Proposal for dash dyes according to experience: Leather dyes - get black, white and ochre and make the colour you need using them (keeping tab of the quantities to ensure repeatability). As usual prep is king - dishwashing soap and water, soft brush, then spirits (75+% alcohol) until you are sure it is clean, microfiber towels a plenty is also something you will need. Then, once you are absolutely positive you have cleaned (clean again:) ) get an antistatic microfiber (the window specific ones) to be sure you have no strands on the surface. Leather dyes are usually pretty thick so unless you get the mother of all paint tips you will need to use a synthetic sponge to apply using soft pounding motions. If not spray it from about 30-40cm with acrylic thinner (different paints have different ratios so check) 5-6 coats should make it invisible. Angelus have a matte laquer "duller" which makes it factory matte as matte is never matte with dyes. 2 thorough, thin coats and a third thick one should make it less blue (normally black turns blue when diluted). I have also used MOTIP cans to do colour changes (from brown to black on Alfasud doorcards) which was just fine for the most part but for good measure did it over with a sponge to be 100% sure, works a treat on synthetic. This is my experience, I hope it helps. P.S. I am sure this holds up for at least 3 years so far without being too careful while using the car.
@@RestoreIt Before I forget, in between the cleaning coats make sure to use a grey scotchbrite pad to slightly scuff it up. Try either dry or a splash of alcohol on the pad
UV is the greatest enemy of polymer. If you want this dash to remain crackless, keep the sun off of it (as much as possible). Another recommendation would be to use "303 aerospace protectant" the stuff is amazing and works great at revitalizing foam rubber seals as well. Your videos are great thank you for the content.
I've not seen the comparison video. I can only speak from personal experience. I've been using aerospace for years. It did wonders for the interior panels and the door seals on my '87 pickup.
Refinishing dash surfaces is usually reserved for very damaged dashboards and it's very difficult to get them to look perfect. (which you insist on) I would not mess with this dash. It looks really good. Great video.
I dyed my gray interior to black. I used dawn dish soap as a degreaser, dried, then used acetone on a microfiber before I painted it using duplicolor black interior dye. For low touch area's I did 4 light coats and for high touch like door panels, kick panels and center console I did 10 coats. It was in the car for 6 years 70K miles and did not rub through. Very simple to do.
Brilliant job, I was restoring an E9 and documenting on TH-cam as well. This is inspiring me to get back to the daunting task. I appreciate your level of detail and attention to the looming. One thing I wonder if it’d be worth doing would be checking the continuity of the harness incase and are faulty, may save you chasing electrical troubles down the road. Well done 👍🏼
@@RestoreIt At some point they changed the dash material slightly to minimize cracking. Either way make sure you get a windshield sunshade to minimize UV exposure when the car is parked outside for any amount of time. I like the OEM one.
Depends on the severity of the fading, but heating it up with a hair dryer or hot air gun should help reflow the pigment of the plastic. Just a suggestion, as this method works on restoring faded plastics that have been damaged by uv.
@@RestoreIt please dont. You pull out the softener of the plastic when you heat it up. This is why dashboards crack in hot environment. When you try this, your dash will crack sooner as you want.
That is a great way to wake up on a Sunday and watch my favorite channel. And the best part is I have never seen a video repairing a dashboard. Can't wait to watch the full video.
@@RestoreIt Mate wow really looks like new. Great job.Mate I saw some people using 303 for plastic, to get it improved , have not used my self, but it seems it moisturizes the plastic, bringing to life.
the problem with some of these things is, that some of the manufactories that made the parts aren't even around anymore... I know for a fact that VW tries to make new parts for old models with their classics programm by getting in contact with the original manufacture of the part... but they also said that it's a problem having these parts reproduced on new tools since this can cause fitting problems... I believe that in some cases they even bought the old tools of the not anymore existing companies to ensure a good fit because you don't want a new dashboard where for example 3 holes are off by 1.5mm and your whole interieur starts screeming /screeching every time you take a left turn or something like that
Wie immer erste Klasse 👍. Besonders gut gefällt mir der Ersatz der Schaumstoffdichtungen. Mein Armaturenbrett quietscht nämlich und ich muss alle vier Wochen mit Silikon schmieren
Mate. I used a nextzett aktiv autobalsam on my e30 dash. It was just like yours and turned out like new. Natural shine, not greasy, long lasting. Keep up. Love your vids and you patience.
What a satisfying video, can’t fault your patience and workmanship .I took the dash board off my 1972 Elan S130 many years ago to replace a faulty fan motor when I started and finally got it all off , the fan motor started working ffs,, what a job, seats out ,Center tunnel out ,under dash trims out, rear seats out , release water pipes. To heater matrix , drop steering column air duct covers out , demise grating ou5 plus a lot more , did it in the end though , I miss my lotus by the way 😩
Quick tip on the dash. Put the foam around the inside front of everything installed into the dash to make the vents and even the gauge cluster not rub and rattle. This is where 90% of all the rattles/squeaks come from. I would even put that foam on the edges of the dash that touches the metal of the car anywhere. You will never know it's there and the lack of squeaking and rattling down the road will make you very happy.
Hey man, great job as always! Have you considered restoring a cracked one? What would be the ideal scenario to bring back to life such dashboard? I heard some people are rewrapping them with the leather-like material BMW is using. What do you think?
