Complete Cracked Dash Repair Super Easy DIY

[@moboutmen]

Tremendous job! However "super easy" isn't how I would personally describe removing a dashboard.

[@derekhpwell3531]

I agree the old vw dashboards like the one he's fixing is easy to pull like maybe 10 screws max

[@Atom_gun]

Not modern ones

[@The_Z_guy]

Fr i done like 5 and it’s the most annoying thing

[@Galfrid]

Not enough "super easy" pain and frustration in your life? 😂😂😂

[@Galfrid]

Not enough "super easy" pain and frustration in your life? 😂😂😂

[@jeffwalther3935]

As a retired professional educator, I was humbled by a lesson shown here done so well. I followed every procedure. Every question I had was answered within seconds by your structured, systematic, methodical explanation. What is so laudatory here is teaching this way, I know, is a splendid labor of love shown in caring enough for your audience to anticipate their questions. I know too that you are teaching as all of us learned mechanix the art, science, tech, logistics, chemistry, economics, . . . it takes to do stuff like this routinely, within budget, all the time, no matter whut. This is tuf thing to do at all and you make it a walk in the park, so to speak - mission accomplished. Bravo maestro!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

[@carolinabeacher1558]

this is why i watch your videos, learning new stuff is good for the noggin.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey thanks

[@telluride4017]

It looks fantastic. Maybe in the near future you can show us an update? Curious to know how this holds up in the long term?

[@queensapphire7717]

Yeah, see how it holds up to a 100° summer and 10° winter.

[@waltp3373]

Probably nothing I would ever do but interesting to watch a master craftsman.

[@dostuffchannel]

"Master" is a bit of a stretch.

[@filmart430]

How about “Master” dog trainer? 🤔

[@racekrasser7869]

@@dostuffchannel yeah idk...globbing regular body putty into a foam dash isn't a recipe for success, but whatever.

[@alanm.4298]

To reduce chance of the bondo cracking, there's a type called "short strand". It would have been ideal for the thicker applications such as some of the cracks being filled in this dash. Another type called "long strand" is especially for bridging gaps and probably would have been a good choice for the speaker holes in this dash. Both short and long strand body fillers remain flexible and adhere better than plain bondo. They have fiberglass strands mixed in, which give them more strength. But the stranded bondos don't sand and finish well, so they're usually used under a layer of standard bondo. Personally I would have used a flat paint or, even better, truck bed liner for a tougher matte coating with some texture. That can be sprayed or rolled on. It also can be tinted to just about any color.

[@larrypatterson2340]

you know I was thinking about fiberglass but I knew it was going to be a rough texture but Bondo with fiber glass mixed in to give it Flex I really thanks for that info I did a little body work here and there but I didn't know that stuff existed

[@jamesward5721]

I was going to say the same - use short-strand first to just below level, then bondo over the top - and glaze over that. The short strand is tough as hell compared to bondo - I use it over welds as a sealant - the glaze would add a very fine finish. Priming it all with glass resin would promote adhesion no end. That's some job you did, 65ford - good work.

[@firsteboniqueen]

Hi: Can you tell me would this work on vinyl too? I was told that I had a plastic dashboard, but it's vinyl that has turned hard. Need lots of input since I'll be the one doing it.

[@divineintervention212]

@ Firsteboniqueen, This is vinyl he's doing. If you want to recover it with vinyl fabric you can do that instead of painting it.😉

[@vincemajestyk9497]

@@divineintervention212 Actually that's a good point. Most places that restore dash pads do this type of repair (maybe with fiberglass mat or gorilla hair or tiger hair) and then wrap it in vinyl fabric. Theres a particular type of vinyl you need to use that is 'strechy' so it can conform to the original contours.

