How would you fix this dash scratch?

Hey all!

Does anyone know if there is some method to fix this scratch? It’s pretty deep so I don’t believe anything surface level will suffice.

I’m open to replacing the dash piece however the auto shop said this would be over 1k to rip the whole thing out. Is this really true?

Thanks in advance!

-DUNK

 

Cover with Dash mat

 

Not a bad idea although I’ll likely sell at some point in near future and hoping to provide her in the best condition I’m able to.

 

You could probably clean it up and make it less visible but I doubt it would be worth replacing the whole piece if you are selling the truck.

The passenger airbag is meant to deploy from that area so it wouldn't be a good idea to cover it with anything.

 

Do what most people do, cover it with TRD stickers

 

How did that happen?

 

i don't think that can be fixed. i think your only option is to cover it up or live with it. i guess you could replace your dash but that's not worth it to most people.

 

Instrument panels come out easier than one might think. It's just a LOT of switches, clips, and screws to remove and replace. Definitely DIY-able as long as the truck isn't a daily driver.

Have you looked at the components list for the instrument panel? Given the different textures and finishes, I wouldn't be surprised if that panel were sold separately.

If the panel is available solo and you can do the work yourself, it'll come in way under $1k. At the dealer, $1k sounds in the ballpark.

 

ohhhh I don’t even remember specifically what it was, typical activity of helping a friend move and stuffing things in the cab. I stuffed too hard

 

It might look better if you apply heat (dont go crazy) cover the undamaged area with a towel and try a hair dryer to see if the color will blend at least.
If you use a heat gun, be extremely careful ,.... you can never "un-heat" something.

 

Thanks guys, yeah looks like the whole thing is connected from this random video I found. Check out 1:05. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dqoithYqm8

I'll try the hair dryer lol.

 

Heat might help or it might not. It might help blend the gouge down a bit, but it also might make the heated areas shiny compared to the rest and it might start looking worse. You can try a small part if you're feeling adventurous.

See if you can source that panel separately, just buy it and then find the time to take the dash apart yourself. Then put a dash cover over it all.

You can also try cleaning out the gouge (take the lighter scuffed up parts out) and then using something like Back to Black to blend things in a bit. The gouge may be still there, but less visible.

 

I was thinking very carefully with a razor blade and some super fine sandpaper.

 

That would be a great first try for sure to de burr the lighter flakes.

 

Ouch!

 

Very carefully see if you can sand down the frayed portion of the gouge. Then wipe the whole dash down with 303 or Armor All and see if it helps it "blend" in a bit. You've got nothing to lose by trying that. It won't make it disappear, but might help make it a little less like "LOOK AT ME!!! I'M A HUGE GASH IN THE DASH!!!" It will look more like "Yeah, so I got a gash in me, what are you gonna do? "

 

This sounds like what I would try. Carefully deburring the excess off with a razor blade then fine sandpaper to give the whole piece texture in an attempt to blend it in.

Good luck!

 

That is what I was thinking too.
I’d probably take a flat blade screw driver and fold 600 grit sand paper over the it.
Then easy does it over the sharp edges. You aren’t going to fix it, but taking off the sharp edges will help make it less noticeable.

Then, armorall the area and call it “good as it gets”.

 

I would not mess with it. Anything you do may make it worse unless you know what you are doing. I would not mess with taking out the dash on my own either. You may not need to be a genius, but it is a large undertaking.

Call a few body shops and see if there is a plastic/interior repair guy in town. There is one in my area. He uses a rubber product poured on the undamaged portion to capture the grain/contour of the panel. Then he uses some filler and presses his mold into the damaged area to regain the contour, then paints it. Only thing I have seen to repair deep gouges in textured plastic.

 

If the scratch is really bugging you, looks like you can get that dash trim piece for roughly $100 on car-part.com.

https://car-part.com/cgi-bin/search...33898&userUID=0&userBroker=&iKey=&userPage=43