I'm going to do this exact thing. Maybe with filler and then try to recreate the pattern, or like you said rewrap the entire thing. I now have a spear one to try this on.
Restore It even with filler it will not last long, as the problem is with the dashboard connection to the car. it does not allow for heat expansion or shrinking, so it cracks. flexible connections after dash repair is one way to make it last long
I used Dupli-color gloss black interior paint and worked great, 2 years after painting it still shines . I added some insulation padding above the glove box and cluster area and it got rid of a lot of vibrations. Makes the car feel new. I couldn't find a foam that was similar to the oem they are all to "airy" .
Very nice job man. Imho, you did what to had to do for a car of its age. Painting it again and making it look brand new, would be more than a restoration and would somehow make it feel not restored, but something around bought new. A well maintained old car is on a different level than an old car with all brand new parts. And the dash is a major part /factor to the restoration. Cheers!
Me: yeah... that's going to be a good one. Let's see if this deserves a like. Restore it: I got it for ~€150. Me: like. I'm a simple man... what else could I have done...?
So that’s the go! Pull the entire dash out of the car. I had an E21 which caused me endless drama with leaking vents, detached stuff etc. I couldn’t get to anything properly. Good work and great courage.
Can I make one suggestion? The first step should be a washdown with a mild handsoap (not for dishes) and warm water. You'd be amazed at what comes off. Then go onto the dyes and chemicals.
I used autoglym interior cleaning as that first clean after vaccuming, I thought i might as well use that as I had it. I'll give that a go on a future one, cheers!
@@RestoreIt It's always the stuff that would be of the MOST help to you in a given situation that you forget about. At least in my experience. That and never being able to find a 10mm socket are my two greatest shop bugbears. EDIT: Rather, not always forgetting about it, but just not being able to find it until after the job is done.
Very nice result! I've restored my dashboard with "Cif" cream as cleaning base and low-silicone waxing coat as a top layer. But if you're using chemistry for cleaning something, you need to work fast and remove it before the surface will faded up or became "smoky". Will try your method next time. Thanks for video, man!
I have sprayed several dash boards with high quality spray paint with success. You have to get it very clean first. The plastic parts primer might be a good way to start
Tbh id choose a restored dash over a non cracked dash. I mean a mint one can crack any time. Love the detail you put in it, even the foam behind the dash 🤯
Vinyl interior paint to restore the colours? Still looked great what you did. Btw, a wire looked loose on the harness on 1 of the connectors. Maybe it's supposed to be like that? thought I'd mention it
To keep it from cracking, put a dash cover over it to keep the sun from getting to it. Also ensure you are keeping it moist and pliable with armorall or something similar
@@RestoreIt You are welcome! I have a 91 850 i want to restore and watching your videos gave me a lot of tips what do where. Hope you doing good and take care!
There’s a product I use on the vinyl windows on my sailboat that restores the plasticizer in the vinyl, the leeching of the plasticizer is what causes fading and cracking. The product from a company called Imar protective cleaner sold at marine stores. Works for me
SEM makes some very high quality paints designed for interior plastics. I used them earlier this year to paint the interior plastic panels for an aircraft that was getting its interior restored.
Tint the heck out of the windows or only park in the shade. You'd be surprised how hard it is to notice a 50% tint on the front window but the dash could have a chance to survive the sun exposure.
With the old dash, you can try to use some molding silicone to make an impression of a nice part of the dash. Then you can fill in the crack and dye the filler to match or redye the dash itself, and use the silicone to recreate the pattern on your fill.
I used rattle can paint on my 86 ford truck. With proper cleaning and prep it comes out good. Cost about $20 total. Textured comes through. I used a gloss, but I think a matte or satin would have been better. Then I sealed it with spray can clear. Hasn't peeled in 8 years.
Foliatec brand dashboard paint is best what you can use for dashboard and vinyl,painted many dashboards changed colour and matt paint will match bmw original finish,and you just need two thin layers when spraying.i even use that paint on plastics is just perfect paint.
Tip: I had to restore the Vinyl rear bench seat on a 1984 sedan. This work surprisingly well!! Try MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) on a sample of the same type of plastic (e.g.-Vinyl, ABS, Polystyrene) to get the technique right. But first clean and de-grease the parts thoroughly as you may embed the dirt/grime. It seems that MEK is actually melting the Vinyl, if done quickly you will not remove the "wrinkle" finish. This may also be an easy and quick way to fix hairline cracks in the surface. Use a lint free white rag, since the surface may hold onto any debris. I have only tried MEK on Vinyl, but the same process may work on other plastics using solvent that will actually melt the surface. Good Luck! Thank you for the video, very Cathartic and educational. If you want that Rally Car look, try "Flocking"!!! I did this for a friends race dash to cut glare from the sun. Also I restored the headliner on and old Land Rover. There are so many colors!!! Plus you can mix them to an extent for a unique color.
Dupli-color Vinyl & Fabric Specialty coating, its a flexible paint we use it on Honda stuff(Converting Gray dashes to the oem black finish same with door panels and consoles), try it on a spare dash first to be safe but its a VERY OEM looking finish. matte/flat no heavy shine to it.
Duplicolor Vinyl and Fabric paint is a good choice but I’ve only used it on smaller parts. When i did my e10 restoration, I sent my dash to Just Dashes and they remade it. Looks perfect. Given the time you have in this build, you might explore something like that.