[@robertoswalt319]

You put an insane amount of work on that dash. I would have tapped out in just pulling it out. You are the man!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey thanks

[@JDLarge]

On the edges of existing gashes to be filled be it metal or plastic or in this case vinyl, I always add some insurance holes drilling in a 1/4” from the edge giving the bondo a place to push through and mushroom in behind it locking the patch area in better than just counting on the rough surface for adherence. THAT dash came out awesome. One could say it’s the newest & shiniest item on that ride😉Great work as usual. It’s refreshing to see someone else who believes in waste not want not using their hands and mind to revamp the old and keep it alive. That’s what I love about your channel, you’ve got the Midas touch using those frugal fingers lol! 👍🏼👍🏼

[@abcsandoval]

Great idea on the hook holes! Thanks!

[@600miles]

I thought I was the innovator of Bondo dash repair! I did it 10 years ago on Honda AZ600 dash top, came out great then black SEM Bumper Coater. Try Krinkle Paint for heavy texture. If you spray satin clear on top you will get the matte finish.

[@teabag402]

Haha, me to, ive never seen anyone do this, thought I was the only one. Way easier than fiberglass wrap

[@larrypatterson2340]

thanks that was a great reply/solution, I'm going to try it on my 92 .

[@fordx4n]

That came out Great! I used raptor liner on my 72 bronco dash, rolled it on with a dollar tree mini foam roller, gave it pretty good texture, I first sanded the cracks level with a belt sander and filled them with spray foam, but it had too many big bubble voids in it, so I used the low expansion foam spray was better for sanding and forming.

[@sixtyfiveford]

That's awesome

[@J.Ogden954]

Pics?

[@DarkLinkAD]

Styrofoam and xylene, paint it on

[@cakesodomy4358]

@@J.Ogden954 n

[@ralphdarkrose3718]

I like your method of repairing you seem to go the extra mile to make a good repair. when I went to furniture finishing class the teacher told us the worst compliment is someone coming up to you and say nice patch job

[@MSGBlair]

Back in the early 1980's, my first real job was at Vinylsmith Repair in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The local used car lots kept us extremely busy. Back then, it mostly was GM vehicles that kept us busy. The Camaro door handle, arm rest and dash, the Chevy pickup dash and arm rests.

[@mymorristribe]

Wow! That came out amazing. I'd love to see a short update video after you've driven around to see if the bondo cracks or holds up where it meets the vinyl. Nice work!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Will do!

[@myanon6671]

@@sixtyfiveford Bet you won't and also bet you haven't

[@parkerfox2504]

@@sixtyfiveford how has the bongo-vinyl bond held up after some time in the heat and sun and cold over time. Any cracking or separation?

[@adambergendorff2702]

I clicked on this video thinking it was a joke. I was amazed at the quality and simplicity of the repair. Well done video!

[@practicalhome2826]

Simply the best channel on KZbin, keep on the great work

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks

[@orvileknox3130]

One piece at a time, and it didn't cost me much over a dime. Excellent as always !

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey thanks

[@bluejack644]

Maybe this is a good place to proclaim my love for washable sand paper. It's pretty awesome.

[@ActuatedGear]

This was an AMAZING intro to bondo work with interior paneling. Also I like that you play with your dog. Dog seems happy. I'm happy.

[@MrMattDat]

That looks great! Since you shot this a year ago, any chance you have an update on how the dash is doing?

[@WayneKerrr]

Since you commented this a year ago, any chance you were given an update? Possibly looking to fix a dash myself and I'm doing research

[@josephlee4979]

Same ​@@WayneKerrr

[@jimmyjennings4089]

These are the type of videos that are what we need more of fixings things that would actually cost you a lot, i know that people could go to a junk yard and find one that wasnt as bad as yours but fixing things yourself makes you proud and who doesn't like being proud of what they did, you are very good at what you do there my friend.

[@BuggysTowJam]

You never cease to amaze me

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks, I think it turned out nicely.

[@FJ80Coop]

Watching this have me a flashback to the 80s when we'd do an entire dash on our lowered custom mini trucks to get a super slick smooth custom painted dash...

