Bondo dash bored

[Redneckchevy]

ya as every one knows what happiens if ur truck is old and sits in the sun the dash bored cracks and chips...Like with my 1986 custom delux...And one day I was looking at the dash bored and i saw that the sun made the dash as hard as bondo ...And what i wanna no is .....If i take the dash out of the truck and fill in all the cracks with bondo and do the whole dash in bondo and sand it and prime it and spray pain it what would the results be  

[79apache]

I have never done it but I'm not sure that the bondo would not crack when ya tried to put it back in.
I cheaped out on mine. Took and sanded flat where the dash pad had curled up around the cracks, filled 'em with bathtub caulk and spayed with Krylon "fusion" paint.
Ya lose the texture but all in all it looks much, much, better than a badly cracked dash. Cost me less than $10.
I learned the hard way that the bathtub caulk will shrink quite a bit as it dries. Ya may have to fill the cracks a few times to get it flush.
So if ya do it make good and dang sure the caulk has FULLY cured before ya paint.
 

[Redneckchevy]

Ya i see your point on that one....But i take it that was for one crack....my dash is in need For a new dash but thats almsot 90$ and my money is tied up in the engine ...but ya bondo does crack easy ...So maybe fiberglass??   Or was thare somthing eles that you found that wont shirnk  

[79apache]

No, I had multiple cracks 3 large and a handful of little ones. Old ones, curled up on the edges. Largest at least 2 inches wide Looked real nasty, junk basically.
Knowing now how bad it will shrink it should not be a problem to avoid not getting it full. Just take your time filling the cracks. I used less than one squeeze tube of caulk. I would remove it and redo the work but pulling the dash was not something I want to do again just for a jurryrigged repair... maybe when I win the lottery and have money to blow on a new one.
Fiberglass may work but then you have that stiffness thing again.
When I went to put my dash back in I had to flex it a bit.  

[Redneckchevy]

Im gonna try ur idea makes alot of since about the flexing ..Any ways as long as it looks better then it does now im for it after all i got a work truck that i want to hold on to not a show truck  

[79apache]

When you think the caulk is cured...Let it dry some more!

Work truck... yep, that pretty much descibes mine too. For me, a truck that you are afraid to use as a truck is a waste of gas money. But I am workin on some low buck, redneck (mostly useful) customizing. When I pulled my dash I painted the gauge needles to match the interior and repainted the bezel. I pulled a under dash console thing from an old riceburner pickup put it under my dash on the hump and installed a CB radio and it will also soon hold a BCT 8
police scanner. I'm colecting parts for driving & fog lights and a driving light or two in back so I can see to back or work. Replaced the "all but gone" door grabs with some of that thin oak board and cheap ol' door pulls from the hardware store  and replaced the dash plaque with the same wood. Sprayed all my faded interior plastic with the "Fusion" paint. My old bench did not fold down so I found one at the boneyard(complete with seat cover) that did. Looking for an '88 or up steering wheel to replace the original "bus" wheel. And thinking of installing a trailer hitch on the front bumper.
Just for ----- --- giggles I picked up a pair of '59 Apache  fender spears (ebay $5) and as soon as I get around to painting the whole truck with that spray on bed liner, I will be installing them on the front fenders. I read a post a while back about an under-hood air compressor and that sounded like a handy thing to have too. A little more --- and i'm sure I will think of more to do! LOL!
I am having fun thinking with my brain instead of my wallet.
All told, I have around 2 grand in her right now including the purchase price.
By the time I get done it will not be hard to find in a parking lot!! LOL!

Edited by: roundedline at: 11/22/04 3:40 pm

[1976Scottsdale]

My buddy and I just bondo'ed the dash in his truck and it looks pretty good, no cracks or anything yet.  If you come across any 366 bbc engines, take a look at the accessories on the engine, any of them had an air compressor mounted on them.

[Redneckchevy]

if ya need a compressor look at an old school bus or semi .....it takes one to make the air horns and brakes to work ....they work pretty good....bout the dash both ideas would work ...Sounds like ya got a nice truck going on 79apache

[Snuke87chevy]

All the older two-ton trucks that I've ever seen with airbrakes used a pump that stands straight up.  I bet if you pulled the pump and all the lines out of an old one at a junkyard and run them to a tank it would work pretty well.  The only problem I could think of would be whether or not the pump would fit under the hood without havin to do some refigurin, maybe turn it on its side.  One of my buddies made an airtank for a back bumper, using round pipe and capped off the ends.

[Redneckchevy]

Ya that would work also ....it is alot better to get one of a junker then trying to buy one ...thats for sure ...and with that the u can do alot ....@#%$ the hummers have a compressor also ....So i guess its all in how big and what u need it for ..

[roundedline]

Quote:I read a post a while back about an under-hood air compressor and that sounded like a handy thing to have too.

I have a compressor setup for my Jeep to operate the Air Lockers.  Look under the hood of old Fords and Volvos and Chevy Vans.  Many had York compressors.

Or you can get a new one here:
www.onboardair.com

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[79apache]

Wow! I really liked that 12 volt one.......till I scrolled down to the price!!!

[Redneckchevy]

Wow that is kinda up in price but ya cant be what it can do for you ....but a junk yard dog compressor would work also...And if u rig an air tank .....ya got somthing then...like last winter my brother got a flat...So i had to fill my air tank up and go inflate the tire.....but my tank ran out half way ...

[Blazin]

I turned a 100lbs. propane cylinder into an air tank. It will fill 4 tires no problem, as long as they are stock type. Anything bigger than 31s it will only do two or three.

[Redneckchevy]

See i dunno i can see my self out in the woods or somthing and not rembering to fill my sir tank up ....thats y id like to have a built in one .. ya ya loser power to the engine but @#%$ i think its a 50/50 chance