SEM paints in the USA has bumper, plastic and vinyl paints that work amazingly well. I have just finished painting the interior door panels and center console on a Tundra and it looks and feels like new.
For painting the dashboard you can use three steps from Furniture Clinic company : Adhesion Promoter+Black HC or LC colourant+Matte Finish. I'm using their products for a few years and it is very high quality solution. Most of time it is more durable than the factory leather or plastic paint.
On ebay you can find a leather paint paste. This product is made for shine and moisturise leather boots, but it can help you to resurrect this dashboard. After a good cleaning, aply it on with circular motions, let it suck for an hour and remove the remaining. Use heavy coats to have enough paint on the dashboard to suck into the pores but not too much to waste more than enaugh. If on some spots doesn't be perfect, don't be afraid to use it twice. i think it costs around 5 dollars. I haven't use that yet anywere except my boots, but I have seen amazing resaults on non painted sunburnt plastics as well as leathers, real or synthetic. And its not like paint witch can chip very easily... when it dries its not comming off and it moisturise it to prevent cracks in the future. I hope that I helped you.😁
I use Solution Finish Black, it's not cheap but more economical to buy a 12 Oz bottle (£36) than a 1 Oz (£15) Better than VRP / Carpro Perl as it's more of a dye than a silicone restorer. Love your videos man, If you come back to the UK I can give you some for free, because a little goes a very long way and my 12 Oz is going to outlast me!
The dash in my E30 has been restored using vacuum formed vinyl. Compared to an OEM crack free dash it is slightly different, but no one has ever picked up on it. Doesn't come cheap but it is an option.
SEM makes a pretty good leather/vinyl paint, just make sure to remove any solvents, scuff, and clean with there SEM leather prep. Its good for things such as dashs and stuff that isnt flexxed often, but not that great for leather seat bottoms. Its very flexible and if done right will last a good while.
SEM makes an excellent interior dye that I've used both professionally and on my own vehicles. Just be sure to use the prep spray and vinyl/plastic primer. It will last like OEM if the prep is done correctly.
Use “Hawaiian Tropic After Sun Aloe Lotion” to reduce the shininess in the dash while also deepening the “blackness” of it. After putting it on and letting it sit for a few minutes, wipe it off with a dry microfibre towel. The aloe penetrates the leather/rubber and keeps it soft and supple, and it leaves no glare.
Cerakote has a trim restorer for the outside plastics on a vehicle. it makes them black again and protects them for like 200 car washes. i bet that stuff would work good to restore that dash and protect it longer than the linseed oil.
I do have e30 318i m40 engine at 2000.. Is a 1990.. Is a fun car to drive. With ferrari reds&zender rims..lowered.. Its gets attention anywhere while i drive.. Keep it for 5-yrs..n sold it to friend after no time to drive n take care.. i spent a lot for the 10yrs old car.. But never regret coz is the best car with gd&bad reputation..
Skip painting/dyeing it. I'm not aware of any such products that actually do a good job long term. What you can get great results from, though, is heat. *Carefully* applying it with a heat gun until the oils in the plastics make their way to the surface. Some leave it at that, it's a great technique for doing things like faded red seat belt buttons. And even better is heating things up until the oils rise to the surface, and then applying automatic transmission fluid. It soaks it in and stays looking good as it replaces the oils that the plastic has lost over the years, and works really well for any kind of faded plastics. In your case, and with the dashboard, I'd be willing to bet that your heat lamp for drying painted parts would do a great job at heating your dashboard up without the danger of overheating and melting. At any rate, whatever you end up doing, I hope it works as well as you'd like and I'll enjoy watching you do it.
Fantastic comment thanks Megan! I'll be giving heat a go in the near future for sure... Transmission oil.. very interesting. I think i'll buy a fully adjustable one right now actually for those smaller jobs, like the seat belt buttons you mentioned. Thanks again!
I do believe you can find spay on vinyl dye online! And if you’d be interested dash flocking is really nice too! Not sure id be like look you’d be going for as it wouldn’t be “oem”
Please look into 303 Aerospcae Protectant ... My 2006 Accord dash/plastics inside and out look brand new after using it. It's not like others that make it shiny for a day or two. It restores it completely. 100% love it!
Another product is 303 aerospace protectant with a high SPF 40 for vinyl Nice job on the dash, love your work, your a bit like me but way more meticulous 👍
I don't know if it would work on a dashboard but a heat gun can do wonders to faded bumper plastics. You have to be very careful with the heat as it would be more prone to melting compared to a bumper.
I have a Volvo XC70, metallic gray with blue (unpainted) plastic bumpers and trim. This color is known to fade and I treat them on a yearly basis with boiled linseed oil. I don't dillute it though and I also wipe off the excess. This will last almost for a year with the car being outside all year round. So I think the dash will be good for quite some time. It gives a nice matte to satin finish
I don't have BMW as you do, however i have old car with similar issues - dashboard is cracking in same places on almost every model of that car, when car is kept too much in sun. Dashboard has metal "skeleton", foam to keep distance between metal and third layer - "fake leather" type plastic. What is happening over the years and sun exposure is that 1. Plastic material is getting much harder and not elastic as it was before 2. it's shrinking just a tiny tiny bit, as many old plastic do - and when it's shrinking internal tensions are getting too big and material is cracking when it's most tensioned (since foam is making material not able to move closer to skeleton). You can test it on old cracked dashboard - just hit it with sharp object in two places - first, where it was overexposed to sun and second, where it was barely exposed to uv (like on side) - one should crack like eggshell, second should be damaged, but not cracked. Use good UV-protecting coating for dashboards and just keep your fingers crossed that it will not crack... :) And try to avoid keeping your car in full sun for too long or use sun deflector when car needs to be left outside in i.e. middle of summer. ;) Good luck!
