My lower dash has been developing stress cracks in the last few year. I mostly blame this on attaching gauges to the lower dash and of me doing a bad install of an 8 track AM/FM when the car was new. I am attaching a pic of the lower dash. I cannot believe how difficult this repair has been. I am documenting it and will post when done. What this does not show is the fact that a good portion of the piece underneath the glove box crumbled. After a lot of trying and thinking, I have gone the fiberglass route. Looking promising but I am leery of adhesion at this pont. Will see after 24 hours of curing. Dan
That looks familiar Dan. The lower dash on our 76" Stallion cracked in the same places. Fiberglassing the cracks back together only worked until we picked the dash up and it recracked again. Dale finally figured out a way to mend the cracks so they would not reopen. He cut a small strip of sheet metal to use as a brace across the cracks and attached it to the back of the dash with countersunk pop rivets. With the cracks held together with the sheet metal strip, he then fiberglassed the crack shut. It worked. The metal strips took the stress off the cracked areas. The cracks have not reopened and after the dash panel was repainted, you could not tell it was repaired.
Hmmmm good info Jean, I am only fiberglassing the back side. I did think of doing the exact way you have described. Guess I will find out when I pick it up tomorrow. I was planning on making a v in the cracks on the front side of it and repairing with flexible bumper repair goop. What ya think?? I got to tell ya that when all was done, I had 2 pieces to my lower dash. I cant believe how bad of shape its in. I guess at this point I am just wanting to get it back together for roundup and hope to find a better piece for permanent. I found a nos one at carlisle, but it was for a 74, fuse box is different so I didnt buy it. If anyone has a good lower dash that they want to sell, I am a buyer. Dan
I asked Dale what he thought about fixing the cracks with the bumper repair stuff. He sort of thinks it might still seperate, but it's definately worth a try. The biggest problem is getting the dash to not flex where the cracks are, but still not put undo stress on the other parts of the dash. That's why he went with the small metal strips on the back of the dash. We found out just how hard it is to find a good lower dash. We tried to find a replacement lower dash for both of our Mavericks with no luck. The ones we did find where either already cracked or some moron destoyed them trying to get the steering columns out. So, in the end we had to figure out a way to use the ones we had. It's too bad that Ford never thought to reinforce the lower dashes right from the begining.
dan and jean, i think on the "stallions" you want the stock look . on my 73' grabber and 77' the dashes were cracked so i put the early tray in. to me they are a lot cleaner look. that worked for me but stock was not an issue...frank...:bananaman :bananaman
