How rare is an uncracked dash these days

[DEV0 E30]

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.

I snagged one of these recently from catuned because I was ordering something else. I've been using a universal sun shade, but this will replace it.

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.

I would like to know what the best preservation products are myself. From what I've seen, the dash is just vinyl bonded to an open cell urethane foam. A mild detergent and a some vinyl-specific product with UV stabilizers is probably the best option.

A little background on the materials for those who don't know. Flexible vinyl like what you cover seats or a dash with is the same basic material as PVC, but with added plasticizers, usually phthalates, probably BBP in these dashes. The plasticizers change the way the polymer chains interact and bond with each other and in essence make what would be a hard brittle material a ductile and even stretchy one. There will also be stabilizers added to improve lifespan. Flexible vinyl is substantially made up of plasticizers by weight, depending on the application. The phthalates used in vinyl are pretty stable and have low volatility but are subject to migration with time and heat, they are also soluble in many solvents. Because they're such a large fraction of the material, as they migrate; either to the surrounding foam or into cleaning products in which they may have solubility, not only does the vinyl lose flexibility, it shrinks. This is worsened by the base foam, an open cell urethane foam, it is much more thermally stable than the vinyl surface, which will expand and contract more than the base it is bonded to, increasing stress. Time is the big one here, it's hard to test what helps because it has to be a long term controlled test to know what works, and unfortunately you can't just rub some plasticizer goop on your dash and restore it. Once they're gone, they're gone for good. Heat, UV, and thermal cycles are all enemies of your dash, but time will claim them all eventually.

You guys both touch on the reasons why I made this thread. As I mentioned there, and in a r3v FB group post (which just turned into some decent jokes and talks about blunt's hair). I know there is no guarantee but if there is something out there worth slathering onto a dash to prolong it's life, it's worth talking about.

I'm in the same boat as roguetoaster, uncracked unit in my touring and saw much more mild temperatures elsewhere. Now it's in an arid, dry, and very hot location. I'll be taking all the shade/tint precautions but if there is an accepted process to follow, I'm all ears.

[hopeful]

Oh man... Just COATED my dash in armorall yesterday... Are the guys talking about using sunscreen lotion serious? What is really being used out here?!

[digger]

Oh man... Just COATED my dash in armorall yesterday... Are the guys talking about using sunscreen lotion serious? What is really being used out here?!

unfortunately they are lol

[88Sedan]

The dash on my '88 is looking good for now! Just got the car, seats being replaced.

[82eye]

couple folk i met at a car meet / show this wk mentioned using olive oil to increase the lifespan of a soft top dash and other vinyl. supposedly helps keep the material soft and slows it from drying out, but application is a pain, as it needs to be worked to the point there is no film that will attract and capture dirt.

[prisonerofdoom83]

So I messed up pretty bad . I switched the dashboard and I didn’t swap over the vin tag . I was thinking maybe double sided tape and some thumb tacks . As I don’t see any other way to rivet it on . Unless windshield comes off . Any pointers?

[82eye]

So I messed up pretty bad . I switched the dashboard and I didn’t swap over the vin tag . I was thinking maybe double sided tape and some thumb tacks . As I don’t see any other way to rivet it on . Unless windshield comes off . Any pointers?

hate to laugh lol. somehow i think that'll look worse in a roadside check. window out is your next best option. even then it's best to do it while the dash is out. the car is obviously legal, and the rest of the vin tags will match up if there is an issue. i doubt the police would even look unless prompted.

[prisonerofdoom83]

hate to laugh lol. somehow i think that'll look worse in a roadside check. window out is your next best option. even then it's best to do it while the dash is out. the car is obviously legal, and the rest of the vin tags will match up if there is an issue. i doubt the police would even look unless prompted.

Haha I mean yeah it’s ghetto . I’ve only had a cop look at my vin tag once . But it was a POS civic I had back in the day . Maybe I’ll just keep it in an envelope with my registration . I just got a new windshield before the dashboard is the worst part

[roguetoaster]

Haha I mean yeah it’s ghetto . I’ve only had a cop look at my vin tag once . But it was a POS civic I had back in the day . Maybe I’ll just keep it in an envelope with my registration . I just got a new windshield before the dashboard is the worst part

I think it's technically illegal to swap VIN plates on the dash, so you could justify leaving the plate in glovebox unless simply removing a plate from the original dash is also illegal.

[varg]

hate to laugh lol. somehow i think that'll look worse in a roadside check. window out is your next best option. even then it's best to do it while the dash is out. the car is obviously legal, and the rest of the vin tags will match up if there is an issue. i doubt the police would even look unless prompted.

The genius that swapped a black interior into my E34 put the tag on upside-down . The cop who inspected it when I registered it here (it was titled out-of-state) looked at it and then at me and I when I told him someone had swapped a black interior into the car at some point he didn't seem to care. The original VIN stickers were present all over the car anyway.

[ZeKahr]

Haha I mean yeah it’s ghetto . I’ve only had a cop look at my vin tag once . But it was a POS civic I had back in the day . Maybe I’ll just keep it in an envelope with my registration . I just got a new windshield before the dashboard is the worst part

These days the police aren’t going to care about something as minor as a VIN plate on the dash unless you live in an area with cops who are really bored, or you’re obviously making an obnoxious display with your car. Most cops aren’t really familiar with cars as old as the E30 anymore; they’re too busy ticketing cars 15 years or younger. They have more familiar with those kinds of car because they see them all the time.

I got pulled over in my old 325e last year for accidentally making an illegal left turn, and the cop let me off with a warning. That said, I drive slower than grandma and don’t make my car look or sound obnoxious, which I believe is key to getting out of potential tickets. I also looked at the cop like I had no idea what I got pulled over for.