I did the same with my dash after watching your video. I used a heat activated polyurethane cement. I found some stuff made by stronn. I had excellent results. The materials can touch each other and will not bond until heated. Thanks for giving me the idea to do this.
instead of Great Stuff gap filler, use the low expansion type, it's denser which makes the foam stronger and since it doesn't expand as much so you don't have all those air pockets to deal with
Contactc cement has to be dry not tacky and it works on compression all the clamping won't help and the seams you can over lap the material and strike a cut through both like wall paper or floor vinyl dose not have to be a straight line and good masking tape is the best it stretches and pulls back to the seam.
I watched an upholsterer work with vinyl once. One thing he did was stretch the vinyl over tight corners with a heat gun. He made it look easy, but I could tell he had a lot of practice! I don't know what glue he was using, but he sprayed it on with a weird looking pneumatic sprayer that shot a very light but narrow stream.
I tested a heat gun with this 4-way stretch vinyl, but it's so thin and rubbery that it started to blister. I restored a dash with thicker marine vinyl that wasn't 4-way stretch and the heat gun did wonders to help that form around corners. I just uploaded a resto of another dash where I sprayed on the vinyl texture and it turned out to be my best yet: ua-cam.com/video/sw8EmkbezXE/v-deo.html
Mix and pour 2 part poly urethane foam is superior. The problem with the spray can method is that it can leave voids and simply fail to cure if the repair is too thick. The 2-part won't pit, and you can get it in different densities. It makes an extreme strong bond, it is much more rigid than the spray foam, cures in minutes, and It would allow you to skip the bondo step entirely.
Unexpectedly captivating! You did a great job, and i would echo the support for the inclusion of your bloopers as the recoveries are as educational as the subject material. Keep up the good work.
Hello! Nice job on the repair. If you ever need to cut a matching piece like you had in the corner lay them down on top of each other then cut them both at the same time the the cuts will be identical and will lay down next to each other nice and flat. Any gaps can be filled with RTV then painted. And yes the 4-way stretch stuff is the way to go!!! Thanks!
Dude, I loved it. I watcher both your dash vids and nobody on earth can argue u didn't give it 110%. Plus your commentary is so real it's hilarious. I now (almost) got the balls to do mine, but I'm thinking a combo of both yours. Body filler, contact cement, vinyl, seem the far passenger end, and use help of heat gun to mold/stretch contours. Excellent content from you! Wish me luck 👍
Yep can’t beat a heat gun to help with that stretch it’s an excellent tool for forming shapes I used to use a good hairdryer on the hottest setting can help too also good for removing vinyl wrap too , good on ya for getting yourself out there and giving things a go and in turn helping someone else out as someone had commented earlier ✌️😎👍
@@bradmaas6875 Oh I did see that, didn't realize that was the low expansion kind. I'll pick up a can this week, as I'm about to make another another dash restoration video, but this time I'll be painting on the texture instead of wrapping it. Thanks!!
One day he'll discover masking tape to keep all of the filler messes contained. I love the train of thought presentation of the video, even if the messy filler gives me a bit of anxiety.
Thanks! I just restored another one using a spray on texture instead of wrapping the vinyl, and it turned out very nice! That video should be going live sometime this week.
On your small pit in the sanding of the bondo is easy to cover with a product called glazing putty, it's what body shops use on their bondo once you sand it to shape, to cover pits, low spots and sand scratch Mark's. 🤠👍😁
Thanks! I just restored another Toyota dash using a spray on texture instead of wrapping the vinyl, and it turned out very nice! That video should be going live sometime this week.
I’m trying to restore a 66 cadillac, and that includes the dash pad. The dash i got was very very cracked but i think what makes those cracks in the foam, isn’t the foam aging but rather the vinyl shrinking and pulling the foam its glued to with it. Bcs the foam is still nice and soft underneath. Anyway. I pulled back the vinyl, which was very long and i burned my fingers a lot with the heat gun but i did manage to do it. I then filled the gaps with some cotton and other soft material bcs i want to retain the softness of the dash, and then i put cloth tape i got on aliexpress on top of it to maintain it in place. I also used foam which i cut to the shape of the cracks and put it in and used a sharp knife that i ran at a 90° angle to the foam back and forth to dull the "hill" of the crack. To be clear, i didn’t cut with the knife, i use the blade to take off a small amount of material through abrasion. Anyway. Now i need to put the vinyl on. Being in europe, i have a hard time finding the right materials, i for example couldn’t find madrid grain vinyl, which is the factory style vinyl. So i got very similar vinyl on aliexpress that has a very thin sheet of foam on the back which helps even imperfections out. Altho the cloth tape does that much better and retains the softness. I just hope that the glue i bought will bond to that foam vinyl back, and i hope i’ll be able to paint that vinyl bcs altho its already black, its shiny black and not matt. And i also hope its stretchy enough. we’ll see. Edit, i just checked, the vinyl i have doesn’t really stretch. What i think i’m going to do is glue one side down, put it in the sun so it gets softer and stretch, and then glue it down with tension. If that doesn’t work, well i’ll buy that madeid grain vinyl on opgi. Its just quite expensive.
The foam with the thin sheet of foam on the back is a great idea... too bad it didn't stretch well. For painting, I highly recommend SEM paint. Can you get that in EU?