[@sixtyfiveford]

Awesome

[@daytonabeachUSA]

I thought you were going to feather that knife into your forearm! Awesome job!

[@sixtyfiveford]

I can see that. Thanks man.

[@waltschannel7465]

"This is your dash on crack!" Hahahaha!!!! You really have a strong ability to visualize what something can look like and set your brain for the goal. Really great technique!!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks, I think it turned out nicely.

[@waltschannel7465]

@@sixtyfiveford I've seen Bondo branded products meant for plastic/vinyl bumper covers. Is that what you used, or just straight up Bondo?

[@Fireship1]

Nice job Moe.I’ve actually used good stuff spray foam and grind it down with a small air grinder then fill in the air bubble holes with bondo. Had good luck with that technique.

[@KM-the1st-only]

awesome was wondering if spray foam would work and last....so I guess that is a viable option?

[@Fireship1]

@@KM-the1st-only I’ve used it for uses such as this. Clean out the loose material and carefully fill the void with the foam, as it will expand greatly. Then sand, grind, shape and contour. You will be left with pinholes from air bubbles. Use bondo or whatever filler you like to fill them in.

[@DocBenson]

Watching this video was time well spent. Thank you.

[@scottsinfl]

Every time I watch one of your vids I miss my heeler more and more. Great fix brother.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks 👍

[@georgewallace3106]

That bit of information is going to save me big in the future thanks for sharing

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks.

[@ArmyRayOIF]

I dare you to do a 2nd GEN dodge 🤣 Nice work brother.

[@slicksiderepairllc2822]

Your a freaking wizard of all automotive! I bet there is peoples heads exploding because of this video but I love it ! Good job

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks, I think it turned out nicely.

[@hgj2019]

I like your ATTITUDE as much as I like your projects. Most folks would have wastefully chunked that dash. Not folks like you and me!

[@sixtyfiveford]

I agree. Thanks

[@mattalki]

That dash has no business looking as good as it turned out. That thing was shot! Nice job!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey thanks

[@Texasknowhow]

Good job man. Dang, that turned out soooo much better than I would have thought possible. Thanks for recording and posting this how to vid. Awesome dog.

[@danletter9357]

I’m about to restore a dash. These vids are a great resource to get started. Thanks.

[@fixins]

Interesting technique and great results! I wonder if you could use spray foam to fill in the bigger gaps and then do Bondo over that? I've done that with wallboard and joint compound and it works great so long as you sand/scuff the foam so the other stuff can stick to it.

[@old64goat]

It looks great Moe. Can you make a video on how to fix a cloth head liner on a DODGE Caravan WITHOUT removing the whole thing from the car?

[@sixtyfiveford]

I've done spot repairs with spray contact adhesive. Pull down just an edge spray the contact adhesive and stick it back up. I've also used the twisty spiral push pins designed for headliners and those were pretty good too.

[@old64goat]

@@sixtyfiveford THANKS Moe, I appreciate the tip.

[@rodneybrand8521]

You always show all of us great way to fix old stuff..you're the man..love that dog too..Cheers friend 🍻🍻🍻🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@RobbsHomemadeLife]

hey Moe, that was very cool. I did not know Bondo would flex when warm. This reminded me of fiberglass boat repair. I also did not know about the hammer paint. You could do a whole video just on different paints and I would watch. Back in the nineties I was dating a woman that put vinyl daisies all over her dashboard and even rooftop to cover cracks and dings. The dash on my 94 Corolla looks new even though it sits in the Florida sun, it will probably outlast the rest of the car as a lot of plastic parts are failing. I like how you showed the finished item at the beginning, I need to do that more. Thumbs up!😎👌

[@michaelbrinks8089]

This video made me start thinking about why foam and vinyl is used on a dash instead of something lighter and more durable

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey thanks. I think they use foam and vinyl to give the car soft textures. So simply for aesthetics. Could also just be a carryover from the '70s when the dash was considered a safety device before airbags.

