How rare is an uncracked dash these days

[roguetoaster]

It has to be extremely rare by now. Only the best kept cars in the most mild of climates. IMO it's heat and thermal cycles that accelerate it, in the end the material has a limited lifespan since unlike leather it's not really possible to keep it supple by just using the right care products.

You know, someone needs to test this. I have a spare cracked dash that I'd happily torture test with whatever chemicals and see if we could achieve any increase in pliability without cracking up PDQ after application.

If we knew exactly what type of material they used it would be helpful.

If we found something effective I might be willing to try it out in the real world on the uncracked unit in my touring.

[RossfromAZ]

Though I'd chime in for those that don't know you can still purchase Genuine BMW windshield shades for the E30 – keep perfect dashes crack-free for longer and cracked dashes from getting too much worse.

Ordered one recently and the fit is perfect, looks good too with the classic black 'BMW' lettering.

[varg]

It has to be extremely rare by now. Only the best kept cars in the most mild of climates. IMO it's heat and thermal cycles that accelerate it, in the end the material has a limited lifespan since unlike leather it's not really possible to keep it supple by just using the right care products.

I didn’t like the fact that used dashes were so expensive and could literally crack the next day . My original one did that one day it was beautiful the next it was cracked

Yeah, even new ones are an unknown quantity imo. I'm going to live with the cracked dash on mine, maybe put a cover on it if I find a fairly nice one. It was crack free for the first 9 years or so I owned it, a good run. Now it has one over the top of the gauge cluster hump, one small one in the passenger side tray, and one small one starting on the cluster side corner of the AC vent hole.

[Aleman]

They're out there:
$1,000 - https://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/p...587520131.html
$1,300 - https://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/p...591737365.html
Winner winner chicken dinner - almost crack-free - $200! - https://albany.craigslist.org/pts/d/...594666191.html

[prisonerofdoom83]

I feel your pain after doing the Australian equivalent of a dash re-skin.
See Post number 80 in the build thread

Hint - do some test fits with the vents and fascias parts before finally assembly.

But I have not looked back since doing it.
Every time you drive the car it will put your OCD at ease.

Yes the guys that did the dash had me take the vents to make sure everything was good and it was . I didn’t like the fact that used dashes were so expensive and could literally crack the next day . My original one did that one day it was beautiful the next it was cracked

[Tzantushka]

Welp I buy the bullet went with just dashes a very pretty penny and a 7 month wait . I had a core dash luckily . $2k Later

I feel your pain after doing the Australian equivalent of a dash re-skin.
See Post number 80 in the build thread

Hint - do some test fits with the vents and fascias parts before finally assembly.

But I have not looked back since doing it.
Every time you drive the car it will put your OCD at ease.

[prisonerofdoom83]

Welp I buy the bullet went with just dashes a very pretty penny and a 7 month wait . I had a core dash luckily . $2k Later

[MrBurgundy]

I witnessed my dash crack in front of me... It was on a cold rainy day..

Second dash... I'm just living with it. Not worth to change unless it's really bad

[82eye]

I don't know what other benefit Aerospace 303 is supposed to have, but the UV protection claim seems to be false - At least based on that Project Farm trim restoration video. One of the tests was UV protection and Aerospace 303 didn't do anything when tested with a UV Meter.

the uv block is probably what's going on with the sunscreen lotion. i'm just wondering if the oils or whatever it is suspended in would dry the dash out.

[82eye]

I have owned three E30's that came from Northern Europe. They are all crack free. There is some combination of sun and temperature in that end of the world that makes the dashboards last longer.

i live in kind of a similar climate. you give me false hope lol

[Staszek]

Mine is uncracked, but its the second dash and its one of the last NLA "New Material" Dashboards. Hoping it will stay a long time with care and being garage kept.

[ube91]

Mine isn't too bad - there's a small one above my gauge cluster near the vent and one by the climate vents. I just threw on a dash cover from CoverCraft and called it day.

The car is outside in the Florida heat most of the time, but I do keep a windshield cover on it daily and fully cover the car when not being used for extended periods of time. I did peak under the cover not too long ago and it looks the same as it did before I put the cover on.

[reelizmpro]

My 88 M3 still has an original uncracked dash. The car had been garaged since 98 and in a mild coastal climate (60-90 F) nearly all year round. I have used Amor all, lexol, eagle one, 303 and Meguiars on it but I think the main thing is keeping it hydrated and limiting the expanding/contracting (hot and cold).

[ZeKahr]

what is the material, anyone know? maybe just vinyl?

its probably differential thermal expansion because of foam and the skin.

Yeah its some sort of vinyl. The closest imitation material I’ve seen to it is Ottertex marine vinyl but the best-matching color doesn’t quite match in terms of shade. The grain texture on the dash vinyl is also supposedly proprietary, but there’s probably an immitation vinyl out there that mimmicks the grain texture 99%

If someone can 3D scan their crack free dash that would be a step in the right direction

[digger]

what is the material, anyone know? maybe just vinyl?

its probably differential thermal expansion because of foam and the skin.