How do I repair cracks in the dashboard of my 1988 Toyota Corolla?

Question

I would like to have a professional repair as I plan to keep the car and eventually like to restore it.

Answer 1

Try lookin gat JC Whitney for a replacement dash cover. The most expensive route is an OEM style replacement for a few hundred dollars ($300-400). Or you can buy a vacuum formed hard cover that will go over the original without having to remove anything. The latter is under $200.

The new one will not hold up any better than the original but the hard vacuum formed cover will last much longer.

If the car is kept in a garage or parking garage or a car port this will make the cover last longer.

I had a brand new OEM cover put in my '85 Chevy P'up and it started cracking after five years but it is outside 24/7/365.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Toyota uses a cheap non resin based plastic on their interior parts (the plastic is the base for which the vinyl is put on top) these part over time will become very brittle and can be easily damaged. your best bet is to try to find a couple of different daises and compare and take the one that's in the best condition. and try to negotiate the price with the guy at the junk yard most of these people will try to get a premium price for a 15 to 20 year old part that's bean siting their for god knows how long. Also If you ever have to make any repairs to the doors internal workings than be very careful because they use recycled cardboard to form the backing on the doors and they have metal retainers that hold the plastic clips to hold the door panel in place. the metal retainers are stamped into the cardboard and over the years they will get loose and cause the door panels to get loose and make noise. if you can that use a good quality glue that will soak into the cardboard to hold the retainers in place.

Answer 3

Extended warranties are never worth a dime. As long as you follow the reccomended manufacturer service in the Owners Manual your Corolla should last you a good 10 years worry free. The extended warranty costs can vary, a good rule of thumb when you go to the financing officer is to say NO to everything, you just bought a new car, and the factory warranty will be more than enough.

Answer 4

Vinyl repair kits might be a temporary solution.
It doesn't do such a good job when you have to heat it up and the dash is still in the car and you can't get the iron in there to reach it.
Check out your local bone yard, 1988 cars are hard to find.

Answer 5

there are aftermarket vendors that work for auto dealers on the used car department. interior specialists. i also used a bumper guy once that was handy with filler and matching interior paint. usually cracks only start on the top due to the sun drying up the foam underneath the plastic. then of course cracking the plastic

Answer 6

with sillyputty and japanese rice paper what else.

its like an earth quake fault , it will keep cracking.
put a dash ruin on it and forget it.

or find a doner car in a wrecking yard.
i dought Toyata sells dash boards after so long.
not to mention the price, wow.

Answer 7

DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH WILL NEED TO BE REPAIRED I WOULD SAY THAT THIS WILL BE A BAD IDEA.

1. THE DASH IS OLD AND BRITTLE.

2. THE REPAIR WILL LIKELY NOT LAST.

3. TRY FINDING ANOTHER DASH AND NOT ONE OF THOSE CHEAP LOOKING COVERS, NASTY LOOKING.

Answer 8

start checking out dismantlers for a replacement. and why on earth would you want to restore an 88 corolla?

Answer 9

You are going to need a new one (Good Luck) or try going to a local upholstery shop to see if he could cover it with some new leatherette.