dash repair

hi everybody
bill the new kid here.
i want to clean this dash up.
that means fill in all those holes.
my idea is to tack weld some plates on the back of the big ones and bondo it.
i am no fabricator.
never used bondo.
so be gentle please.
any input?

 

if you're gonna go to the trouble to tack weld the plates on the back, why not go ahead and cut them to the size and shape of the holes and tack weld them in. they just ad more tack welds until the entire plate is welded in. do all of your welds from the back, keep the heat down and you will be dealing with very little filler.

 

I just got done doing the same thing. For the small holes, you should be able to buttonhole them (weld in circles to fill the hole...grind flat) For the bigger holes, cut a sheet of 18 gauge to fit and weld around it (spot it first, then let everything cool....this piece warps really easy!...ask me how I know...). You should be able to use a minimum of filler.

Best of luck!

Lee D.

 

i dont have a welder but my buddy does.
i am not comfortable asking him to spend much time at all helping me do this stuff (i want to keep him as a buddy!)

maybe i am not using the correct terminology.
i am just trying to figure out a way to make this look better.
there should only be four holes in that dash for knobs.
two on each side of the speedo correct?

 

is your buddy good with the welder and sheet metal? couple of might get you where you need to be. that dash is in alot better shape than most I have seen, definately worth the effort and time to do it right. but it is your jeep and your budget so do what is right for you.

 

..

 

If you want to make it look better, Lowes (and maybe Home Depot) have button plugs that you can put in the extra holes. The hole in the windshield does not look so good, but you should be able to cover it with a compass or tilt-o-meter. The two holes above the glove box are meant for a grab bar, and came from the factory with plugs in them. I'd look for a radio to put in the dash ... you can fill the little holes with JB Weld - put some on a penny and glue it to the back. Then fill any remaining hole with more JB Weld.

Dosen't look so bad.

 

Uncle Bill. It really depends on if you want to do it right, or do it on a budget. And how good, or "factory" you want it to look.

The right way is with a welder as $ Sink described. The dash will look factory and never cut up.

The easy and cheep way is as Tim described. Pennies and JB Weld. and that will get you a fairly good looking dash, but it will still have the holes behind stuff.

Another option is to fiberglass it and bondo. Fiberglass the backside of the dash over the holes, then use either chopped fiberglass or bondo or JB Weld to fill in the holes. I would look as this as a repair somewhere between welding and pennies.

But it's really your dash. Personally, I'd do it right. Buy a welder and figure out how to use it. I'm sure your buddy will teach you. Heck, the dash is a great place for your first attempts.

 

My dash looked even worse from the PO. I ended up cutting some sheet metal plates a bit larger than the holes. Some square, some rectangular (radio), and some round. I then just bolted or screwed the plates over the holes. Used butten head bolts & screws (painted black). It looks fine but partly because I painted the patches the same day I painted the Jeep so everything matches. I also did like Tim said and used the plugs from the hardware store for the small holes. And, each time I needed to add a switch (backup lights, heater, alt light, etc.) I mounted it in a hole that was already there.

This method is not as good as welding but is far, far easier. I also don't weld and didn't want to ask a buddy to do that much welding that's just cosmetic.

Note - I work at a shop with sheet metal and all the tools (shear, circle shear, etc.) but it would be fairly low cost if you went to a shop with a sketch of the sizes you need.

 

Mine was hacked worse, besides the cutout for the radio the PO had cut a set of 3/4" holes for the speaker grille. I cut some fillers and welded them. To fill the round holes I used the knock out plugs from a metal electrical junction box. I was careful to spread the welding around to minimize heat but I still had some warping. Instead of JB Weld I used a metal filler putty, it comes in a tube and knead it to blend and mix the 2 parts. This is a doughy consistency but I thought I could apply it without it running..

 

thanks

 

i used those thin metal disks that carpenters drive nails through.
they are about 2" in diameter
and glued them on.
i have already popped one off because i decided i wanted that hole.
i used the nomenclature plate to cover the stereo hole.
all in all
i think it looks ok.
cost?
about $1

 

Way to go, Bill. That's a big improvement.

 

thanks
it was super easy
and just this side of free.

 

Lookin' good UB.

 

Looks Nice !!! Looks like you didn't care for the Plybench seating either.

 

that was the main mod i did to the slug
i hated to replace the UBER RARE wood seat but i am a modern guy.

 

I have used JB-weld as well. I used it on a steering collume(how ever you spell it.) haha.
I used it to fill in the hole for the ignition key, once the jb-weld dries you can sand it down some then paint the thing. It turned out better than i thought it would, so if you want to go cheap, give it a try, if it doesn't look good you can always knock it out and do another way.
good luck.