Need advice on material selection

[80grit]

The dash on my 2005 Mustang has cracked at the corner of the defrost vents on both ends, and the grille part has separated all the way down the back side.

The bad news: It would take a fortnight and a chunk of cash to swap out the whole dash.

The good news: The cracking is limited to the area that has a matte finish and is about 1/16th lower than the textured surface that makes up most of the dash. So, it's a perfect excuse to design a piece that covers the matte area.

The problem is that I don't know what to use. It needs to be pretty thin and be able to stand up to some pretty extreme heat and UV rays. It also needs to be over 50" long. Any ideas? All I can think of is countertop laminate, but I figured someone here would know better than me.



29665

[curtiss]

I think the laminate would work. Anything will fade over time in such an area. Perhaps make two while you are at it...

[80grit]

What about ABS?

[bleeth]

You could use aluminum. Most laminate companies have a variety of aluminum finishes available or you could paint it with any auto lacquer you wanted.

[kubotaman]

If I am reading you post correctly you want to cover your cracked or aged dashboard. There are companies that make a product that is an exact duplicate of the original dash. It is very thin and it applies over the existing dash. It is made of plastic and fights UV rays. I have seen them and you can not tell that it is nothing more than a skin over the old dash. Look on the web and I believe you will find companies offering such a product. Hope this helps you.

[80grit]

Yeah, but I only need to cover the 4" or so closest to the firewall. It's about 1/16" lower and textured differently. If I can get away with just cutting a piece for that area, it may look like it belongs there.

I can't find a cover other than carpet. I see some for other models, but not mine.

Aluminum might be a good solution. Then, I'll be able to recreate some fins for the defrost.