How to preserve/restore a dash pad?

[v8only]

I am buying from someone a used dashpad. I'll have to paint it black, no big deal.

it is near mint despite its age, however, based on the pics, there may be a tiny little crack or two between the speaker grill holes.

I know that that area tends to be very brittle, because on my original one I just touched it and it crumbled.

Does anyone have any ideas perhaps of something I can spray on it, perhaps a spray adhesive, or just something over the speaker grills to kind of toughen it up so that it doesn't break??

[v8only]

31 views and noone has any tips as to how to strengthen this??? I guess I'll post my progress on what I do.

[negusm]

I've heard of people using epoxy (somebody mentioned jbweld) to fill in the cracks and then use a mold of the pad's texture to make the epoxy look seemless.

As far as spraying something on to make brittle vinyl stronger or less likely to crack, I don't know. If you use adhesion promoter (which will soften the outer layer of vinyl/plastic) and then spray it with good quality interior color, it may do something to help it.

Places like "Just Dashes" can recover it but its a whole new layer of material and costs like $400+.

Thats about the only thing I know.

-Mike

[madmike8]

You might try clear finger nail polish... I think I'd try it on an old dash first...

[v8only]

ooh, that's a great idea. I'll apply it first, so that it doesn't shine too much, then paint! Perhaps I'll apply it to the underside.