I know a friend of mine used paint from a company called leather magic to repaint his seats for a e34. Don't know if it works for the dash but might be worth looking in too.
theres i believe a bondo of some kind to repair the cracks on the dash and then you can flock it or spary paint iver it but if you spray paint it then you have to retexture the area if which you have done repair to and around the repair area as well to make it look OEM as possible
303 aerospace protectant softens up the dash if you use it regularly i suggest you get a gallon and dress your interior every time you clean it it will definitely keep it from cracking if you dont let it dry it wont crack
You can get a dash reskinned, I used to work for a place that sold the plastic sheet, coloured and textured to match the original. I think to use it you need to heat and vacuum form it onto the dash. I guess it wouldn't be cheap but would be a cure for a badly deteriorated and irreplaceable dash.
Sem or Semkit Company I believe it's called. They make an amazing line of products dye/ paint kits and repair kits that will restore plastic and vinyl to new looking, even a textured kit to get the exact stipple where needed o plastics. I've used it repeatedly and we use it on aircraft windscreens dashboards and it lasts for years in intense direct sun..
![BMW E30 M-Technic Sports Steering Wheel [Restoration]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rsymRQJHbIs/mqdefault.jpg)
![BMW E30 M-Technic Sports Steering Wheel [Restoration]](/img/tr.png)
Proposal for dash dyes according to experience:
Leather dyes - get black, white and ochre and make the colour you need using them (keeping tab of the quantities to ensure repeatability).
As usual prep is king - dishwashing soap and water, soft brush, then spirits (75+% alcohol) until you are sure it is clean, microfiber towels a plenty is also something you will need.
Then, once you are absolutely positive you have cleaned (clean again:) ) get an antistatic microfiber (the window specific ones) to be sure you have no strands on the surface.
Leather dyes are usually pretty thick so unless you get the mother of all paint tips you will need to use a synthetic sponge to apply using soft pounding motions.
If not spray it from about 30-40cm with acrylic thinner (different paints have different ratios so check)
5-6 coats should make it invisible.
Angelus have a matte laquer "duller" which makes it factory matte as matte is never matte with dyes.
2 thorough, thin coats and a third thick one should make it less blue (normally black turns blue when diluted).
I have also used MOTIP cans to do colour changes (from brown to black on Alfasud doorcards) which was just fine for the most part but for good measure did it over with a sponge to be 100% sure, works a treat on synthetic.
This is my experience, I hope it helps.
P.S.
I am sure this holds up for at least 3 years so far without being too careful while using the car.
Thanks very much Alek! I'll save this comment, cheers!
@@RestoreIt Before I forget, in between the cleaning coats make sure to use a grey scotchbrite pad to slightly scuff it up. Try either dry or a splash of alcohol on the pad
Don`t use leather dyes on vinyl.. leather dyes are made to be absorbed into the pores of the leather. Vinyl is plastic and doesn`t absorb anything.
UV is the greatest enemy of polymer. If you want this dash to remain crackless, keep the sun off of it (as much as possible). Another recommendation would be to use "303 aerospace protectant" the stuff is amazing and works great at revitalizing foam rubber seals as well. Your videos are great thank you for the content.
Okay good to know thank you Terry. I'll look into that stuff right now, Glad you enjoy the vids!
Project farm did a uv protectant comparison video not long ago, 303 aerospace didn’t do too well tbh
I've not seen the comparison video. I can only speak from personal experience. I've been using aerospace for years. It did wonders for the interior panels and the door seals on my '87 pickup.
I recommend 303 aerospace too.
303 Aerospace, definitely a good recommendation.
Refinishing dash surfaces is usually reserved for very damaged dashboards and it's very difficult to get them to look perfect. (which you insist on) I would not mess with this dash. It looks really good. Great video.
Cheers for the advice Daniel! Any refinishing will be tried on lesser dash's before I'd touch this one again. Thanks again!
The only option I would recommend for renewing the dashboard is getting it professionally reskinned with vacuum formed vinyl.
I've seen it done and its very good
ive repainted quite a few interior pieces with SEM Landau black vinyl dye, works awesome
SEM seems to be the one :)
I dyed my gray interior to black. I used dawn dish soap as a degreaser, dried, then used acetone on a microfiber before I painted it using duplicolor black interior dye. For low touch area's I did 4 light coats and for high touch like door panels, kick panels and center console I did 10 coats. It was in the car for 6 years 70K miles and did not rub through. Very simple to do.
абсолютно целая панель, помыть только))))
As a Detailer I fully appreciate your talents restoring this, it’s incredible......So good.
That was an incredible restoration, you should be very proud of the job that you do. Enjoyed it very much, thank you for posting!
Brilliant job, I was restoring an E9 and documenting on TH-cam as well. This is inspiring me to get back to the daunting task. I appreciate your level of detail and attention to the looming. One thing I wonder if it’d be worth doing would be checking the continuity of the harness incase and are faulty, may save you chasing electrical troubles down the road. Well done 👍🏼
The Dash is one one of the highlights of the e30
I agree :)
Excellent restoration
Note to self: Mark iPhone calendar to see if dash cracks in three years. Jk. Nice work. ✌️
Haha.. I'll be keeping my eye on it! Cheers Alan!