On the first Dash pad project you used a piece of plastic to line the recessed rectangular area on top of the dash. You ended up with the uneven fold creases in your Bondo mold. You might try making a mold with a section of the 4-way stretch vinyl instead. I would put the "grain: side up, so the grain imprints in the mold. BUT- I would spray the grain side with WD-40 first, then wipe down so there is only a thin coat remaining. Then you pour in you Bondo to make the mold. When the Bondo mold cures, it should pull apart from the vinyl liner with no problem, leaving you with a mold with the vinyl grain pattern. Also if you use that "creased" mold again- you can put a section of the 4-way vinyl (with the grain side down this time) in the recessed area, smooth it out then clamp down your mold to allow the glue to set over night. Kudos on your videos. I have done dashboards & other challenging interior pieces and come up with the same challenges you have. You can only improvise & get better each time. Thanks to all who contributed in their comments.
You can *INDEED* undo a cut. Remember, there are several vinyl upholstery repair kits out there for repairing rips, cigarette burn holes, etc., & thet'll work just as fantastically well on deliberate incisions at seams - or - at a seam created by butting the edge of a patch *next to* (not overlapping) the portion of the covering where you ran out of material. Just be sure to spend the extra few pennies for the kit that comes with the actual electrical setting iron instead of the iron that you have to heat with a lighter. Don't be cheap. get the good one.
I tried something similar on this dash, but with a textured paint: ua-cam.com/video/sw8EmkbezXE/v-deo.html The surface will need to be more smooth if not vinyl wrapping.
I did use a heat gun for the marine vinyl, but the 4-way stretch vinyl was much easier to work with. It's really more of a stretchy cloth with a very thin layer of rubber/vinyl on top. I may try some heat on the recessed area where it bubbled up some.
For the areas that wrinkle, you need to use a heat gun on the material, it helps to form that corner or dip and when the material cools, it helps to hold that shape, so it won't lift back up, also on sections where you need to cut a slit in the material, it's best to use a hole punch, to put a rounded hole at the end where the slit stops, then cut your slit up to that hole you made with the hole punch, this will prevent the material from splitting further up from your cut. 🤠👍😁
@@6thGearGarage I was thinking on spraying the rust proof in the first let that dry and they spray the foam to fill the rusted hole then trim it then paint it again 👍
I used a heat gun on the thicker vinyl from the previous dash, but was worried about burning the thinner 4-way. A hair drier may have been perfect because they don't het too hot.
You can use vinyl good quality repair kit on the cut seam. They come in different colors, and if you do it right, you wont be able to tell even if the color doesn't match 100%. Some even come with a texture mold to help blend it in.
The PU foam is *no good* . It will "deflate" over time and collaps. Just give it 2-3 years There is another foam to fill cracks between walls and door/window frames. It is less sturdy but wont change shape over time. Best option would probably be to get some XPS foam sheet and cut it to fit.
If you can see this message, how does the vinyl and fabric paint feel? Does it FEEL like paint? Or, does it just simply blend into the vinyl like it's not even there?
The paint seems to soak into the vinyl and feels perfectly smooth like surface of the vinyl. (If vinyl was textured, it would soak in and preserve the textured pattern of the vinyl.)
@@6thGearGarage that’s great to know! Thank you sir! Also, if you plan on testing more methods, have you thought about the plastic welding method that’s out there? That’s the one I’m currently considering.
@@AllOutNoobHater I'd like to own one someday. I've seen the videos and it looks like it does a great job. I'll probably wait until I have a plastic bumper to repair, as I'm not sure how well it would work on one of these dashboards.
Hola amigo , perdon no se Ingles , si usas aerosol (spray ) de poliuretano cuando aplicas , tenes que poner el envase al reves de cabeza y nunca emparejar o tocar la espuma con nada porque en esa area seca distinto mas duro y mas quebradizo , es mejor usar el poliuretano para preparar que son dos componentes Poliol e Isosianato , en partes iguales y al mezclarlo se forma la espuma , rellena mejor y no queda espacios de aire , solo tendrias que hacerle una contencion con cinta de papel hasta que seque , suerte , buenos videos 👏👏👏❤
I used a heat gun on the thicker vinyl, but was worried about burning the thinner 4-way. A hair drier may have been prefect because they don't het too hot.
3m Spray adhesive works good, you just have to stick it quickly after u apply it u can't just have it chillin waiting for u to finish spraying some big piece. And the contact cement works better if you heat up the two dried surfaces with a heat gun. That's how Jordans are re-soled by professional restorers... Although I'm watching all this vinyl stretching and wondering if it wouldn't be better easier and faster just to give it a good paint job and matte clear coat..
@@6thGearGarage i bet some of those Rust-Oleum Hammered texture sprays would look good but id use a high quality bonding primer stuck on with some adhesion promoter
Id Skip the bonding primer the adhesion promoter would be quite sufficient privided it's very well cleaned & degreased, they're always loud light colors and will stand out the 1st time it's scratched
@@leebailey1220 If you could find a good color u like in spray epoxy paint that would be your best bet, it dries the hardest and toughest it's what ppl spray on sinks to redo them I've sprayed a sink with epoxy paint and it worked well
@46:00 you can cut along one edge, then wrap the flaps in their respective directions across each other. recut (with a blade) the overlaying piece along the edge or where you could hide the seam, pull the flaps back and remove the loose pieces. the remaining flap should but together pretty good. same trick works on the little missing corner. Edit: i see you kind of did it at 48min, so instead of trying to match the other edge, just cut both pieces at the same time and then the edges will match :)
man this turned out great.. wanna do one for me..?? ;) ive got the same cutout in mine but dont have the inclinometer... what is a good way to fill that indentation?
