2000 C70 dash removal repair

Post by **mikel** » 03 Mar 2014, 14:50

I have a new to me 2000 c70 coupe and the dash is sqweaky mess. Plastic broken everywhere. Firewall mounts and most of the screw points.

I took the top pad off and fixed what I could. It was quiet for a little bit but hello potholes and a lowered car...

From a junkyard I got a nice dash with only one crack in it from a 1999 V70 and I like the black dash better anyway. Cleaning it I cracked 3 more times. This POS is gonna break just like all of them.

I'm looking at reinforcing it with pieces of ABS and glue plus industrial heat hot glue before I put it in. The old dash under part or sub assembly broke into about 20 pieces and part is still in the car. This new sub dash will replace it.

Only one tab broken that hold it to the firewall but reinforcing those too. I really don't wanna do this again.
Anyone tried to reinforce the long piece that meets the inside of the windshield? Once these crack then break off the front lip of the dash pad is not held in place.

Post by **mikel** » 03 Mar 2014, 18:31

here is the dash top...

here's the biggest crack where the flashing security light is

this is pulled away with the piece upside down. I want to reinforce this underside with ABS and glue or industrial hot melt glue.

the common problem broken mounting post. This holds the flat metal bolt that screw in from the firewall.

what do you think? I think I might want something to seal the top too. Carbon fiber look would be cool. Fiber glass? I can paint it I just don't want it to crack up and get noisy.

Post by **mikel** » 03 Mar 2014, 18:34

here is what the post is supposed to look like.

I think the felt tape cover is for squeaks.

...m

Post by **mikel** » 03 Mar 2014, 20:27

seeing posts on the net and the atv and moto guys are saying melt it with soldering iron and imbed metal screen mesh with iron on the backside. I think the abs glue melting things back together.

Trying it on some test pieces.

...m

Post by **JimBee** » 03 Mar 2014, 21:13

There are tutorials on the site. Ozark Lee's is probably the best known.
Somebody else just drilled through the firewall and used some long bolts into the lower face of the dash, I think.
Obviously, you need a way to hang the front along the firewall.
My '93 wasn't broken that badly along the front, but the side mount near the door jam was broken on the passenger side.
With the dash pad off and working in the speaker cavity, I drilled a hole through the plastic into the tubular ( A? ) pillar that runs diagonally down in front of the front door jamb. Then drove about a 1/4" self-threading sheet metal screw through the plastic into the pillar tube. After several years, it's still good and secure, despite the many Minneapolis potholes (fingers crossed).
On a now 21 year old vehicle, I don't mind doing a ghetto fix if it works and doesn't harm anything else.
I think I used a right angle drill chuck to get in there. If you try it, use a sharp bit and be patient, the drill will try to walk off the round surface of the pillar post. Once I got it started it went okay.
Also, I got the screw I wanted to use first, then drilled test holes in a some scrap stock to find a bit with a really tight fit for the screw. You don't need to or want to tighten down against the plastic, you could break that, too. Just run the screw in until the head barely contacts the plastic. That end of the dash will just hang on the screw.
While you have it all apart, if you wanted an even better fix, you could reinforce that area that you're going to drill through with some fiberglas mesh and glue. I didn't do that.

Post by **mikel** » 04 Mar 2014, 16:11

they say the fiberglass will not stick to the abs dash. ABS glue sounds better.

thanks...

Post by **mikel** » 05 Mar 2014, 17:06

put some ABS solvent on the back of the dash across the cracks and it firmed them up after drying all day. I think I might do the front too and sand and paint it. Whatever is stronger. Even looking at laying in strips of ABS if needed to firm things up.

Post by **mikel** » 13 Mar 2014, 19:07

ABS glue front and back of the dash is feeling really strong might just try it this way.

broken screw tabs rebuild nicely with the cement building up until it's solid.

...m

Clarence2011 · Post by **Clarence2011** » 13 Mar 2014, 23:14

Hello,

I have used Plastex (www.plastex.net) to fix and reinforce a dash I bought from a junkyard. This material consist of a powder and a liquid activator that works on ABS plastic. A re-usable rubber is also provided to create mold of the part you want to fix. Once it dries up, it appears to have the same strength of the original ABS piece. So far, my S70 dash has been holding up well for 2 years. I have also taken great care not to overtighten the four screws holding the dash when I installed it.

Good luck.

Clarence

Post by **rmmagow** » 14 Mar 2014, 10:48

That Plastex stuff looks great! I have ordered the big kit for some work I'm doing on non automotive repairs. Looks like it will be able to do a lot more that just a dashboard. I'm going to try and re-build the tabs on the lower kick panel that screws in back of the glove box.