@@RestoreIt At some point they changed the dash material slightly to minimize cracking. Either way make sure you get a windshield sunshade to minimize UV exposure when the car is parked outside for any amount of time. I like the OEM one.
Не перестану удивляться и с улыбкой смотреть на это, красота
хорошо спасибо большое!
Depends on the severity of the fading, but heating it up with a hair dryer or hot air gun should help reflow the pigment of the plastic.
Just a suggestion, as this method works on restoring faded plastics that have been damaged by uv.
I'm going to get an adjustable heat gun and try this out
@@RestoreIt please dont. You pull out the softener of the plastic when you heat it up. This is why dashboards crack in hot environment. When you try this, your dash will crack sooner as you want.
Dont heat jt fades and dries out the material even more, use a ceramic trim coating instead !!!
That is a great way to wake up on a Sunday and watch my favorite channel. And the best part is I have never seen a video repairing a dashboard. Can't wait to watch the full video.
Glad to hear it Coolissim! Enjoy it dude, i really had fun doing this one.
@@RestoreIt Mate wow really looks like new. Great job.Mate I saw some people using 303 for plastic, to get it improved , have not used my self, but it seems it moisturizes the plastic, bringing to life.
I dont get why bmw still makes some new parts for e30s but not the dash, they would literally make a killing if they started making them again
Let's start a petition. They can take all of my money.
The question is wheter the tools still exist to make new ones
I guess they would be so expensive that BMW does not believe there's a market for it. And it was most likely not done by BMW
the problem with some of these things is, that some of the manufactories that made the parts aren't even around anymore... I know for a fact that VW tries to make new parts for old models with their classics programm by getting in contact with the original
manufacture of the part... but they also said that it's a problem having these parts reproduced on new tools since this can cause fitting problems... I believe that in some cases they even bought the old tools of the not anymore existing companies to ensure a good fit because you don't want a new dashboard where for example 3 holes are off by 1.5mm and your whole interieur starts screeming /screeching every time you take a left turn or something like that
Wait, they dont make them anymore ? Even not the bmw classic “factory” ?
Holy hell! The results from the linseed oil are incredible!
It really did wonders!
Wie immer erste Klasse 👍. Besonders gut gefällt mir der Ersatz der Schaumstoffdichtungen. Mein Armaturenbrett quietscht nämlich und ich muss alle vier Wochen mit Silikon schmieren
Danke Geraldbuer! Nun, das klingt nicht ideal, aber zumindest hast du eine Lösung gefunden :)
When i had a detail shop we only used Murphys oil soap on leather and vinyl it cleaned well left a nice shine and conditions. And it smells amazing.
Right, tonights the night I'm going to get to sleep early... (Restore It uploaded:...) ah well, that was a nice thought.
Haha! Sorry, it's half two in the afternoon where I am :D
There is always a Tomorrow lol
Mate. I used a nextzett aktiv autobalsam on my e30 dash. It was just like yours and turned out like new. Natural shine, not greasy, long lasting. Keep up. Love your vids and you patience.
What a satisfying video, can’t fault your patience and workmanship .I took the dash board off my 1972 Elan S130 many years ago to replace a faulty fan motor when I started and finally got it all off , the fan motor started working ffs,, what a job, seats out ,Center tunnel out ,under dash trims out, rear seats out , release water pipes. To heater matrix , drop steering column air duct covers out , demise grating ou5 plus a lot more , did it in the end though , I miss my lotus by the way 😩
Получил удовольствие от просмотра, желаю удачи 👍🏿
Спасибо!
Quick tip on the dash. Put the foam around the inside front of everything installed into the dash to make the vents and even the gauge cluster not rub and rattle. This is where 90% of all the rattles/squeaks come from. I would even put that foam on the edges of the dash that touches the metal of the car anywhere. You will never know it's there and the lack of squeaking and rattling down the road will make you very happy.
Takes a lifetime to restore a whole car - awsome!
Hey man, great job as always! Have you considered restoring a cracked one? What would be the ideal scenario to bring back to life such dashboard? I heard some people are rewrapping them with the leather-like material BMW is using. What do you think?
I'm going to do this exact thing. Maybe with filler and then try to recreate the pattern, or like you said rewrap the entire thing. I now have a spear one to try this on.
Restore It even with filler it will not last long, as the problem is with the dashboard connection to the car. it does not allow for heat expansion or shrinking, so it cracks. flexible connections after dash repair is one way to make it last long
I used Dupli-color gloss black interior paint and worked great, 2 years after painting it still shines . I added some insulation padding above the glove box and cluster area and it got rid of a lot of vibrations. Makes the car feel new. I couldn't find a foam that was similar to the oem they are all to "airy" .
Thanks for the info dude. I really want that foam!
Very nice job man. Imho, you did what to had to do for a car of its age. Painting it again and making it look brand new, would be more than a restoration and would somehow make it feel not restored, but something around bought new. A well maintained old car is on a different level than an old car with all brand new parts. And the dash is a major part /factor to the restoration.
Cheers!
Cheers Tester! I toally agree with you on that.
Me: yeah... that's going to be a good one. Let's see if this deserves a like.
Restore it: I got it for ~€150.