I still have not found the ideal way to fill the indentation, but if I was going to try again, I'd use spray foam with a skim coat of bondo over top. What's the fun if you don't restore it yourself :)
@@6thGearGarage touche salesman..lol i was thinking the same actually.. and before laying the 4 way stretch vinyl, maybe thin dynamat to give some response similar to the factory dash
thinking the urethane concrete crack filler from DAP might work for the indentation... but not sure that it returns fully if pressed formly@@6thGearGarage
Save yourself a lot of trouble. Everywhere you don't want the foam to stick use either masking tape or oil the surface. A little dawn and warm water will clean up the oil. I've used this method making molds to form several things with bondo
The only difficult part of removing these dash pads is taking out the right side vent to access a hidden bolt: ua-cam.com/video/oZD-g4RfdUo/v-deo.html Snd there's one more hidden bolt up inside that can be accessed through the bottom with extensions.
you can de-yello the vent's by putting them in a clear container of rubbing alcohol with the lid on and leave it outside for the day in the sun, it will get rid of the yellowing that's caused by bromine, a fire retartend they put in the plastic.
I used a heat gun to help form the thicker marine vinyl I used in part 1, but I was worried about melting the 4-way stretch vinyl because it is so thin. Maybe a hair dryer would be just enough heat though.
Wow. Man you are fantastic, May I make another suggestion though? When "shaping" your vinyl, use a heat gun it will make easy work on those corners and recessed area's. It will "shrink" it into the shape you need it to be, And the heat gun would make it to where you could have pulled it over the corner that you were just a touch short on, There's always a solution young man, just think it through, and "the idea" will come to you.
Thank you! I did use a heat gun when I restored the first dash with the thicker marine vinyl. It worked pretty well on helping it form to the dash, although it did shrink back some after it cooled. The 4-way stretch vinyl was so thin, it was like a fabric more than it was like vinyl, so I was nervous about the heat damaging it. I should do a test sometime though, to see how it does.
The first dash with the thicker vinyl did not hold up well. The second attempt is holding up much better. There will be an upcoming video to show the results. At this point, I want to try one more and skip the vinyl all together and try to spray the dash with a textured coating.
@@6thGearGarage Do you think spray foam and bondo is the way to go for filling the crack? Did you have any fitment issues putting it back into the truck with the extra vinyl? I have that exact dash in similar condition to yours and I want to fix it soon.
If using sprayfoam, I've been told there is a more dense version without so many air bubbles. I'd try that. I haven't tried to install the dash pad in a truck. I think around the vents might be the only area where it's a tight fit, but I was able to enlarge those areas enough to account for the thickness of the vinyl.
One other important point I want to make about color coating vinyl. SEM is the best color coat available, I have used other products from O'Reilly-and other auto parts stores and regretted it. (Unless these products have improved-that is) If you are using a black four way stretch vinyl because that is all that is available, and you need your finished product to be a grey or a saddle tan color, You MUST first use SEM SILVER over the black. If you don't, a light final color will not give you the desired light color. I always keep a can of silver around for the light over dark color changes. SEM has been in this business for decades. Their product only gets better & better. (No, I don't work for SEM and receive NO compensation-but I am open to it~😁😁
Great video. Man I don’t know if you figure about how to avoid or or fix the joint that you cut the vinyl if not they sale this Leather Advance Leather gel Repair Kit for seats You can use that seem and to make it disappear olso can be use on the vent that you cut a bit much 👍
thank you for your answer , i ask this question , because you add link for this leather in 2 way not 4 way , you can verify your link amazon . thank you my friend want to verified ,
@@mahmoudbenrabeh The seller updated the amazon item from 4-way to 2-way, but I found another 4-way vinyl on amazon: amzn.to/3zn1AHa Thanks for letting me know!
@6th Gear Garage looks good on film. how is the texture up close? How do you feel about the texture on this vinyl? i saw on the reviews some people thought texture was cheap looking. someone said it looked like sprayed on rubber.
So after all that, would you do it this way again or would you buy a preformed cap off e-bay? When I see how much time you put into this and materials I'm not sure it makes sense but I've never bought one of the caps so perhaps they suck?
I've heard that the caps don't fit well around the vent openings and you can see the edge. But after considering the time to recover, plus the labor in removing the dash, the cap isn't a bad way to go if you don't have a lot of spare time. Here's how to remove the dash pad if you want to see how long it can take: ua-cam.com/video/oZD-g4RfdUo/v-deo.html
@@6thGearGarage oh yes on that crack on your dashboard have you heard of crack filler I use it on my trailer floors you could get it at trailer parts store l boundo does not comes close to it it's a 50/50 mix you get two cans dude it works on any surface works on wood , plastic ,metal ,
Just a tip, if you start on the right side of the dash with fabric, you will have enouhg room on the top to stretch the material with no wrinkles, and side will be smooth also, otherwise great job man 👍
Do you feel like the dash cap is worth it just based on labor? I was thinking of skinning my dash in blue carbon Kevlar but don't know how "flashy" that would look
Totally worth it based on labor alone... You're saving hours and a lot of chance for error compared to restoring the original dash. The only downfall of caps is Ive heard they don't fit well around the vents.
@@6thGearGarage bought a cap of eBay for a 86 runner and it was a complete waste of my money. The cap wasn't long enough and the vents did not line up at all I would been to cut out more chunks in the dash So im in the process of redoing it I filled up the cracks with gorilla glue and now I'm on the fiberglass bondo stage then will wrap it in vinyl
@@BraddaMarlon I've heard about the vent holes not lining up perfect on some but I can't believe they wouldn't make it long enough. I mean, they had one job... I hope you returned it for a refund.
