My 93 SC300 has, fortunately, spent most of its life in a garage. It will now be mostly outdoors in the hot Texas sun. My wife's LS400 will be in the garage. Aside from window tinting, what do y'all think about dash pads to keep the dash from fading and cracking? I know that they look tacky but they are cheap vs. a new dash. Has anyone tried Saddleman's for custom pads?

 

dash pads???? not exactly sure what you're referring to. Are they the samething as windshield visors?? That's what i've been using and it gets the job done.

Khang

 

I think what he's referring to is something like what my dads car has. Its like a carpet thing thats the same shape as the dash. It doesnt really look bad on his car because the color matches really nice, but then again its a ford crown vic. I wouldnt do it to my SC but if its in the sun alot it wouldnt be a bad alternative. A sun visor would get the job done as well.

 

ahh... ok i know what ur talking about now.. my friend has one on his TL... i dont think it would look so great on an sc tho. I'm not even sure they make one for our cars.

 

I think I've seen some before & you gotta cut it to match the shape of your dash.

 

They are called DashMats and are nice. They reduce glare and protect your dash.

However, I do not own one or suggest them unless you really need it. I feel about them the same as I feel about front bras. If your paint is messed up now...then get a bra and cover it. However, if you put a bra on a new car to prevent damage...what you did was just made it prematurely ugly.

So if your dash is trashed, then get a dashmat to cover it up. If your dash is fine now, tint your front windshield with a UV protecting tint.

MW

 

I live in Texas never had a prob with any cracks on the dash jsut use some dash protector spay and you should be ok

 

I have a '93 SC300 (purchased new) and I live in the DFW area. My car is always in the garage at home, but it sits outside at work during the day. I have ALWAYS used a reflective sun screen in the windshield and I don't have ANY dash problems. (I have replaced center vent twice and it's cracked again.) I would NEVER put dash pads on an SC!

 

I think a dash pad would be a good investment especially if the car will be in the sun.

The dash will fade in color and eventually crack after years of sun damage. My LS's dash has very slight color change from sitting outside all the time. The previous owner had it garage kept almost it's entire life. After a year of sitting outside now it shows a little discoloration.

Keep the window tint, and get the dash pad thing. Maybe purchasea car cover to help with keeping the paint in good condition.

 

As pcmw, I wouldn't recommend a dash cover for your purpose. The only time I would get a dashboard cover is if my dash is ALREADY cracked. The cover will do more harm than good, as it can trap dirt and if it's not installed firmly, it can move and scratch your dash. Your dash's quality is good enough. And besides, dashboard covers are so 80's, when they were "in style".

If you get all the windows tinted and use a windshield cover, you should be okay. But if you get a car cover, you wouldn't need to bother with the window tint or windshield cover.

If you keep good care of your dash by using high quality treatments, it will not fade or crack.