How rare is an uncracked dash these days

[prisonerofdoom83]

So a few years ago when I got my car it was I cracked these past few months it finally started cracking . There doesn’t seem to be any good affordable options so in reality how many e30s on the road have a good dash . I may just put the dash cover back on and leave it as is for the time being

[AWDBOB]

If you put a crack free dash in, it's just going to crack again. I put a crack free dash in the 318 I'm putting together last year, and it's sat inside my garage, doused in 303 and it's already cracked.

They're not all they're cracked up to be.

Enjoy not having to think about your dash cracking, it's a much better life to live, IMO.

[amcp]

Agree, they all crack. Happened to me as well.

[Northern]

Even here in canada, mine has started to crack on my 1990 as of a year or two ago. Ironically it started to crack the year after I started regularly applying Aerospace 303 instead of shiny armorall.

Way she goes.

[e30austin]

fairly uncommon at this point. i've got two sitting in my spare bedroom, one is destined for my M3 - i haven't seen a dash that shitty, in a really long time.

the one in my red car was pretty nice, until about 2 years ago, when i noticed a very, very thin crack, at the leading edge of the board (where it meets the cowl). i've given up caring.

[dnguyen1963]

Hey guys, I have been applying sun screen lotion on the dash for more than ten years every time I do a cleaning. There is not a single crack anywhere on the dash.

[amcp]

i noticed a very, very thin crack, at the leading edge of the board (where it meets the cowl). i've given up caring.

That's exactly what happened to mine. Garage stored, sunshade always on when outside and 303 used. Didn't matter.

[e30austin]

That's exactly what happened to mine. Garage stored, sunshade always on when outside and 303 used. Didn't matter.

mine has lived outdoors its entire life, until about 3 years ago. ironically, when i started storing it inside, (along with sunshade in the window, windows left down), is when i noticed the crack. way she goes, i guess.

[AexD]

Mine was not cracked and I recently had it retrimmed anyway. Be interesting to see how it lasts, pics in my build thread

[digger]

I have a new dash to go in. What is the hotness for protecting it ?

[jnbentley26]

I have yet to see one in person

[varg]

Mine was crack free until this year, I moved it from the garage to the driveway one day to work on another car, forgot to put the sunshade in, and the next day I noticed a crack. Did it happen that day or sitting in my garage? I don't know, but it cracked, right in front of the cluster hump.

[roguetoaster]

I have a new dash to go in. What is the hotness for protecting it ?

Keeping it in a closet to eventually trade for a B- type of E30.

[82eye]

mine is still good but not for long. extreme heat / extreme cold. there's no way it can stay ahead of it. there was a couple of not bad restoration threads a few years ago, but i haven't seen any in a while. the process was mind bogging long and involved for the result.

Even here in canada, mine has started to crack on my 1990 as of a year or two ago. Ironically it started to crack the year after I started regularly applying Aerospace 303 instead of shiny armorall.

Way she goes.

i have heard the same thing locally in sask about 303 in particular on all kinds of dashes.. i'm not a big believer in either 303 or amororall i sometimes use a little armorall but it is always applied with a wet cloth, never armorall direct, then dried immediately. it doesn't not come back shiny, but seems to protect. my dad taught me that, it might not be doing anything, but it has seemed to help. best thing is keep it out of the sun if you can.

[e30austin]

Armor All contains silicone, which is terrible for vinyl. it makes it look shiny, sure, but it dries it out and promotes shrinkage, which is why the dash cracks (it shrunk). not that your dashboard wouldn't crack on its own, anyway (it's moulded foam with a vinyl overlay, it was destined to crack), but it surely speeds things up.