I tried it on part 1 and it did help, but that vinyl was thick, so it somewhat stretched back after it cooled. This 4-way stretch vinyl was so thin, I was nervous about damaging it from the heat.
Thanks! I recently restored another dash using a spray-on texture instead of vinyl wrap and it turned out pretty nice too: ua-cam.com/video/sw8EmkbezXE/v-deo.html
Thanks for the tip! I did use a different foam type on my latest dash restoration and it expands a lot less and is more dense: ua-cam.com/video/sw8EmkbezXE/v-deo.html
Ya need a French curve, architects use them for drawings. I'd make a few of them once you obtain one. When you see the French curve you will understand.....
@@6thGearGarage No what I mean is, they make a product called leather and vinyl filler. Where you had to cut in the corner on the passenger side.. You could've butted them together then filled with filler prior to spraying with pigment. Would've been a clean option.
I did the same with my dash after watching your video. I used a heat activated polyurethane cement. I found some stuff made by stronn. I had excellent results. The materials can touch each other and will not bond until heated. Thanks for giving me the idea to do this.
instead of Great Stuff gap filler, use the low expansion type, it's denser which makes the foam stronger and since it doesn't expand as much so you don't have all those air pockets to deal with
You have to hold the can of foam upside down...read the instructions
RTFM...🤣
Was painful to see that
Lol, don’t correct this man about some unimportant detail as if you have the same skills that he has.
@@WillKruger-xw8ndcan of foam upside down...learn to read
Contactc cement has to be dry not tacky and it works on compression all the clamping won't help and the seams you can over lap the material and strike a cut through both like wall paper or floor vinyl dose not have to be a straight line and good masking tape is the best it stretches and pulls back to the seam.
I watched an upholsterer work with vinyl once. One thing he did was stretch the vinyl over tight corners with a heat gun. He made it look easy, but I could tell he had a lot of practice!
I don't know what glue he was using, but he sprayed it on with a weird looking pneumatic sprayer that shot a very light but narrow stream.
I tested a heat gun with this 4-way stretch vinyl, but it's so thin and rubbery that it started to blister. I restored a dash with thicker marine vinyl that wasn't 4-way stretch and the heat gun did wonders to help that form around corners. I just uploaded a resto of another dash where I sprayed on the vinyl texture and it turned out to be my best yet: ua-cam.com/video/sw8EmkbezXE/v-deo.html
@@6thGearGarage That makes sense. It looks very thin!
I'm really enjoying these videos and your ideas as I work on my '77. 👍
You did a great job! Looks 110% better than before you started and that's always a win!
Mix and pour 2 part poly urethane foam is superior. The problem with the spray can method is that it can leave voids and simply fail to cure if the repair is too thick. The 2-part won't pit, and you can get it in different densities. It makes an extreme strong bond, it is much more rigid than the spray foam, cures in minutes, and It would allow you to skip the bondo step entirely.
Unexpectedly captivating! You did a great job, and i would echo the support for the inclusion of your bloopers as the recoveries are as educational as the subject material. Keep up the good work.
Thank you so much!
Hello! Nice job on the repair. If you ever need to cut a matching piece like you had in the corner lay them down on top of each other then cut them both at the same time the the cuts will be identical and will lay down next to each other nice and flat. Any gaps can be filled with RTV then painted. And yes the 4-way stretch stuff is the way to go!!! Thanks!
Dude, I loved it. I watcher both your dash vids and nobody on earth can argue u didn't give it 110%. Plus your commentary is so real it's hilarious. I now (almost) got the balls to do mine, but I'm thinking a combo of both yours. Body filler, contact cement, vinyl, seem the far passenger end, and use help of heat gun to mold/stretch contours. Excellent content from you! Wish me luck 👍
I want to do another where I fill in that recessed area on top to make it smooth. That area has given me a lot of issues on these dashes!
I second the use of the heat gun. I use mine for so many projects when I never thought I would.
Yep can’t beat a heat gun to help with that stretch it’s an excellent tool for forming shapes I used to use a good hairdryer on the hottest setting can help too also good for removing vinyl wrap too , good on ya for getting yourself out there and giving things a go and in turn helping someone else out as someone had commented earlier ✌️😎👍
Wow that's awesome you give credit & you're honest about using the viewers recommendations!
Thanks - I've actually learned a lot from viewers' comments and always look forward to reading them!
For foam, I think that the low expansion might have been a better choice, both in the dash and the man shed.
I'll have to sop around for some of that.
@@6thGearGarage Windows and doors foam, found at all big box stores like HD and Lowes.
@@bradmaas6875 Oh I did see that, didn't realize that was the low expansion kind. I'll pick up a can this week, as I'm about to make another another dash restoration video, but this time I'll be painting on the texture instead of wrapping it. Thanks!!
What a fantastic finish, I'm impressed with the join you made. Great videos.
omg this man belong to Next World , Great idea great mindset . Love you dear
I recommend cosclay foam clay. It air dries and is sculptable, sandable and is similar tot eh foam used in dashboards.
One day he'll discover masking tape to keep all of the filler messes contained. I love the train of thought presentation of the video, even if the messy filler gives me a bit of anxiety.
That's a good idea!!
I like the classical music in the background 👌
Same here- very relaxing and will stand the test of time, hopefully!
Good guide for bondo. matchbox size for bondo, and one match stick size for the hardner.
Thanks for the info!
They sell a rasp that is used to buff tires, so a tire patch can be put on, but I found that rasp works great on dash boards
Doh! I actually have one of those... never thought about using it for this lol.
I did a toyota celica dash with contact glue and fabric, It worked out to my satisfaction.
