Preventing dashboard cracking

[dirtydirtyharry]

Having spent what felt like an eternity this weekend replacing my very badly cracked dashboard does anyone have any suggestions which could help prevent the same happening to the replacement. Would it be possible to treat the dashboard with anything for instance??

ps, the moment that you get the old dashboard out is quite scary. Talk about daunting! (see pic) [&:]

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Preventing a cracked dash? If you have one, take it out of the car and store it in a cool, dry, light-free place until it's a pension fund. [&:]

The 944 dash is effectively plastic on top of cardboard. Both suffer from any heat, as in where the heater blows through or the sun shines. UV can't do any good to the plastic, when we occasionally get any sunshine. Damp is terrible for the weetabix backing, as it is for the door cards.

The UK climate varies from extremes of damp, cold and sunshine; it's about the worst cycle you can put the materials through. I'm not sure there's any way to treat the dash to preserve it, other than to keep the car garaged and dehumidified from new. Not a bad way to treat any car, but if it's not an option then just look past the cracks for the next bend and enjoy the thing. []

 

[Frenchy]

Check some of the detailing sites there is a dash product which protects against UV rays but the name escapes me.

 

[Lowtimer]

Keep it in the dark when not in use, definitely in a dehumidified garage if you can arrange that (best thing I ever did, it;s not just the metal parts that benefit). If you can;t keep the car indoors use a cover or internal screens to block out the sunlight from the interior when the car's not in use, and keep a silica gel-based dehumidifier in the car.

Treat the dash, in fact all internal plastics, with a product which protects against UV. I use Autoglym Vinyl and Rubber Care regularly on all unpainted plastic components. Armor All is also good.

 

[dirtydirtyharry]

Cheers fellas!

The dehumidifier sounds a good option in principle but given the pool of water in the rear passenger footwell, it would be pointless in my lux []

 

[Black Beauty]

Thisis a job i have set for myself in the winter and seeing your picture is making me feel quite nervous about it all; do you have any tips?

 

[pauljmcnulty]

I'm not sure there is a product that really stops the plastic surface of the dash degrading when it's exposed to UV for decades, but even if there is that won't stop the fibreboard base swelling with the damp, then contracting with the heat, will it?

The reason it's worse in the UK is that we have damp nights, then get in the car and blast hot air through the heater vents to demist the screen. The absorbant base is going to be shifting a lot under those conditions, that puts stress on the vinyl, and as the vinyl gets more brittle it cracks.

 

[944 man]

ORIGINAL: Black Beauty

Thisis a job i have set for myself in the winter and seeing your picture is making me feel quite nervous about it all; do you have any tips?

Early dashboards are far easier. Finding one is difficult.

 

[Greg James]

Have a look on you tube there is a guy just replacing the vinyl looks a pain but what you have done doesn't look easy

 

[Lowtimer]

I'm not sure there is a product that really stops the plastic surface of the dash degrading when it's exposed to UV for decades,

There is: see above.

but even if there is that won't stop the fibreboard base swelling with the damp, then contracting with the heat, will it?

No, it won't, hence the importance of ensuring the inside of the car does not get wet.

DDH: sorry, if you have that kind of water sloshing around your interior, your replacement dash *will* crack up, and quickly, if you do not make the car water-tight as a matter of urgency, and/or start keeping it under cover, and slowly but thoroughly dry it it out.

 

[T3rra]

I had a black dash, it lived outside, I would cover the dash with relefeive windscreen things. Put it on the dash driectly. Open the window very silghtly in very hot days

I also would leather treat it, every 2 weeks hoping the oils would help

 

[eddieedmo]

I suspect it is the quality of the vinyl causing problems.Mine has spent alot of its life outside in all weathers , not covered and when I got it it was damp in the rear wells and inside the doors and mine has no signs of cracking.Grey in colour and 1991.
Maybe Porsche changed the vinyl on later ones or maybe where car was built using different suppliers.

Nick

 

[Eldavo]

I've removed and refitted a dash. It looks brutal but isn't too bad provided you have plenty of freezer bags to put the screws in and write on where they came from - take plenty of pics too.

It looks worse with the dash removed:

Compared to 5 mins later with it replaced: