Dashboard cracks and other bits

[Matt944]

Hello everyone. I just bought my first 944 in 20 years (1989 2.7 Lux)! I forgot how well they handled! Engine is still very willing indeed. I thought that with only 165bhp on tap, or whatever they are, they it'd be quite sluggish. I guess she's a lot lighter than any modern car. What a joy! Mind you that's over 20 years + of poor repairs and maintenance to now put right. But at least the basic car is in general good shape. From 10 metres she looks mint. I intend to get the same impression from 10 centimetres. Hmmm, we've got some lovely Fuchs in the pipeline and will be (very tastefully) slightly lowering the car. But that's for laters.

First thing: dashboard cracks. I did first search the topic on this site and it came up with nothing. I would have thought it's been discussed 1000s of times before, but nothing came up in the search. Being new to the forum (my first post!) maybe I was searching in the wrong area?

Anyway, from what I can tell, the best way to deal with cracks is to take out the dashboard and re-cover it (replacing the digital clock at the same time). That's fine if it is (unless anyone has any better ideas - please don't tell me to go and buy a carpet dash top cover!). If re-covering (properly) is the best way to address the issue, then can anyone tell me where I can buy the matching coloured vinyl please? Mine's a sort of browny-maroony colour (haven't quite worked out the precise colour yet - the exterior paint is grey, sort of a very nice slate grey).

Also, I want to get the steering wheel re-covered (in leather). Can anyone recommend a firm who can do this please?

One more thing (No. 3 on my hit list of about 100): The gearstick is very stiff when changing (I guess another common problem after 20 + years?). It's harder to go down the gears than going up. Is this more likely to be the main gear lever and pin, or the rear linkage? Is there one which I should try changing first to see if that does the trick? Or is it more likely that both will need replacing?

Many thanks.

 

[gothatway]

Yep, I have the same problem with my dash (an 84 car, so square dash but presumably the same issue). Likewise, carpeting or flocking do not appeal to me. I did see a video on YouTube of a guy who stripped the vinyl off the dash in situ and replaced it with new vinyl and very careful application of glue and heat. I don't have that much skill or patience, but I did see a 924 which had a capping placed over the old dash and looked a lot better than a cracked dash - apart from the horrible self-tappers which had been used along the front edge. I have tracked down such a capping and am picking it up in a few days time; hopefully it will do the trick, not that it will fool anyone who is intimately familiar with the cars. Having said all that, I don't know if there is/was a capping available for oval dash cars.

 

[iang5]

I'm sure it's not going to be that cheap, but here is a first class trimmers that will cater for all your needs.

http://www.aldridge.co.uk

Good luck with the restoration, keep offering updates on the forum.

 

[edh]

Real Fuchs won't fit a late offset 944 - unless you've found some copies with ~ET50

I'd expect the linkage and the lever both need replacing - only944 do some good products

As for the dash - it may be easier to try and find a replacement than re-cover. I know the blue ones haven't lasted well, the black oval dashes have held up better. Don't know about the burgundy

 

[edh]

Burgundy dash

http://www.tipec.net/_forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19837

 

[PSH]

Top Gaiters have some nice options available for our cars in leather, black interior's with a selection of stitch colours available, not sure if they do other colours but you could always ask.... I have bought the dash and center console for my car. Leather seems a good quality, I don't think that the stitching is exactly to the same pattern as a factory option but it's good enough. I hope to get around to doing mine in the next month or so, plenty of other things to be doing first...

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/TOP-GAITERS-BOOTS/PORSCHE-/_i.html?rt=nc&_fsub=1114847016&_sid=668506186&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1581&_pgn=1

Pete

 

[Waylander]

for your steering wheel

http://royalsteeringwheels.com/

 

[Eldavo]

ORIGINAL: PSH

Top Gaiters have some nice options available for our cars in leather, black interior's with a selection of stitch colours available, not sure if they do other colours but you could always ask.... I have bought the dash and center console for my car. Leather seems a good quality, I don't think that the stitching is exactly to the same pattern as a factory option but it's good enough. I hope to get around to doing mine in the next month or so, plenty of other things to be doing first...

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/TOP-GAITERS-BOOTS/PORSCHE-/_i.html?rt=nc&_fsub=1114847016&_sid=668506186&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1581&_pgn=1

Pete

I'm leaning towards that option Pete - I have used Topgaiters for the centre console cover, gear gaiter and handbrake gaiter in my 944 as well as the handbrake, gear gaiter and door card covers in my MX5. I know a trimmer who fitted one to a customer's 968 dash and he complained that getting the dash vent holes lined up with everything else was a nightmare. If you've not fitted it yet it might be worth sending it back and asking for one without the dash vent holes cut and then cutting them in yourself.

