Cracked Dash Repair 101*

[e30m3s54turbo]

Your recipe please?

I followed the same write up on first page. The only thing I did different was use 180 grit sand paper to sand glue. It is how you prep smooth cracks and small bumps on dash. I used primer to see high and lows.

[ADEN]

Your recipe please?

[e30m3s54turbo]

[e30m3s54turbo]

I had some time to try this on one of my most damaged dash I had to work on.

[2mAn]

All the pictures are fucked, thanks to photobucket.

Is SEM trim paint a good match to the dash? I have a spare dash I need to repair and install. Im thinking that this is the best option for painting the entire dash with so it matches.

[frshmaestro]

Has anyone tried this lately and found better techniques? I'm thinking of doing this or wrapping in alcantara. Either way I'd have to fill the cracks anyway so I can do both if painting it doesn't turn out good.

[DesertBMW]

The foam and plastic coating on the dash lost oil over time and material simply degraded and there is no fix for that. You can patch it, but it will crack again. I bought slightly cracked dash then poured oil based plastic protectant, that dash soaked up half of a liter of that stuff and is not cracking any further. I keep dashmat on it.

[MJCRO]

I did pretty much the same thing. Dashboard held up fine when garaged, but once leaving my car outside on a couple of hot summer days, the dash cracked up in new places on its own. I might just try flocking mine.

[EuroChriz]

wow, good job bro!!!

[GutenGirl]

Wow, this is amazing. I'm gonna go fix all my boyfriends dashboards now, excuse me.

[AwakenNoMore]

One of these days I'm going to try this.

[secomeco]

pretty good

[OnMy2ndE30]

A buddy gave me a cracked dash for free that I will be trying something different on. I have already ground out a "v" in the cracks with my Dremel and a pointy grinding stone. I have seen on other postings where people used expanding foam to fill the void and shave it flush with a razor blade. Then use SEM bumper repair to skin it and then SEM texture and SEM Landau Black. Here is a link for the inspiration for what I am doing:

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/interior-s30/23919-dash-repair-process-pictures.html

I think this would be the best approach to avoid the hard super glue issue mentioned before. Don't get me wrong, the OP did a great job, but I think long term, the expanding foam should be more flexible. I have a local Carquest that has the SEM texture and SEM Landau black in stock. I will take before and after pictures as it progresses and let everyone know how it came out.

[the imitator]

I'll be trying to dig at a better solution soon. I don't want anything that hardens up, chassis flex will just open them up further over time IMO, something that bonds to edges that has some elasticity to it.

I'll be trying to do a successful pattern match as well.

[GT BMW E30]

I used Qbond. It worked really good. It consist of a glue and really fine dust. Fill the hole and even out with finger, paper, business card, old credit card etc. Then apply the glue (it like crazy glue). You can sand and paint it. Its expensive. Almost $20. Also when using large amounts do it in a ventilated area. It gives off a awful smoking smell.

I have not sanded it. Very light wet sand would remove gloss.