The original vinyl skin doesn't have long-term flexibility, probably not enough plasticizer in it or maybe needed to be a different plastic altogether.
And that surface takes a beating, heating up a lot in the sun, UV embrittling it more and more thru the years, chill in winter shrinking it. Once cracks form, they're going to want to stay, or reform around the filler.
But Chaz I'm with you on wanting to think they can be filled and I'm interested in your results. I've tried a little epoxy that I mixed printer's ink with to yield a black color, but I haven't finished the project and it's hard to get cracks to fill all the way up as each batch shrinks on setting. And crack surface wouldn't have the leathergrain look of surrounding material unless you impress it or scribe it somehow.
I've had good luck cancelling the glossy surface of epoxy by filling up to the adhesive surface of a piece of masking tape, but that's not easy when you try putting the tape on after the crack is filled - - excess epoxy wants to ooze out onto the surface and tape won't stick. Holes filled from the back side take a nice matte finish when you cover the outside of the hole with masking tape first tho.
I think it's best to mask off surrounding surface so you don't get filler stuck to it.
Someone suggested "Structural urethane" body seam and crack filler, sold at NAPA in sausage-like tubes, available in black, but once it's opened you have to use it all unless you have hog rings that can re-crimp the remaining tube withut air.
Also note, the plastic skin curls upwards at edge of each crack so once filled it would kind of look like a little plateau above the plane of the rest of the dash.

posted by 70.105.23...

• Dashboard crack repair options..., Chaz, Mon, 5 Mar 2007 12:41:18
  • Re: Dashboard crack repair options..., RayF, Mon, 5 Mar 2007 13:35:24
    • I have seen a repaired dash or two in the junkers, whitesaab, Tue, 6 Mar 2007 12:56:44
      • Good to know.Wish I knew what the plastic stuff was..., Chaz, Tue, 6 Mar 2007 15:08:01
        • The problem is, heat stress and expansion, RayF, Tue, 6 Mar 2007 21:21:45 <-- Viewing This Message
    • I'm sanding not peeling the plastic off.Thanks though, Chaz, Mon, 5 Mar 2007 13:41:32

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