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Tips
Tips

Vinyl Repair

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Cain

Cain

Jedi Trainee
Offline
What product can I use to repair the deep cracks and chips in the vinyl and foam on my crash pads? I want to fill the cracks and chips so I can recover them with vinyl.

I need something like spackel, but not as brittle when it dries. It needs to be flexible when it dries, but it needs to be something I can cut or sand down to the contours of the pad. I think I might have read somewhere that the spray foam purchased at home box stores used to seal windows and doors in house applications would work.

Thanks for your help.
 
You might want to check out a vinyl repair kit. THey are available at auto stores (and Walmart). If for nothing else they come with a tube of "adhesive/filler" that you can use to fill the cracks. I've used one to repair a "wear split" on the side of a seat, and where the PO did a poor job cutting on the door panel. Not perfect jobs (rank amateur here) but the $5.00 sure beat a bill from the uphostery shop.
 
Just a thought. How about using silicone for a filler?
 
I thought about silicone. I'm sure it would work great for the cracks, but what about the chips?
 
I have use the foam for other items and it works great. Just remember that it expands 3-5 times its size when you put it in. Then nice thing is that you can cut it with a steak knife, it is somewhat flexable, not as flexable as silicone but more like styrofoam.

I would test it on something before using it. It is only a couple of bucks a can so it is worth a try.

I have seen people us it to fill in rust holes in the back of the trunk or wheel well and then they paint or fiberglass over it. It isn't bad to use as a backer and it will help with some sound insulation. Have fun.
Tom
 
My advise is to buy the crash pads new, since they bolt on in a few minutes, which will be a tiny fraction of the time it would take to try to effect a nice repair. The upper pad is a bit of a problem to re-fit,so if it is bad too try a comercial vinyl repair guy. They are not too pricy and will do a better job than you would think in less time than you would be able to clean-up in.
md(mad dog)
 
I would go the vinyl repair kit route. I've been using my vinyl repair kit that i got from JC Whitney for years. I've used it on the dash, seats, and the convertible top cover. It came with a heating iron, about 30 vinyl colors...black will be the only one you really need for most TR6's....maybe tan in some cases. You also get pattern making cardboard paper things that allow you the apply heat on them and make a pattern similar to whatever it is you're patching. You can do wonderful things with these kits if you take the time to read the instructions, and apply heat gently. On almost every repair that i've done, you can hardly even see it. Sure beats pulling the dash plate, instruments, and the windscreen to put on the top crash pad.
 
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