Thx, you gave me confidence to do dash of my Father's vintage Audi,,, you are Great!! Success with your endeavours👍
Damn so much patience. It turned out really good though, thanks for sharing!!
What would you recommend please if the dashboard actually split in half? Would you do something similar? Thanks!
For those small holes don't use bondo again use glazing/spot putty. It's the right tool for that job.
Man that looks a lot better than your first! amazing results dude!
Thank you! So far it has held up great in the heat test, while the first dash is lifting /peeling across the top.
Wicked job on the dash. Some great skills to know if and when a person does this to there fine ride.
Thanks, this dash held up well through the heat and cold too: ua-cam.com/video/ywkqTaHK2LA/v-deo.html
Very impressive work. I learned a lot about redoing a dash and the vinyl used. Thank you
Nice work buddy !!! I learned a lot .! Thank you for sharing:) now I’m gonna attempt this with my 1981 vw rabbit truck !
Thanks! I just restored another one using a spray on texture instead of wrapping the vinyl, and it turned out very nice! That video should be going live sometime this week.
On your small pit in the sanding of the bondo is easy to cover with a product called glazing putty, it's what body shops use on their bondo once you sand it to shape, to cover pits, low spots and sand scratch Mark's. 🤠👍😁
Thanks!
That looks damn good my friend. I have an 88 with the exact crack. I'm going to try to fix it. Thanks.
Thanks! I just restored another Toyota dash using a spray on texture instead of wrapping the vinyl, and it turned out very nice! That video should be going live sometime this week.
Great work and thanks for sharing the process and lessons learned here. Appreciated.
I’m trying to restore a 66 cadillac, and that includes the dash pad. The dash i got was very very cracked but i think what makes those cracks in the foam, isn’t the foam aging but rather the vinyl shrinking and pulling the foam its glued to with it. Bcs the foam is still nice and soft underneath. Anyway. I pulled back the vinyl, which was very long and i burned my fingers a lot with the heat gun but i did manage to do it. I then filled the gaps with some cotton and other soft material bcs i want to retain the softness of the dash, and then i put cloth tape i got on aliexpress on top of it to maintain it in place. I also used foam which i cut to the shape of the cracks and put it in and used a sharp knife that i ran at a 90° angle to the foam back and forth to dull the "hill" of the crack. To be clear, i didn’t cut with the knife, i use the blade to take off a small amount of material through abrasion. Anyway. Now i need to put the vinyl on. Being in europe, i have a hard time finding the right materials, i for example couldn’t find madrid grain vinyl, which is the factory style vinyl. So i got very similar vinyl on aliexpress that has a very thin sheet of foam on the back which helps even imperfections out. Altho the cloth tape does that much better and retains the softness. I just hope that the glue i bought will bond to that foam vinyl back, and i hope i’ll be able to paint that vinyl bcs altho its already black, its shiny black and not matt. And i also hope its stretchy enough. we’ll see.
Edit, i just checked, the vinyl i have doesn’t really stretch. What i think i’m going to do is glue one side down, put it in the sun so it gets softer and stretch, and then glue it down with tension. If that doesn’t work, well i’ll buy that madeid grain vinyl on opgi. Its just quite expensive.
The foam with the thin sheet of foam on the back is a great idea... too bad it didn't stretch well. For painting, I highly recommend SEM paint. Can you get that in EU?
Thanks for the idea I was wondering how I could fix those crakes , good job bro.
On the first Dash pad project you used a piece of plastic to line the recessed rectangular area on top of the dash. You ended up with the uneven fold creases in your Bondo mold. You might try making a mold with a section of the 4-way stretch vinyl instead. I would put the "grain: side up, so the grain imprints in the mold. BUT- I would spray the grain side with WD-40 first, then wipe down so there is only a thin coat remaining. Then you pour in you Bondo to make the mold. When the Bondo mold cures, it should pull apart from the vinyl liner with no problem, leaving you with a mold with the vinyl grain pattern.
Also if you use that "creased" mold again- you can put a section of the 4-way vinyl (with the grain side down this time) in the recessed area, smooth it out then clamp down your mold to allow the glue to set over night. Kudos on your videos. I have done dashboards & other challenging interior pieces and come up with the same challenges you have. You can only improvise & get better each time. Thanks to all who contributed in their comments.
Thanks for sharing your ideas! I have many more cracked dashes and will enjoy trying another dash restoration after reading all the helpful comments.
applying the contact cement to area before spray foam will help the foam stick.
Great tip... thanks!
You can *INDEED* undo a cut. Remember, there are several vinyl upholstery repair kits out there for repairing rips, cigarette burn holes, etc., & thet'll work just as fantastically well on deliberate incisions at seams - or - at a seam created by butting the edge of a patch *next to* (not overlapping) the portion of the covering where you ran out of material. Just be sure to spend the extra few pennies for the kit that comes with the actual electrical setting iron instead of the iron that you have to heat with a lighter. Don't be cheap. get the good one.
WOULD JUST PRIMING AND PAINTING IT AFTER THE BODYWORK NOT GIVE GOOD RESULTS?
I tried something similar on this dash, but with a textured paint: ua-cam.com/video/sw8EmkbezXE/v-deo.html The surface will need to be more smooth if not vinyl wrapping.
Great tutorial, and congratulations on this one , came out beautiful.
Looks great I’ll have try this on my dash
I can’t remember if you did with the marine vinyl but heating up the material helps prevent wrinkles! With a hair dryer or heat gun in your case
I did use a heat gun for the marine vinyl, but the 4-way stretch vinyl was much easier to work with. It's really more of a stretchy cloth with a very thin layer of rubber/vinyl on top. I may try some heat on the recessed area where it bubbled up some.