[@derekstuart5234]

Another great video. I've a dashboard on a couple of buses to refurbish after very poor past repairs from other companies. It's hard plastic (ABS?) . I deferred the job on the basis that I couldn't replicate the ingrained pattern in the plastic- but as sixtyfiveford rightly points out, after painting there's probably none of the pattern going to show through anyway, and even if it does, it will look a lot better than it does now. This channel was a real find.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I think too many people try to go for a concourse restoration on their old cars that's never be there. In my case I figured the dash was already garbage, why not make it usable. I'm the only one who will look at it and see the minuscule imperfections. Everyone else will simple see a non interesting normal dash.

[@jayurban4313]

Nice work, 65 Ford! Looks as good as new to me!

[@m1dntlkgud]

Looks fantastic compared to some of the repairs I've seen. And much faster/cheaper than having it wrapped with leather. Well done sir

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks.

[@ericmercier466]

I literally thought you had made a new one out of fiberglass or flannel with resin. Looks great!

[@k.b.tidwell]

For all intensive purposes? Excellent restoration, man.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks man

[@TopoPilot]

Wow. I did not realize you could make it look so good. I would have put money on it. However, you completely knocked it out of the park. Well done.

[@Quantum-Omega]

Bondo or bog is best used at a minimal amount, I'm not sure if it's still available but there use to be a product that was 2 part foam mixture that sets similar to dashboard foam , in either case it is better to re skin the entire dashboard and have all fresh material as the aged material can continue to crack in other areas.

[@josephpacheco2145]

I used tite foam and an oscillating saw on my bronco dashboard. Worked amazing as a foam replacement and bonded well enough

[@witchcraftauto]

Would love to know how long this lasts, looks absolutely amazing. You have to be some sort of artist to make those crack disappear that good!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks.

[@lanrussell61]

I've seen those dashes before. Mk1 caddy dashes were back for cracks. Thanks for the info on what to do. Gonna be fixing my mk2 scirocco dash soon.

[@Sludge73]

Color me impressed. Creative body filler use. I love it. Great job, thanks for sharing.

[@Asomesauc]

Great video I'll never doubt you again.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks.

[@WJHandyDad]

turned out really professional looking. I hope it lasts for you. I typically only get about 6-12 months in the Texas sun before rattle can paint fades which is why I've been putting an activated clear on top of everything I paint

[@sixtyfiveford]

Yeah, I know what you mean. It really depends on the color how long before it fades but a 2k clear is the ideal thing to do. I figured I'd coat it with some good quality wax to protect it from UV.

[@deanraddick9041]

That’s pretty impressive, I’ve tried to fix mine in the past, this method blows me out of the water! Nice work!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks. It turned out well.

[@lymnjuice]

Did this do my 280z and it cracked again within a year... Did it again but used cans of spray foam to do the under layer and bondo on top and it works great.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I've seen many repairs like this fail and the reason is people don't cut out enough old foam no vinyl. The crack always needs to be widened to around 2inches and foam pulled from under the vinyl. Everyone just does a shallow V on rotted foam and it never holds.

[@DoingItCheap]

You should end ALL your videos with Ginger !! Once again you have amazed me with your prowess ! WOW !!! I have all kinds of wordy dirds to emphasize how impressed I am but I don't use them on YOUR channel !!

[@sixtyfiveford]

You're awesome

[@dar3726]

I love your positive can do attitude! Thanks!

[@jimathey6153]

OLD LEATHER SMITH here, very nice, great job, considering what I do 4 clients I would cover it with leather, infact the 1 time I did I carved the leather before installing, still think you did a great job, God's BLESSINGS ✝️⚾🙃

[@krisgi00710]

OMG... what an artist you are!!!!

