic protectant. There are chemicals in the dash vinyl that out-gas, or evaporate under dry, hot conditions with a UV sun exposure. The vinylex is supposted to replenish those chemicals.

There are many other products that profess to do the same thing, your choice, but I think it is a necessary component to protecting the dash from deterioration.

Hope this helps.

Dan

[EScanlon]

I stumbled onto 303 Aerospace Protectant at a pool store. They recommend it for outdoor hot tub covers and inflatable pools. I use it now that Clear Guard is no longer available.

The literature and the reviews claim it's SPF for vinyl and plastics. I've been using it on the 25+ year old vinyl top on the Roadster.

E

[Darrel]

You should also use a carpet dash mat to disperse the heat while just driving around and parking in the sun.

It's not a question of if it will crack with all the protectants out there, but when. I have an un cracked dash ready to go in my 240 and will use a dash mat all the time.

[Bonzi Lon]

Like Darrel said, not if but when.

This is my sad story. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?36800-My-dash-c

Bonzi Lon