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So for 4 years now (bought the car in 2012), there's been one thing that stood-out among others, which has been bothering me about my beautiful SC300 ... You might have this issue also, and like me, are on a budget.
So not that $50 (on eBay) is crazy money, but that coupled with the labor of taking apart the dash, etc. to install a new one, seems like more than I wanna do right now, with all the other mods I'm currently working on ...
That said, I had an idea, and decided to put it to the test; which in the end came out quite impressive, considering the cost!
Well, my dash was peeling where the airbag is (bought it that way), and with an otherwise nice OEM interior, something like that really stands out. So I figured rather than replace the dash, or the unit itself, maybe I could touch-up the scratches that are peppered all over the airbag ... But how?
Then I remembered that Home Depot (or Lowes) has the ability to produce matching paint colors (via scanner) if you bring in whatever color you need copied.
So I thought "Hmm, maybe I can get a somewhat rubberized paint, and fill in the spots".
So I brought in my e-brake boot, and had them match that color.
Man, it came out practically identical to it!
They gave me a template with various sheens to choose from; I don't want it too matte, or too glossy, so I compared it to the actual dash, and choose "Satin", as that sheen seemed the nearest to the OEM leather.
So I tried a small dab at first, on the bottom right corner, to see how it dried, and compared ...
Just like I thought; it came out identically. Awesome!
So I went ahead with confidence, and using a small sponge brush, applied some paint in long strokes over the dash/airbag. The challenge was the edge, where it rolls toward the wood-grain. For that section I had to insert the edge of the brush, and stroke upward, in dabs left to right ...
I was a bit worried about the overall brush strokes appearing in the end, but figured "Lemme be patient, and allow it to settle; then assess it after its dry."
Outstanding.
It dried nicely; no brush strokes.
So I applied another coat ...
That same edge being the hard part (if I had the same color on a spray-paint, it would be been better, but they don't offer that at the hardware store unfortunately), it's still a bit noticeable (the dabs), but it's not bad! Once dry, I removed any excess paint on the wood-grain with a credit card.
Everything settled and dried nicely, and in the end it SO much nicer than what it was, and color is identical.
Maybe in the future I'll actually take the time to replace the whole thing, just so it's truly flawless, but otherwise, I think this is a wonderful solution to a chipping dash, and the cost was $7.00!
What's your initial impression of durability once it dried? I've used SEM and wasn't all that pleased. What type of paint did you use? Any prep?
It dried nicely; I rubbed it a bit with my finger and it held up; it didn't flake or tear.
I used the paint in the picture up top (Valspar). They sell it in that small quantity jar as the cheapest option; I think it's a pint.
The only prep was wiping down the dash with a wet cloth, and air drying.
Since that came out so well, I decided to go the extra mile, and fill-in the crack in my driver side door-trim with silicone, and wipe it flush. Tomorrow once it's cure (24hrs) I'm gonna fill it in with the paint.
Should be no-more crack
I'm impressed. That came out looking very nice and is an interesting alternative for those of us with sub-optimal interiors. I'm curious to see how it holds up over time, but it looks great.
Is it normal to have the airbag cover get that cruddy? I've had a few in my possession and they're no worse off than the hardy dash. Perhaps the ever so slightest bit faded, but that's about it. That looks like someone cleaned yours with acid! Not a bad job saving it, all things considered.
I'm impressed. That came out looking very nice and is an interesting alternative for those of us with sub-optimal interiors. I'm curious to see how it holds up over time, but it looks great.
Thanks!
Originally Posted by t2d2
Is it normal to have the airbag cover get that cruddy? I've had a few in my possession and they're no worse off than the hardy dash. Perhaps the ever so slightest bit faded, but that's about it. That looks like someone cleaned yours with acid! Not a bad job saving it, all things considered.
I wondered the same thing. I dunno how it got this way to begin with.
It looks like the original owner tried to polish it ... With a brick.
If I can find a way to spray the paint (perhaps use a spray bottle), then I may do another coat; so that it eliminates the brush strokes, and lays flat. I'd like to make it appear as original as possible; without the rough dab-spots. Passengers don't notice it unless I point it out to them; so that's good; however "I" notice it, and I think I can do better. This was more of an experiment that turned out better than expected, haha. I'll continue to post updates.
So I filled in the crack in the door, but it didn't turn out how I would have liked. Because I painted over leather directly in the dash, it came out the same color; however because I painted over a filler in the door-trim, it came out lighter in color; so it contrasts rather noticably.
I'll just replace the door trim, since that's a relatively easy job as compared to the airbag.
Go to your Automotive Paint Store and buy a can of SEM "Color Coat" brand spray paint. It comes in all kinds of colors, just pick from a wide variety color chart. Costs about $15 a can and it's what the pro's use to color match when painting interior/dash/plastic/vinyl car parts. This is the proper paint for jobs like this (just mask with tape and spray). Just great stuff and does a wonderful job! Highly recommended......just goggle it!
04-01-16, 01:35 PM
Dash Refresh