 

[PSH]

Thanks for the heads up David....perhaps they have changed the design.....I had to search for the slots which are only 1/2 inch slits that I assume are spaced to be in the middle of each slot. I have done this type of work before in my work on films so have a good idea of the pitfalls...I haven't decided how to approach this job yet, I will do the glove box and center console first to get an idea of how much this material likes to stretch and form. As for the dash itself I may start with the stitched seam around the binnacle and work from there as this is what will be noticed the most if not correctly lined with the front edge, with lots of dry fitting first to see how things lie....I expect the job to take the good part of a weekend, we shall see.....

cheers

Pete

 

[Waylander]

top gaiters will do any colour you like for a price, I got a pile of samples from them for my grey gear stick gaitor and I think it was an extra £5 for the grey with blue stitching

give them a ring they are quite helpful

 

[PSH]

btw.. i forgot to say... when i bought the centre console cover i ordered the wrong type by mistake, I went by the date and wasn't aware of there being different types... so if anyone recognises and has use of this particular type and is close to me make me an offer via PM and we can meet up at a suitable time/place.

cheers...

Pete..........'he who must pay more attention to what he orders online'...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231143763532?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

[Eldavo]

For an oval dash there is only one (that one) they do a square dash version or one that comes with the armrest and gear gaiters too.

You have to remove the armrest/cassette tray as it fits underneath.

 

[PSH]

ORIGINAL: Eldavo

For an oval dash there is only one (that one) they do a square dash version or one that comes with the armrest and gear gaiters too.

You have to remove the armrest/cassette tray as it fits underneath.

I'm not sure that that's correct?....this is the replacement cover that I ordered, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231156645381?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT as you can see this includes the armrest cover whereas the first one I bought didn't, plus the first didn't have the part that covers the switches either ...hopefully I have the correct cover now. Either there are two types or the first one is for the square dash cars although it's dated from 86 which wouldn't be correct.

Pete

 

[944 man]

There is definitely only one centre console, for all September 1985> cars, including the 968. The cassette holder was a cost option for at least two years (despite silly talk about it being a '968 tray' here) and it became standard on UK cars in 1988.

 

[Eldavo]

The armrest is removed to fit the cover underneath. The armrest sleeve and gear gaiter are sold separately or as a slightly cheaper bundle in the one you've linked to.

The part that covers the switches is the plastic gear surround - you can see all this clearly in this picture of my interior:

(£60 topgaiters console cover, gear gaiter, carbon armrest cover and plastic parts painted gloss black)

 

[PSH]

Ahh...I think i see what your saying..... so perhaps I need both sets?..well i'll know one way or the other once the new set has arrived...I'll post to confirm when i know..

cheers

Pete

 

[Indi9xx]

I recently turned my oily fingers towards a bit of trimming for my own amusement.

Because I always want to have one particular 944 Turbo in my fleed, I was getting worried that one day the dash is likely to crack and I wanted to be able to deal with it when the day comes.

So off I went to a local upholstery suppliers, talked to them about what I wanted to do and bought a 3 meter roll of upholstery vinyl, some contact adhesive and loads of brushes... That very evening I cleared my office and set up a couple of black and decker workmates and proceeded to strip the dash of the old hardened vinyl (an old cracked scrap dash I had knocking about) clean everything up and started work. I think the materials cost me about £50 for all the bits, I for that I bought a roll of linnen colour vinyl as well as the dark blue.

Spent only 3 hours doing it, worked out that the width of the roll was just right for the dashboard, so in theory I could probably recover about 6 dashboards, and to be honest, I am seriously impressed with how it turned out.

This one will not used, I came to the conclusion that I want to try my next attempt with a spray gun for the glue as brushes are too slow and prone to ending up with lumpy glue, and that I need to find a way of perfecting the vents along the windscreen, but other than that, it was really easy and the outcome was far better than I expected for my first attempt.

This is not something I would ever do for a customer, but probably would do it for a friend as maybe I was just lucky.

Will be trying it a couple more times, once I have perfected a method I will probably do a write up for it.

If I do crack it, I will probably try a 924 or early 944 square dash, as they chronically need help in most cars, but I can not see it would be any harder, if anything I think it may even be easier as the curve of the oval dash was a little tricky to keep wrinkle free, but still was not hard.