For the areas that wrinkle, you need to use a heat gun on the material, it helps to form that corner or dip and when the material cools, it helps to hold that shape, so it won't lift back up, also on sections where you need to cut a slit in the material, it's best to use a hole punch, to put a rounded hole at the end where the slit stops, then cut your slit up to that hole you made with the hole punch, this will prevent the material from splitting further up from your cut. 🤠👍😁
Great tips... thank you!
Well done dude, looks good.
Thanks!
IT WORKS GREAT FOR RUST HOLES IN YOUR VEHICLE USE SPRAY FOAM LET DRY THEN TRIM IT OFF WITH A KNIFE OR A HACKSAW BLADE AND THEN YOU CAN PAINT IT.
It's a good quick fix, but will actually hold moisture and cause more rust in the long run.
@@6thGearGarage I was thinking on spraying the rust proof in the first let that dry and they spray the foam to fill the rusted hole then trim it then paint it again 👍
Could you use a heat gun to shape the corners? I've seen videos that use a hear gun to heat leather around corners
I used a heat gun on the thicker vinyl from the previous dash, but was worried about burning the thinner 4-way. A hair drier may have been perfect because they don't het too hot.
You can use vinyl good quality repair kit on the cut seam. They come in different colors, and if you do it right, you wont be able to tell even if the color doesn't match 100%. Some even come with a texture mold to help blend it in.
I have seen those at parts stores... great idea!
greetings from Brazil. One question, did the contact glue not raise bubbles when exposed to the sun? Have you tried using PVC pipe glue or vinyl glue?
The glue has held up very well. Here is how it looked after 1 year: ua-cam.com/video/ywkqTaHK2LA/v-deo.html
Practice makes perfect. How did the paint hold up over the vinyl?
Pretty well! ua-cam.com/video/ywkqTaHK2LA/v-deo.html
that came out excellent. Great great work. Looks very easy to leave slack. A++
Thank you!
How does a heat gun flash on 4 way v for moulding to corners? Like they do on wraps .
The fabric was so thin, that I didn't even try. I was convinced it would melt quickly.
The PU foam is *no good* . It will "deflate" over time and collaps. Just give it 2-3 years
There is another foam to fill cracks between walls and door/window frames. It is less sturdy but wont change shape over time.
Best option would probably be to get some XPS foam sheet and cut it to fit.
If you can see this message, how does the vinyl and fabric paint feel? Does it FEEL like paint? Or, does it just simply blend into the vinyl like it's not even there?
The paint seems to soak into the vinyl and feels perfectly smooth like surface of the vinyl. (If vinyl was textured, it would soak in and preserve the textured pattern of the vinyl.)
@@6thGearGarage that’s great to know! Thank you sir! Also, if you plan on testing more methods, have you thought about the plastic welding method that’s out there? That’s the one I’m currently considering.
@@AllOutNoobHater I'd like to own one someday. I've seen the videos and it looks like it does a great job. I'll probably wait until I have a plastic bumper to repair, as I'm not sure how well it would work on one of these dashboards.
Hola amigo , perdon no se Ingles , si usas aerosol (spray ) de poliuretano cuando aplicas , tenes que poner el envase al reves de cabeza y nunca emparejar o tocar la espuma con nada porque en esa area seca distinto mas duro y mas quebradizo , es mejor usar el poliuretano para preparar que son dos componentes Poliol e Isosianato , en partes iguales y al mezclarlo se forma la espuma , rellena mejor y no queda espacios de aire , solo tendrias que hacerle una contencion con cinta de papel hasta que seque , suerte , buenos videos 👏👏👏❤
there is a leather paste fuller to fix leather seats cracks to fix the cut on the edge.
I think I've seen those kits... good call!
I wonder if a hairdryer might help removing the wrinkles?
I used a heat gun on the thicker vinyl, but was worried about burning the thinner 4-way. A hair drier may have been prefect because they don't het too hot.
3m Spray adhesive works good, you just have to stick it quickly after u apply it u can't just have it chillin waiting for u to finish spraying some big piece. And the contact cement works better if you heat up the two dried surfaces with a heat gun. That's how Jordans are re-soled by professional restorers... Although I'm watching all this vinyl stretching and wondering if it wouldn't be better easier and faster just to give it a good paint job and matte clear coat..
On the next one I restore I am doing exactly that.. skipping the vinyl and doing a textured paint.
@@6thGearGarage i bet some of those Rust-Oleum Hammered texture sprays would look good but id use a high quality bonding primer stuck on with some adhesion promoter
@6thGearGarage wait let me get this right your not going to use vinyl at all just paint? I like that idea but wonder how long it will last? Maybe?
Id Skip the bonding primer the adhesion promoter would be quite sufficient privided it's very well cleaned & degreased, they're always loud light colors and will stand out the 1st time it's scratched
@@leebailey1220 If you could find a good color u like in spray epoxy paint that would be your best bet, it dries the hardest and toughest it's what ppl spray on sinks to redo them I've sprayed a sink with epoxy paint and it worked well
@46:00 you can cut along one edge, then wrap the flaps in their respective directions across each other. recut (with a blade) the overlaying piece along the edge or where you could hide the seam, pull the flaps back and remove the loose pieces. the remaining flap should but together pretty good. same trick works on the little missing corner.
Edit: i see you kind of did it at 48min, so instead of trying to match the other edge, just cut both pieces at the same time and then the edges will match :)
Thanks for the advice! I may try wrapping another one of these dashes.