[@davidreynolds4684]

I redid the interior of my grandads 76 dodge prospector extended cab farm package. No headliner vinyl arm rests dash etc. I refinshed the door panels with a rough stone look. Made arm rests out of back walnut with a southwestrn design inlay on the edge. I used fleckstone to cover the panels. The inlay set in black walnut replacing the chrome strip from left to right across the dash then copied the contour of the plastic dash with one big piece of black walnut. Made an over gead console with the inlay has scissor lift radar detector and storage. The backseat area has fold out seats from the left and right. I fleckstones the plastic paneling and replaced the chrome with a strip of walnut with the inlay. Did away with manual locks and manual windows. Gonna shave the door handles next.

[@mrheart4242]

Cut all the vinyl off with the foam. Close the unwanted openings the skim coat bondo. Paint to suit. Do not get me wrong. Beautiful job. Love it.

[@AndrewMiguelez]

Looks great. My '79 F150 dash pad has been on my todo list for a few years now. This video has given me the confidence to finally refinish it. I've always wanted to try the truck bed liner texture. Just have to decide if I'm going to top coat it or leave it black.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Yeah I need to tackle my 78 f150 as well. Has a piece of carpet on it so I never think about it.

[@brettkokes4555]

Just bought a 81 caddy vw this is the dash! Super cool thanks for the video

[@sixtyfiveford]

Awesome

[@caveone-365]

It definitely does work, I've also done it before, and then when I got it flat it flocked it. I really like the look of the flocked dashes, especially in track cars and such. The hand flocking kit where you put the flocking on by hand works pretty good. I dig it. Nice work man.

[@robertgilmour5231]

That was fantastic! And Thankyou for the plastic repair instruction too in another video

[@sixtyfiveford]

Glad it was helpful!

[@markdaugherty6378]

That dog is totally into you, thanks for sharing this video

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks.

[@67comet]

This video gives me hope for my "68 Mercury Commuter - it will be LOTS of bondo and whatever else I can figure out to build up to the original "shape" (it is basically unusable). Gave me good ideas, good stuff :) ..

[@metalmogul4691]

Recovering something that most would send to the auto wreckers. Well done as it shows that all vehicles can be maintained to last as long as they are kept up. The thing now with vehicles is just get a new one within 5 to 8 years as it seems to be worn out. It’s only worn out if you don’t fix it as it needs it. Old vehicles are usually fully depreciated and can be driven without a monthly or by weekly payment.

[@BigBoss-vy7ci]

Awesome job and diy instructions. My brother used a dollar store pizza cutter to make lines

[@sixtyfiveford]

That is awesome!

[@Narcolepsykid]

Looks great! I'm about to do something like this myself. What about adding a couple coats of resin at the end before paint.

[@sixtyfiveford]

If you were going to resin over the top you will need to body filler over the top of that. You might as well fiberglass the entire thing and then body filler. It would be very robust and likely last indefinitely.

[@grosseileracingteam]

Nice job Moe. What's crazy is that you guys out west have to fix interiors that the sun destroyed. Here in Michigan, we'll have mint interiors and rusted out frames and bodies mostly because of salt on snowy roads. My 63 Fairlane, my friends 64 Dodge and his brothers 62 Comet are all rust-free cars from Arizona. Much easier to build a motor, trans,suspension etc. on something rust-free than going down the rust repair rabbit hole. Ask me how I know. Thanks for posting.

[@sixtyfiveford]

So true.

[@natevanlandingham1945]

Good work man! Looks good. Turned that garbage dash into something presentable.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks Man.

[@coty397]

I guess it’s true what they say “Bondo and paint make it something it ain’t “

[@anthonygallegos5198]

Good job on the cracks you can also use foam when it dried cut it off but that looks good 👍🏽

[@vincemajestyk9497]

That Bulldog is some good stuff. I would use it. It actually opens up the 'pores' of the surface so the paint will get a better tooth or grip. For any 'non-wear' vinyl any of those paints are fine, like you said. Used to be you could go to an automotive paint mixer and they could mix actual vinyl 'dye' which would have vinyl resins in it. Since the discontinuation of most lacquers it seems to have gone away. It was nice. Once you laid it down you really couldn't tell it was 're-dyed' and it was super durable. not like the original vinyl but sure a lot better than regular paint. Very flexible.