Me: like.
I'm a simple man... what else could I have done...?
Hahaha Cheers Tester!
So that’s the go! Pull the entire dash out of the car. I had an E21 which caused me endless drama with leaking vents, detached stuff etc. I couldn’t get to anything properly. Good work and great courage.
16:47 really interesting! Never heard that linseed oil could be used on dashboards
Can I make one suggestion? The first step should be a washdown with a mild handsoap (not for dishes) and warm water. You'd be amazed at what comes off. Then go onto the dyes and chemicals.
I used autoglym interior cleaning as that first clean after vaccuming, I thought i might as well use that as I had it. I'll give that a go on a future one, cheers!
“after a lot of scraping I remembered that chemicals exist” 😂 cracked me up, we’ve all been there
Haha, I was there a good 10 minutes before...
Dude Yes! I legit LOL. Funny guy that @RestoreIt
@@RestoreIt It's always the stuff that would be of the MOST help to you in a given situation that you forget about. At least in my experience. That and never being able to find a 10mm socket are my two greatest shop bugbears.
EDIT: Rather, not always forgetting about it, but just not being able to find it until after the job is done.
Very nice result! I've restored my dashboard with "Cif" cream as cleaning base and low-silicone waxing coat as a top layer. But if you're using chemistry for cleaning something, you need to work fast and remove it before the surface will faded up or became "smoky". Will try your method next time. Thanks for video, man!
I have sprayed several dash boards with high quality spray paint with success. You have to get it very clean first. The plastic parts primer might be a good way to start
Cheers Sam, interesting to read!
Tbh id choose a restored dash over a non cracked dash. I mean a mint one can crack any time. Love the detail you put in it, even the foam behind the dash 🤯
Vinyl interior paint to restore the colours?
Still looked great what you did.
Btw, a wire looked loose on the harness on 1 of the connectors. Maybe it's supposed to be like that? thought I'd mention it
I think i'm going to try a paint system or two for sure. And you're not wrong. It's back in there now.
Painted several dashes w/ sem vinyl paint. Great stuff, been on one dash over 10 years & looks new. Use sem flex primer
Oh, it's amazing. Thx for new video =)
Thanks!
I like the methods and the productivity of your job. Keep it up 👍
Thank Daniel!
Looks absolutely mint Steve 👌🏻
Thank you mate 👍
To keep it from cracking, put a dash cover over it to keep the sun from getting to it. Also ensure you are keeping it moist and pliable with armorall or something similar
But if I cover it, I can't enjoy it :D Cheers Andrew!
Restore It very true! Good point! Hope all is well with you and yours!!
Clicked so fast this one :D
Thanks Dood!
@@RestoreIt You are welcome! I have a 91 850 i want to restore and watching your videos gave me a lot of tips what do where. Hope you doing good and take care!
There’s a product I use on the vinyl windows on my sailboat that restores the plasticizer in the vinyl, the leeching of the plasticizer is what causes fading and cracking. The product from a company called Imar protective cleaner sold at marine stores. Works for me
Wow. This car must have been through a lot. It looks like that over the years the steering wheel has mooved to the wrong side.
it's the right side
@@The_Angry_BeEconomist it was a joke.
@@B501R so was mine... (as in right hand drive, right side, oh well whatever)
Now this thing looks good for sure
Cheers :)
SEM makes some very high quality paints designed for interior plastics. I used them earlier this year to paint the interior plastic panels for an aircraft that was getting its interior restored.
I would just keep feeding it Vinyl And Rubber restorer and hope it will not crack, am sure it can't hurt it and only help.
That's pretty much the plan at the moment :)
Tint the heck out of the windows or only park in the shade. You'd be surprised how hard it is to notice a 50% tint on the front window but the dash could have a chance to survive the sun exposure.
With the old dash, you can try to use some molding silicone to make an impression of a nice part of the dash. Then you can fill in the crack and dye the filler to match or redye the dash itself, and use the silicone to recreate the pattern on your fill.
Thanks a great idea InvaderNate. thanks man!
how long did this take? great job! I don't mean to nit-pick but why did you not paint the small side brackets as well? just curious
About a week :) and I zinc plated them instead. Cheers!
I used rattle can paint on my 86 ford truck. With proper cleaning and prep it comes out good. Cost about $20 total. Textured comes through. I used a gloss, but I think a matte or satin would have been better. Then I sealed it with spray can clear. Hasn't peeled in 8 years.
Interesting to hear arosenberger, cheers!
Foliatec brand dashboard paint is best what you can use for dashboard and vinyl,painted many dashboards changed colour and matt paint will match bmw original finish,and you just need two thin layers when spraying.i even use that paint on plastics is just perfect paint.
Yes. Thank you Vytas, this is what i was waiting for. I'll look into it thank again!
For a split second I thought the dashboard was some sorta space age saw blade launcher.
space age saw blade launcher.. sounds great haha
Tip: I had to restore the Vinyl rear bench seat on a 1984 sedan. This work surprisingly well!! Try MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) on a sample of the same type of plastic (e.g.-Vinyl, ABS, Polystyrene) to get the technique right. But first clean and de-grease the parts thoroughly as you may embed the dirt/grime. It seems that MEK is actually melting the Vinyl, if done quickly you will not remove the "wrinkle" finish. This may also be an easy and quick way to fix hairline cracks in the surface. Use a lint free white rag, since the surface may hold onto any debris. I have only tried MEK on Vinyl, but the same process may work on other plastics using solvent that will actually melt the surface. Good Luck! Thank you for the video, very Cathartic and educational. If you want that Rally Car look, try "Flocking"!!! I did this for a friends race dash to cut glare from the sun. Also I restored the headliner on and old Land Rover. There are so many colors!!! Plus you can mix them to an extent for a unique color.
