I have seen the black plastic covers for an older brat on Ebay, but nothing for a new gen brat ... I'm not looking for carbon fiber or anything terribly fancy, just something that isn't prone to cracking like the original ... it just started to split down the middle ... it used to be perfect .. oh well

invest in a thing of Vaseline. Then put your car out of the sun and rub the Vaseline into the dash but leave a pretty thick layer of it on there. Let it be for a couple days and rub it off. It'll soften up the vinal which will prevent it from cracking.

invest in a thing of Vaseline. Then put your car out of the sun and rub the Vaseline into the dash but leave a pretty thick layer of it on there. Let it be for a couple days and rub it off. It'll soften up the vinal which will prevent it from cracking.

Hmmmmm ... I thought it was "rub it with crisco"? ... oh wait that was a joke :-p Thx for the tip! I just wish I knew that b4 it cracked down the middle:-\ are there any GOOD vinyl repair kits that really do match the color?

Not sure about any of the common lubricants. Products like Armor All may actually cause more harm than good.

The best stuff to use on vinyls and hard plastics (IMO) is "marine grade" protectant. This is what is used on motorboats. It's harder to find, and somewhat expensive, but if you are serious about keeping your interior looking good, you can't beat it.

good luck, John

I have seen the black plastic covers for an older brat on Ebay, but nothing for a new gen brat ... I'm not looking for carbon fiber or anything terribly fancy, just something that isn't prone to cracking like the original ... it just started to split down the middle ... it used to be perfect .. oh well

 

I have heard from several people that products like A-All actually tend to leach the plasticizers out of vinyl over time, contributing to cracking later. Also, just plain age has an effect. Really, UV from sunlight is the biggest offender.

 

I know JC Whitney used to carry quite a variety of molded plastic caps to cover dashes. Maybe not any more.

 

There are also companies that will literally take your old dash and mold a new surround foam part around the frame. Cool, but pricey.

Check out Ebay. Theres quite a few in different price ranges.

http://motors.search-desc.ebay.com/Subaru_Dash-Parts_W0QQcatrefZC12QQcoactionZcompareQQcoentrypageZsearchQQcopagenumZ1QQfromZR2QQfrtsZ50QQfsooZ2QQfsopZ2QQftrtZ1QQftrvZ1QQftsZ2QQsacatZ40017

Not sure about any of the common lubricants. Products like Armor All may actually cause more harm than good.

 

The best stuff to use on vinyls and hard plastics (IMO) is "marine grade" protectant. This is what is used on motorboats. It's harder to find, and somewhat expensive, but if you are serious about keeping your interior looking good, you can't beat it.

 

good luck, John

Kewl, I actually have some of that ... I used it on my ZX-9R (before I sold it) I will have to digg it out of storage ...

I'm really not a fan of the carpet dash (I DO hear they go good with the "dingle balls" hanging from the headliner tho ) I wish they made one of these for a newer style brat http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/77-81-Subaru-Brat-Stage-II-Stand-NEW-Dash-Pad-Coverlay_W0QQitemZ8043105441QQcategoryZ40017QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Mink oil and Lemon Pledge furniture polish work wonders on sun-baked vinyl. For hard plastics rub mink oil in well with your fingers until it won't absorb any more. then wipe off the excess with a terry towel. For vinyls and softer plastics, rub the Pledge in with your fingers until only water beadlets remain and wipe dry with a paper towel. Repeat till it won't absorb anymore.

 

You can find Mink Oil in the shoe care department. Use a sunshade to prevent further damage.

Well you could do what I'm doing. I've got a few minor cracks in my dash in my hatch. I'm re-upholstering the dash, sunvisors, center arm rest on my hi-rise, the roof liner and eventually the door panels....plan on getting some new seats and re-upholstering them too to match....All in real oak camo, not the cheapo looking camo. pics to come in new thread. ~~Lucas