dashboard falling apart

Hello:

I went to replace the #74 bulbs in the AC control in my 1991 LeBaron.
Easy job, I thought, until I removed the center fascia. The dashboard's
mounts are disintegrating! The radio is being held by two threads of
plastic, and when I went to turn the screws on the AC control's mount,
plastic went flying.

I spent all night Friday into the wee hours JBWelding all of the
plastic back together, but to be honest, the entire center of the dash
is falling apart, and I will have to do something soon.

My first thought is to get some plumbers strap and try to re-mount
everything, but that may be harder than I think doable?

This car has been Honda reliable since new, and I would like to keep it
another 5 years, or so. Any suggestions short of complete dash
replacement that would work? Anyone else run into this issue?

Thanks for any suggestions and help. Have a nice Christmas,

Bill


--------------------

1988 Lancer Shelby
semi-retired with 82K pampered miles
1991 LeBaron Convertible
my trusty daily driver
2001 Impala LS
wife's daily driver
our first GM car

 

These cars' interiors are held together by a unique philips-head screw,
black in colour, which can reasonably be referred to as "K-car screws".
They work fine and tend to hold things together durably, but it sounds
like in your case someone was in there havin' too much fun with a power
screwdriver, and stripped or almost-stripped a lot of the screws. Go get
screws with a slightly larger shank -- not too much larger -- and you
should be able to put everything back together securely.

No comment.

 

My first thought when I read his description was that the plastic is just
getting impossibly brittle due to age and heat? If some of the little
plastic ears and mounting points are getting extremely brittle then he's got
a tough problem there.

I fondly remember pulling straight back on the driver's side visor one time
to remove it from the clip and swing it to the window side. The clip
snapped like a brittle twig. Out of curiosity I pulled the passenger side
visor and its clip snapped just as easily. I think some plastics were used
without thought to how brittle they may become over time.

 

I think the fact that the car has had 15 years of convertible shimmeys,
and 7 years of Tucson heat has contributed to my problems. The
dashboard vynil still looks good, no cracks, but all of the plastic
mounting points, or 'ears' as you described are cracking and
deteriorating. An oversized screw won't work, becasue nothing is left
to screw into. You rae correct that the factory really torqued down
everything. I JB Welded about three mounts, and they seem to hold, but
someday soon there will be nothing left to mount the radio, AC
controls, etc. I may need to plumbers strap everything back to the
metal frame in the dash; it won't be pretty, but it might be solid
enoung to hold it all. There is a car stereo install shop near my work,
I may ask them for some advice.
Thanks for your replies!
Bill

 

Well, The Arizona Heat does screw with the Plastics. My 03 Minivan dash is
already starting to Bubble in Spots. Im in Phoenix area. But as they say,
"Thats the price you pay for living in Paradise". You will probably have to
do what many customizers do. And that is make your own dash supports. But it
will be as difficult as replacing the whole dash. As you will have to remove
the dash to do it. Use thin Plywood and make your own supports, and use "L"
brakets to bolt to the floor. Cover the plywood with whatever material you
have. Or, you could visit the Flea Markets, as alot of Mexican's can recover
your entire interior including the roof, in vinyl or leather in 15
minutes!!! They probably can do it for you, and cheaply too.

 

A stereo installation guy once told me his secret weapon was hot melt
adhesive.

 

Then allow me:

If its no more reliable than a POS dispose-a-car, its not performing up
to K-car standards!

;-)

 

The result of age, which high heat accelerates.
After 10 yrs or less most plastics show weaknesses.

I've previously not kept a car beyond 10 years, but my lovely '95
Concord may take me 20 if Chrysler doesn't wise up. Likely I'll get
tired of it and go Toyota like most of my friends.

I'd just apply lots of patch at all mounting points.
Perhaps try a plastic glue gun to strengthen the mounting points.
Limit the amount you use though or the extra weight will bring
everything down. >

 

I spoke with a stereo installer at Circuit City. Nice guy. He suggested
to get a auto body fiberglass repair kit, and CAREFULLY wrap the
cracked mounting points with the fiberglass+resin. He said it could be
filed and drilled and even tapped for the mounting stuff.

So far, the pound of JB Weld I pasted on all of the cracked areas seems
to be holding.

Thanks for all of the replies, and Merry Christmas!

Bill