Perfecto!
Gracias!
Dupli-color Vinyl & Fabric Specialty coating, its a flexible paint we use it on Honda stuff(Converting Gray dashes to the oem black finish same with door panels and consoles), try it on a spare dash first to be safe but its a VERY OEM looking finish. matte/flat no heavy shine to it.
Cheers Maurice, I'll make sure I pick some up!
Wow in the US you find these for $40 USD in the junkyard (left hand drive)... Great work and restoration, keep up the good work!
Duplicolor Vinyl and Fabric paint is a good choice but I’ve only used it on smaller parts. When i did my e10 restoration, I sent my dash to Just Dashes and they remade it. Looks perfect. Given the time you have in this build, you might explore something like that.
Thanks Shawn, yes I'll defo look into something like that as well. Cheers!
SEM paints in the USA has bumper, plastic and vinyl paints that work amazingly well. I have just finished painting the interior door panels and center console on a Tundra and it looks and feels like new.
For painting the dashboard you can use three steps from Furniture Clinic company : Adhesion Promoter+Black HC or LC colourant+Matte Finish. I'm using their products for a few years and it is very high quality solution. Most of time it is more durable than the factory leather or plastic paint.
Thanks Ayaz I'll check them out
@@RestoreIt You are welcome!
First!!!!
You've won Hean! Cheers!
On ebay you can find a leather paint paste. This product is made for shine and moisturise leather boots, but it can help you to resurrect this dashboard. After a good cleaning, aply it on with circular motions, let it suck for an hour and remove the remaining. Use heavy coats to have enough paint on the dashboard to suck into the pores but not too much to waste more than enaugh. If on some spots doesn't be perfect, don't be afraid to use it twice. i think it costs around 5 dollars. I haven't use that yet anywere except my boots, but I have seen amazing resaults on non painted sunburnt plastics as well as leathers, real or synthetic. And its not like paint witch can chip very easily... when it dries its not comming off and it moisturise it to prevent cracks in the future. I hope that I helped you.😁
I use Solution Finish Black, it's not cheap but more economical to buy a 12 Oz bottle (£36) than a 1 Oz (£15)
Better than VRP / Carpro Perl as it's more of a dye than a silicone restorer. Love your videos man, If you come back to the UK I can give you some for free, because a little goes a very long way and my 12 Oz is going to outlast me!
Thanks Conway! I'll be back in the UK by November I hope :D
Very good skill. I give you 5 stars. So continue with your restoration.
Looking perfect already!
Thanks dude!
Try the duplicolor vinyl and plastic paint. Follow up after wort some of that oil and it will look amazing!
The dash in my E30 has been restored using vacuum formed vinyl. Compared to an OEM crack free dash it is slightly different, but no one has ever picked up on it. Doesn't come cheap but it is an option.
How different is it and how much did it cost please Joshua?
SEM makes a pretty good leather/vinyl paint, just make sure to remove any solvents, scuff, and clean with there SEM leather prep. Its good for things such as dashs and stuff that isnt flexxed often, but not that great for leather seat bottoms. Its very flexible and if done right will last a good while.
I'll defo be checking those guys out, cheers!
It so soothing to wacth your videos!!
Thanks Diamant! Glad to hear it.
SEM makes an excellent interior dye that I've used both professionally and on my own vehicles. Just be sure to use the prep spray and vinyl/plastic primer. It will last like OEM if the prep is done correctly.
Good clean and complete job.
Cheers Jose
For restoring the dash, look up CarPro interior products, you might be able to use CarPro DLUX or CarPro Perl
I'll check them out cheers Sebastian!
@@RestoreIt Agree CarPro perl is good but not permanent. Solution Finish sell a dye for restoring dash which will last longer.
CarPro and Solution Finish both make excellent products. Solution Finish to restore, Perl to maintain.
Use “Hawaiian Tropic After Sun Aloe Lotion” to reduce the shininess in the dash while also deepening the “blackness” of it. After putting it on and letting it sit for a few minutes, wipe it off with a dry microfibre towel. The aloe penetrates the leather/rubber and keeps it soft and supple, and it leaves no glare.
And the smell 🥰
You can use household expanding foam insulation (the stuff that comes in cans) to fill in holes and then trim and sand once dry.
Im going to try this thanks James!
@@RestoreIt check out Brittanica Restorations on YT, he did a landrover Dashboard repair using expanding foam.
Bro you did a great job
Cerakote has a trim restorer for the outside plastics on a vehicle. it makes them black again and protects them for like 200 car washes. i bet that stuff would work good to restore that dash and protect it longer than the linseed oil.
It looks beautiful. Cheers
Thank you as always Pauline
I do have e30 318i m40 engine at 2000.. Is a 1990.. Is a fun car to drive. With ferrari reds&zender rims..lowered.. Its gets attention anywhere while i drive.. Keep it for 5-yrs..n sold it to friend after no time to drive n take care.. i spent a lot for the 10yrs old car.. But never regret coz is the best car with gd&bad reputation..
