Hey frank I have a full dash cover I'll sell ya....It was in a car but I didn't glue it in! Just to make ya all jealous, I don't need it cuz I bought a crack-free one offa e-bay for 250 bucks.The guy hadn't been thinking clearly when he posted the ad, the last day of bidding was Christmas and I think I was the only bidder....

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71 on a rotisserie, two more in pieces in my shed...and a 69 1600 waiting for me to get to it

PM me when you get a chance?

call me 860-228-2818 or 690-2759 I hate pm'ing

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71 on a rotisserie, two more in pieces in my shed...and a 69 1600 waiting for me to get to it

WOW, yea I'm jelous, what a great deal you got. If Frank don't want it, I'd be interested.

Frank, I can pick it up from Mark and deliver it to you Friday Frank. Hebron is 15 minutes away from Colchester.

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Phil
1981 280zxt - Now in the care my son!
2014 370Z Sports Touring Roadster

Thanks Phil ~ I saw this too late to call Mark tonight. I'll call him tmrw.

Thanks Mark ~ sounds good so far.

Hello Jim, I determined that it's pretty difficult to reach the heater behind the center console even to remove the radio. Do you or someone know the reason or have a tip? I must concede: I'm not a mechanic...

Thorsten

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T. Link
Germany
1971 240z (HLS30-16506)

Hi Thor ~ sorry to wait so long to reply, but I've been very busy here.

I took some photos of my new dashcap, and the broken dashboard from the Club Parts car (a 1971 240Z).

You can zee the full-face cap is very light weight and thin. That allows the doors to close without interference on the sides of the dashboard. The cap simply snaps into place over the old dash. Many people glue them on, using epoxy. I'm not sure this is necessary.

This dash cap has been used in another car, but it wasn't glued on, so it can be used again. It is like new and I bought it from a CTZCC member for $50 USD, a real bargain.

Viewing from the top and sides, you cannot tell this is a dashcap. If you look under the dash, you can see where the cap ends and the old dash shows. Not very many people will stand upside-down to look under your dashboard! If you buy a 1/2 dash cap (which only covers the top), it is very noticeable and looks 'funky'.

Most old 240Z dashboards cracked. Many people say it was because of the sun shining through the windscreen, but I suspect it was because the early bodies flexed so much in hard turns and normal driving. It is very unusual to find an original old 240Z with a perfect dashboard. Only a very few members here have perfect original dashboards.

The dashcap will NOT crack. It is the cheapest 'fix' for a cracked dash, and looks completely like the original.

New dashboards cost about $200-$300 USD. THEN, you have to remove the old one, mount the new one, and install all the gauges again. Horrible work.

Hope this helps!

Frank

Hi Frank, yes, helps a lot.
I admire your expertise.

I have a full face cover (MSA) already in my garage.
It's better using it as mounting another original dash.
There is a guy in Karlsruhe (classic car dealer, next to me) who has a used and allegedly uncracked OEM dash board (240). I will have a look at it but I also know about this horrible job.

Shortly I will post some pictures of the current body work. It goes well but sometimes slow moving....
Unfortunately the bodyman has less time for my Z because of all the accidents on slippery streets during the last weeks.
Where is the spring??

Thorsten

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T. Link
Germany
1971 240z (HLS30-16506)

Es Kommt. Warezeit, bitte.

I guess I must be the luckiest dog of all, because I never had a cracked
dash on 5-Z's, 3-510's, 1-710, 1-F10, 1-521 Pickup, 1-620 Pickup,
1-Frontier, and 2-Pathfinders. Or on any other car for that matter,
irrespective of climate. Haven't checked the ZX, but I don't remember
seeing one there either.

Now watch all those remaining, crack because I bragged too much!

All Z Best,....................................Kathy & Rick

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All Z Best,.......Kathy & Rick

1969 Z.CAR (#00013 10/69) 8/30/76
1969 ITSA.Z (#00171 11/69) 8/24/73
1970 OLD.Z (#06289 6/70) original owner
1971 510 2dr since 12/31/75
1969 1600 rdstr (our 160-Z)
1971 (#19851 1/71) sold
1975 75.Z (#01343 1/75)

FWIW, today a used but uncracked 240Z dash will sell for $600-$800. NOS 240Z dashes are almost non-existent but when they do turn up I have seen them sell in the $2000 - $2500 range. 280Z dashes are valued about 25% less than above.

Just Dashes Inc. will take your old dash, strip it to the frame and heat mold a new vinyl cover for about $1200.

MSA dash cover looks like new, never will crack and costs about $99.

No brainer!

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John Taddonio
1970 240Z
1977 530Z
1984 300ZXT
zcarnut@hotmail.com
FB: Zccr zcarclubofrochester

Great set of photos Frank. Count me among the very fortunate to also have an uncracked dash.

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Jim Arnett
Richardson, Texas
HLS30-15320 12/1970 (original owner)
ZCON 2015 Gold Cup - Street Modified class

In the Texas heat,no less!

Our Washington member Danny Linquist did a really good Post last year about refurbishing a cracked dashboard. Wish I could find it today ~ it would fit right into this conversation. He started his project before Jim Arnett started this RESTORATION/REPAIR TIPS Forum, and I don't recall where Dan put his story, but it was a good one.

Back in the day (when the early 240Z dashboards FIRST BEGAN CRACKING!!!) there were several "kits" you could buy to sort of "repair" your own dash. There were several techniques ~ one involved some sort of gooey black 'toothpaste' you squeeZed into the cracks and then molded smooth before it hardened. Mostly, they were compromiZes between a terrible looking cracked dash and a terrible looking 'repaired' dash.

There is only one good substitute for a new replacement dash, and that's a full-face dash cap. I would certainly prefer an original uncracked dash, but simply can't afford one. My original dash began cracking even before i left Hawaii, when the car was about 6 yrs old. So I would assume (:roll:) that a new replacement dash might give me just about that long before it began cracking, too.

And thanks for the correction on the new dash prices, John ~ you certainly have put an end to my fantasy about replacing my capped dash with a new one!

Frank