11/27/2006
Been knocking down the to do list on my recently revived gray 96. The
dash kinda reminded me of a wing on a ricer it stuck up so much.
Something must be done!
1) I started the car and set the defrost on max fans and 90' - I
wanted to soften the dash by getting it heated up. I left the car run
for 20 mins - half hour or so. The windows were hot to the touch when
I went to work.
2) I gently rolled back the dash cover to expose the metal shelf under
it. I used the same glue that I use on valve covers - Permatex Ultra
Gray sensor safe. I put several beads of glue on the steel shelf.
3) I smooshed the glue around as best as possible to get even adhesion.
4) While the car was heating up I grabbed a piece of sheet metal -
fairly rigid but not impossible to form by bending over my knee - and
bowed it to meet the curve of the dash. I used 2 small "C" clamps to
gently apply pressure, out towards the ends, of the steel plate.
5) The piece I used was about 2" wide by ~2 ft long. I overhung the
dash cover on the ends but the middle went in towards the windshield a
bit.
6) View through the windshield
7) Top view of the clamp showing the overhang.
8) The curve of the clamp plate wasn't absolutely perfect so I shimmed
out the loose spots with several business cards. If you look under the
edge of the clamp you can see some of them.
9) After view. Dash pad sits nice and flat.
After I pulled off the clamp there were some creases in the dash
cover. I ran up the defrost again and reheated the car for the same
20/30 minutes until good and toasty in there. I shut off the car and
kind of rubbed out the creases by pushing back and forth on the dash.
The creases probably would have come out on their own but I didn't
want to wait to find out.
-- Eric Lehmann
97 Ebony 42k Welded - With the Angels Now so that I don't have to be.
Long Live the Garage Queen !
96 Medium Willow Green Metallic 103k Resurrected, Welded
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96 Medium Graphite 120k - Resurrected, Welded
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