Teh Official "Dude Where's My Forum?" Thread, Brought to you by the minds of Box, and her fiancée, Lorelei Options

[Box]

I'm || close to covering it in acoustic cloth.

[Bitter]

As long as it's UV stable and won't glare.

[Box]

Said screw it and did the vinyl since I already had bought it, looks meh. That's ok to add insult to injury while trying to get the pad to snap into the dash on the front middle it cracked the face of the dashboard... I may or may not bother with pictures, just depends on how pissed off it makes me looking at it while putting the A-pillar covers back in.

[Bitter]

Time to fabricate your own dash top.

[Box]

It's beyond just the top now, the face of it cracked too next to the air vents. How I don't know since I was pushing the pad down and was nowhere close to the face of the dash, but it did... At this rate it'll just be easier to build a time machine and stop myself from ever screwing with it so when it cracked after hitting a pothole at least I could be mad at the city and not myself. I would say perhaps a dash swap of sorts, but every generation they sucked and I doubt something like the C5 Vette would work.

[Bitter]

Probably snaps into something and that part it snaps into has support struts that run to that area and pushing down to snap it in caused the seemingly unrelated area to crack.

[Box]

True, that'd be the only logical explanation. I was able to bond it back together to keep it from getting any worse, but there'll still be a discoloured line. It's just aggravating, you try to go and make something better and then it just fights you the entire time before it finally just knees you between the legs. I now understand why people just say screw it and spend $600 on a NOS pad only to turn around and have it wrapped in vinyl or leather...

Someone should start making them out of stamped aluminum then paint or wrap as desired, then it'll never be an issue again.

[4-eyed-freek]

Ordered a Qstarz-Ltq6000 data recorder. Time to get some numbers out of the gt4. Can read 1/4mile, 0-60, g force, and many others!

[Box]

Sounds like a fun toy, it'll be like you're in Gran Turismo but for real.

So I found someone that makes a new replacement dash pad, but only for the '97-02 version... I guess I'll keep an eye out for a '97-99 being parted out since they're the same graphite colour then unless for some miracle the pad is ok I can get this new ABS one... Which my brother had a good idea, could've covered it in PlastiDip which I looked at they have a grey that'd be close and I saw where they have a "primer" that makes the bond permanent. Maybe if I can get the face looking nice again then next time I feel like messing with it I'll do that.

[Bitter]

I have one of those Gtech things, haven't used it yet. I should set it up for the next Celica meet.

[Box]

So here's the nonsense that's been plaguing me for a little over a week:

Can see where it cracked on the soft surface, but I was able to bond it back but there's still a scar. Oh well... Anyhow even being the "dry carbon" the glare is ungodly so it'll be coming back out and redone in PlastiDip I guess. As soon as I got out onto the highway and into the sunlight I could barely see through the reflection in the windshield. I was planning on redoing it anyway since it looks like arse with everything bleeding through the vinyl, I just wasn't planning on having to screw with it again so soon...

[cheela]

gah i wish mine looked like that. 30+ years turned mine into dust. .....

yeah i'm either gonna sand this mother down and throw a dash cap on it or take it and leave it bare becuz racecar.

[Box]

This is different though, it's only 20 years old. That's ok I'd been somewhat expecting it, as fast as it dries out after using Meguiar's on it. That's ok, it's lucky driving it makes up for the crappy interior.

[Bitter]

You should put some microsuede on it to kill glare or some alcantra clone.

[Box]

I was thinkinking about padded microsuede before I decided on the vinyl, but I was concerned about getting a good enough adhesive that didn't melt the plastic or foam but would hold up to the intense heat. Will either do that or say screw it and use PlastiDip with the primer since it'd be easy.

Found it again: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Foam-Backed-Suede-...dzuv8gYL17Ke98A

This post has been edited by Box: May 23, 2016 - 10:07 PM

[Bitter]

I think headliner adhesive would work.

[ClevelandGaint]

gah i wish mine looked like that. 30+ years turned mine into dust. .....

yeah i'm either gonna sand this mother down and throw a dash cap on it or take it and leave it bare becuz racecar.

No worries that will buff out

[cheela]

yeah i've also thought about filling in the cracks and putting some microsuede on too.

[Box]

I think headliner adhesive would work.

I was looking last night and even the 3M and DAP brand spray adhesives were rated terrible, everyone said to stick with the liquid/gel types. Will have to do more research.

[Box]

yeah i've also thought about filling in the cracks and putting some microsuede on too.

Look into second gen Firebird/Trans Am dash repair and restoration guides, there's plenty of them out there and your dash looks to be made of the same stuff. You wouldn't believe how well some of them turn out, of course it's being done to save money since there're reproductions these days but I know that's not an option for you so it'd be worth looking into.