Skip painting/dyeing it. I'm not aware of any such products that actually do a good job long term. What you can get great results from, though, is heat. *Carefully* applying it with a heat gun until the oils in the plastics make their way to the surface. Some leave it at that, it's a great technique for doing things like faded red seat belt buttons. And even better is heating things up until the oils rise to the surface, and then applying automatic transmission fluid. It soaks it in and stays looking good as it replaces the oils that the plastic has lost over the years, and works really well for any kind of faded plastics. In your case, and with the dashboard, I'd be willing to bet that your heat lamp for drying painted parts would do a great job at heating your dashboard up without the danger of overheating and melting. At any rate, whatever you end up doing, I hope it works as well as you'd like and I'll enjoy watching you do it.
Fantastic comment thanks Megan! I'll be giving heat a go in the near future for sure... Transmission oil.. very interesting. I think i'll buy a fully adjustable one right now actually for those smaller jobs, like the seat belt buttons you mentioned. Thanks again!
@@RestoreIt glad to help.
Outstanding
Restoration 👌👌❤❤❤😚
I do believe you can find spay on vinyl dye online! And if you’d be interested dash flocking is really nice too! Not sure id be like look you’d be going for as it wouldn’t be “oem”
Thanks dude. I'll be flocking a dash in the future for sure :)
Please look into 303 Aerospcae Protectant ... My 2006 Accord dash/plastics inside and out look brand new after using it. It's not like others that make it shiny for a day or two. It restores it completely. 100% love it!
Awesome and detailed process.
you're restoring it so beautifully that I wish you could restore it in my car.
Another product is 303 aerospace protectant with a high SPF 40 for vinyl Nice job on the dash, love your work, your a bit like me but way more meticulous 👍
I don't know if it would work on a dashboard but a heat gun can do wonders to faded bumper plastics. You have to be very careful with the heat as it would be more prone to melting compared to a bumper.
Yes this has been suggested and I'm going to try in a future episode thanks Ruck :D
I have a Volvo XC70, metallic gray with blue (unpainted) plastic bumpers and trim. This color is known to fade and I treat them on a yearly basis with boiled linseed oil. I don't dillute it though and I also wipe off the excess. This will last almost for a year with the car being outside all year round. So I think the dash will be good for quite some time. It gives a nice matte to satin finish
Good to know thanks Robert. I'll see how this one gets on as well as trying other methods on worse off dash's :)
SEM makes really good paint for interior that will match the oem color
I don't have BMW as you do, however i have old car with similar issues - dashboard is cracking in same places on almost every model of that car, when car is kept too much in sun. Dashboard has metal "skeleton", foam to keep distance between metal and third layer - "fake leather" type plastic. What is happening over the years and sun exposure is that 1. Plastic material is getting much harder and not elastic as it was before 2. it's shrinking just a tiny tiny bit, as many old plastic do - and when it's shrinking internal tensions are getting too big and material is cracking when it's most tensioned (since foam is making material not able to move closer to skeleton). You can test it on old cracked dashboard - just hit it with sharp object in two places - first, where it was overexposed to sun and second, where it was barely exposed to uv (like on side) - one should crack like eggshell, second should be damaged, but not cracked.
Use good UV-protecting coating for dashboards and just keep your fingers crossed that it will not crack... :) And try to avoid keeping your car in full sun for too long or use sun deflector when car needs to be left outside in i.e. middle of summer. ;) Good luck!
I'm saving this comments its that good thanks dude!
I know a friend of mine used paint from a company called leather magic to repaint his seats for a e34. Don't know if it works for the dash but might be worth looking in too.
Cheers for the heads up Mathias!
theres i believe a bondo of some kind to repair the cracks on the dash and then you can flock it or spary paint iver it but if you spray paint it then you have to retexture the area if which you have done repair to and around the repair area as well to make it look OEM as possible
303 aerospace protectant softens up the dash if you use it regularly i suggest you get a gallon and dress your interior every time you clean it
it will definitely keep it from cracking if you dont let it dry it wont crack
I’m not sure of a product but I think the Ammo NYC channel did a seat repaint. Highly recommend that channel
I've seen that video actually and it was amazing to be fair
You can get a dash reskinned, I used to work for a place that sold the plastic sheet, coloured and textured to match the original. I think to use it you need to heat and vacuum form it onto the dash. I guess it wouldn't be cheap but would be a cure for a badly deteriorated and irreplaceable dash.
I've seen that process and it looks amazing... I'll see if I can find a company that can do that and who wants to work with me. we'll see :)
Colourlock does an interior paint of plastics and leather.
You could have also polished the plexiglass on the speedo :) great job :)
Consider experimenting with Amaco Rub N Buff. It comes in a variety of colors including black.
Good job. You should wait for the spray contact adhesive to dry to touch before applying the foam strip to it.
Thanks Adrian! and I did, i just cut everything out to make it all happen super fast :)
This is really weird. I'm watching you, and receiving a comment from you at the same time. Do you have a twin?
I wish i had a twin that worked with me haha
Sem or Semkit Company I believe it's called. They make an amazing line of products dye/ paint kits and repair kits that will restore plastic and vinyl to new looking, even a textured kit to get the exact stipple where needed o plastics. I've used it repeatedly and we use it on aircraft windscreens dashboards and it lasts for years in intense direct sun..
Yeah im defo going to check them out :)
Impressive results, well done