Try a pop sicke stick on the corners when applying filler it has a curve like you're strait edge
Good idea, thanks!
man this turned out great.. wanna do one for me..?? ;) ive got the same cutout in mine but dont have the inclinometer... what is a good way to fill that indentation?
I still have not found the ideal way to fill the indentation, but if I was going to try again, I'd use spray foam with a skim coat of bondo over top. What's the fun if you don't restore it yourself :)
@@6thGearGarage touche salesman..lol i was thinking the same actually.. and before laying the 4 way stretch vinyl, maybe thin dynamat to give some response similar to the factory dash
That's a great idea@@boorhadly
thinking the urethane concrete crack filler from DAP might work for the indentation... but not sure that it returns fully if pressed formly@@6thGearGarage
For the small touches and pin holes glazing putty may be nicer to use than bondo
Good idea!
Wow very good job thanks for your time 👍🏻
Thanks for watching!
Save yourself a lot of trouble. Everywhere you don't want the foam to stick use either masking tape or oil the surface. A little dawn and warm water will clean up the oil. I've used this method making molds to form several things with bondo
Learned from your video. Thanks so much. Were you able to remove the dashboard without disassembling everything?
The only difficult part of removing these dash pads is taking out the right side vent to access a hidden bolt: ua-cam.com/video/oZD-g4RfdUo/v-deo.html Snd there's one more hidden bolt up inside that can be accessed through the bottom with extensions.
Show this to anyone that bitches about these oem dash pieces being $400-$500 in uncracked condition. Good work!
They are not worth $300 or $400 🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻
you can de-yello the vent's by putting them in a clear container of rubbing alcohol with the lid on and leave it outside for the day in the sun, it will get rid of the yellowing that's caused by bromine, a fire retartend they put in the plastic.
That's awesome info, thanks!
would it help if you heat the vinyl with a hair dryer.
I used a heat gun to help form the thicker marine vinyl I used in part 1, but I was worried about melting the 4-way stretch vinyl because it is so thin. Maybe a hair dryer would be just enough heat though.
Curious if you can link the 4 way vinyl you used??
Yes there is a link in the description
I have a 2000 Tacoma with one arm rest that is pealing up, and there is not a replacement available. Any suggestions?
Rather than spend the time and money on materials trying to recover, I'd just buy a nice used one on ebay.
Very good work. 👍👍👍
Thanks!
Why use Bondo, which intended to fill firm metal surfaces, to fill a foam dash with "give"? The bondo will crack. Try bumper filler, which flexes.
I will look into the bumper filler, thanks!
Wow. Man you are fantastic, May I make another suggestion though? When "shaping" your vinyl, use a heat gun it will make easy work on those corners and recessed area's. It will "shrink" it into the shape you need it to be, And the heat gun would make it to where you could have pulled it over the corner that you were just a touch short on, There's always a solution young man, just think it through, and "the idea" will come to you.
Thank you! I did use a heat gun when I restored the first dash with the thicker marine vinyl. It worked pretty well on helping it form to the dash, although it did shrink back some after it cooled. The 4-way stretch vinyl was so thin, it was like a fabric more than it was like vinyl, so I was nervous about the heat damaging it. I should do a test sometime though, to see how it does.
How is this holding up 10 months later? Anything you would do differently?
The first dash with the thicker vinyl did not hold up well. The second attempt is holding up much better. There will be an upcoming video to show the results. At this point, I want to try one more and skip the vinyl all together and try to spray the dash with a textured coating.
@@6thGearGarage Do you think spray foam and bondo is the way to go for filling the crack? Did you have any fitment issues putting it back into the truck with the extra vinyl? I have that exact dash in similar condition to yours and I want to fix it soon.
If using sprayfoam, I've been told there is a more dense version without so many air bubbles. I'd try that. I haven't tried to install the dash pad in a truck. I think around the vents might be the only area where it's a tight fit, but I was able to enlarge those areas enough to account for the thickness of the vinyl.
Did the cement hold up thr cement on mine didn't hold well on recess area
Other than lifting up a tiny bit in the very beginning, the rest of the recessed area has stayed down.
Just placed a comment on your part 1 video regarding how to deal with the cut and tuck corners. You can also fix the end where you ran out of vinyl.
One other important point I want to make about color coating vinyl. SEM is the best color coat available, I have used other products from O'Reilly-and other auto parts stores and regretted it. (Unless these products have improved-that is) If you are using a black four way stretch vinyl because that is all that is available, and you need your finished product to be a grey or a saddle tan color, You MUST first use SEM SILVER over the black. If you don't, a light final color will not give you the desired light color. I always keep a can of silver around for the light over dark color changes. SEM has been in this business for decades. Their product only gets better & better. (No, I don't work for SEM and receive NO compensation-but I am open to it~😁😁
Thanks for that advice!
Great video. Man I don’t know if you figure about how to avoid or or fix the joint that you cut the vinyl if not they sale this Leather Advance Leather gel Repair Kit for seats You can use that seem and to make it disappear olso can be use on the vent that you cut a bit much 👍
I've seen those kits... I'll have to try that the next time I measure once and cut twice.
Please advise on the vinyl mil thickness you used.
I’m unsure of the mil but it’s thin like a t-shirt. There is a link to the fabric I used in the description.
How do I access this link?
@@keithbasinger6885 just click it and it will take you to the item on amazon, however it is out of stock at this time.
Grandioso trabajo realizado
Eres muy inspirador , motivas a mantener autos en buen acabado plástico
thank you for this video , but just i litte confused about the vinyl , so its 4-Way Stretch Vinyl or 2-Way stretch vinyl ?