[@4gunner]

"This is your dash on crack!" LMFAO! You forced me to watch a beautiful job. Thank you, sir.

[@3xzena]

Love the channel and all of the information you share. How about an update video on some of the repairs you have made like the dash and how they stood up over time.

[@congerthomas1812]

Want to, Failure is NOT a option. Great job,thanks for the video.

[@farkookneebah]

Nice job, In Australia, we put a carpet on the dash to protect them. My point is if you did that you to could keep it longer :)

[@sjhall2009]

Just put carpet over the damaged old dash.

[@farkookneebah]

@@sjhall2009 NO IT'S A MOULDED PIECE THAT GOES ON BEFORE IT'S DAMAGED OR ONCE REPAIRED

[@denverwood5290]

Looks awesome man! Good work. I was thinking, if you don't like the sheen, use a flat clear coat. You would have a little more protection and the sheen you desire.

[@shortshots4934]

My dog chewed up a part of my dash board. Thank you!

[@paulmarkert4206]

Pretty incredible repair, very impressive work. Only thing I would do different is use SEM vinyl dye as the color coat instead of spray can. It dries more Matte finish

[@tragik280110]

Brutha that was mint, I’m going to use a lot of the info you showed when doing mine! Nice

[@Mach1bud]

Never even seen your channel before. Great video. I believe I will do my '78 F100 dash the same way. Subbed.

[@NativeSon60]

Repair looks great dude.

[@Realest1979]

Excellent work and thanks for the vid now I can fix the dash on my 64 Continental 🤟🏽

[@ceesklumper]

Incredible, thanks (running out to my '71 VW)

[@jpontiac4294]

Awsome.....I would even paint the black cluster to blend new and old. Great job

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks Man.

[@jorgerosales609]

It would be nice video to show us how to do the details on the edges .... great work 💪

[@maddiiiiiii115]

I am so glad I found this. Wasn’t keen on paying 6-8k aud to have mine fixed 😂

[@robertsepulveda2229]

👍 Nice. I have a worn out dash I’m an 88 Trooper. I’ll try this.

[@bighammer587]

Whoa! Nice transformation. Great tutorial too. The lil caddy is getting spoiled 😆👌

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks

[@lilmike2710]

Looked great. Stark contrasts with the instrument panel though. I'm sure that ended up getting painted as well.

[@Masso1973]

Wish you kept it white and spray painted your interior 😀 Excellent trick, would have never thought to use bondo on a dash!

[@0lddragracer426]

Good work....you know what they charge for a new dash pad. Being a retired painter, I can tell you that the paint had better have UV protection, or it won't last long.

[@mykline1]

Looks a 1,000 percent better. Good job.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks.

[@DAS-Videos]

That came out so good. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks, I think it turned out nicely.

[@keithcline6954]

Good video. You can use a saws all or hack saw blade to cut the seam lines. Works pretty good. Thanks for the video and Cheers

[@Evilslayer73]

Nice job man it's a tremendous difference :)

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey Thanks.

[@2LateIWon]

Wires never knew you could do that looks great

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks, I think it turned out nicely.

[@zx8401ztv]

Very clever mo, you always supprise me with your abilitys :-D I'm not sure about the super shine look, a matt finish would draw less attention to it. And the two speaker grills could be slightly darker to seperate them from the dash. But that's only my opinion. I often talk crap lol.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I agree

[@senatorjosephmccarthy2720]

@@sixtyfiveford , Ha !

[@cameronstolhand7149]

I filled the cracks on my dash with Bondo on my old beetle but then I also put fiberglass over it. I'm hoping the fiberglass will make it a more long-term or permanent repair but only time will tell.