The vinyl I used on this dash is 4-way stretch vinyl, meaning it stretches in both directions... up/down and side to side.
thank you for your answer , i ask this question , because you add link for this leather in 2 way not 4 way , you can verify your link amazon . thank you my friend want to verified ,
@@mahmoudbenrabeh The seller updated the amazon item from 4-way to 2-way, but I found another 4-way vinyl on amazon: amzn.to/3zn1AHa Thanks for letting me know!
@@6thGearGarage Nice , because the link where you are mentioned , is for 2 way stretch vinyl . thank you My firends , thank you
The non-expanding Great Stuff to avoid the expansion.
@6th Gear Garage looks good on film. how is the texture up close? How do you feel about the texture on this vinyl? i saw on the reviews some people thought texture was cheap looking. someone said it looked like sprayed on rubber.
The texture of the 4-way stretch vinyl is smooth compared to the original finish, or even the thicker marine vinyl.
Если вы часто занимаетесь реставрацией "торпед" и вам надо, что бы пена была жеская попробуйте клей полиуретановый PUR -он жесткий
Is bondo the best option?
Bondo dries the hardest. I tested resin in part one, but it was a little more flexible.
Most definitely putty with hardner will self level will be a breeze to form
So after all that, would you do it this way again or would you buy a preformed cap off e-bay? When I see how much time you put into this and materials I'm not sure it makes sense but I've never bought one of the caps so perhaps they suck?
I've heard that the caps don't fit well around the vent openings and you can see the edge. But after considering the time to recover, plus the labor in removing the dash, the cap isn't a bad way to go if you don't have a lot of spare time. Here's how to remove the dash pad if you want to see how long it can take: ua-cam.com/video/oZD-g4RfdUo/v-deo.html
Результат приемлимый учитывая, что при желании может сделать каждый👍
very educational. Thanks for making the video
Is it possible to just paint the dash instead of using vinyl love that Toyota tan
I think the paint would work well on the original vinyl surface as long as it was clean.
I use this all the time I have an idea so you should use a angle grinder with a sandpaper wheel comes out very pressis
That's a good idea, thanks!
@@6thGearGarage oh yes on that crack on your dashboard have you heard of crack filler I use it on my trailer floors you could get it at trailer parts store l boundo does not comes close to it it's a 50/50 mix you get two cans dude it works on any surface works on wood , plastic ,metal ,
@@eddiepulido2696 I will check it out, thanks!
Just a tip, if you start on the right side of the dash with fabric, you will have enouhg room on the top to stretch the material with no wrinkles, and side will be smooth also, otherwise great job man 👍
Thanks for the info!
Do you feel like the dash cap is worth it just based on labor? I was thinking of skinning my dash in blue carbon Kevlar but don't know how "flashy" that would look
Totally worth it based on labor alone... You're saving hours and a lot of chance for error compared to restoring the original dash. The only downfall of caps is Ive heard they don't fit well around the vents.
@@6thGearGarage bought a cap of eBay for a 86 runner and it was a complete waste of my money. The cap wasn't long enough and the vents did not line up at all I would been to cut out more chunks in the dash
So im in the process of redoing it
I filled up the cracks with gorilla glue and now I'm on the fiberglass bondo stage then will wrap it in vinyl
@@BraddaMarlon I've heard about the vent holes not lining up perfect on some but I can't believe they wouldn't make it long enough. I mean, they had one job... I hope you returned it for a refund.
The jeb gardener of garages
Hey, I got your message from the other video. I’ll watch this one too. Thank you
Use a heat gun/hair dryer which is set on lowest possible setting to make vinyl covering material more "malleable"!
I tried it on part 1 and it did help, but that vinyl was thick, so it somewhat stretched back after it cooled. This 4-way stretch vinyl was so thin, I was nervous about damaging it from the heat.
Awesome job 👏👍🏿🙌
Thanks 💯
nice work man keep it up you really got a good result
Nice work!
Thanks! I recently restored another dash using a spray-on texture instead of vinyl wrap and it turned out pretty nice too: ua-cam.com/video/sw8EmkbezXE/v-deo.html
Great Stuff Window and Door would be good for this. Much smaller air bubbles.
Good call!
Надо использовать клей-пену, она меньше расширяется и баллон надо держать дном вверх. Для точного дозирования лучше использовать пистолет для пены.
Thanks for the tip! I did use a different foam type on my latest dash restoration and it expands a lot less and is more dense: ua-cam.com/video/sw8EmkbezXE/v-deo.html
Ya need a French curve, architects use them for drawings.
I'd make a few of them once you obtain one.
When you see the French curve you will understand.....
How is you dash repair holding up?
This one is still holding up great. The one where I sprayed on the texture is not holding up well.
Here is how this dash is holding up:
ua-cam.com/video/ywkqTaHK2LA/v-deo.html Here is the spray on texture:
ua-cam.com/video/sw8EmkbezXE/v-deo.html
Since you were going to paint over it anyways why not just fill the seam with vinyl filler and then stain it to make it blend?
I recovered in vinyl for a uniform look. The factory vinyl texture might have been difficult to match.
@@6thGearGarage No what I mean is, they make a product called leather and vinyl filler. Where you had to cut in the corner on the passenger side.. You could've butted them together then filled with filler prior to spraying with pigment. Would've been a clean option.
@@6thGearGarage It's pretty much bondo for vinyl and leather. And it's paintable.
@@nickp3173 Oh that is good to know, thank you! I still can't believe I messed that up lol.
@@nickp3173 Also good to know - thanks! I may use that in a future video...