s3 crashpad restoration - not a wise step

[el-saturn]

this restoration is too much for everybody :40 hours!! have a look sandy ps - you need lots of equipment. grinders, or a complete composite shop incl. resin, glas, et etc.... turned out ok i guess

[tedtaylor]

B E A U T I F U L !!!!!!!!

[Frogelan]

Very interesting to see how a crashpad can be recovered.

If anyone is interested (please PM) I have a tired S/H S3 crashpad which I will put up for sale (located in France but can be taken to GB). It will need to be recovered, but I think this can be done without removing the existing covering.

[pharriso]

Very nice Sandy, do you have a "before" picture to share as well so we can see what a great job you did?

That's the great thing about our cars, just about anything can be brought back from the dead...

[el-saturn]

yes i do phil - ill add em tonight sandy

[PaulH]

this restoration is too much for everybody :40 hours!! have a look sandy ps - you need lots of equipment. grinders, or a complete composite shop incl. resin, glas, et etc.... turned out ok i guess

I'd be interested to know how you achieved the surface finish. Did you re-coat it somehow? I have a crashpad (S2) with two 'clean' cracks across which virtually disappear if they are held closed. I'd love to be able to restore it as it's a much better fit (and original finish) than the new replacements I've got. Any thoughts about how I could go about repairing it?

Paul

[el-saturn]

here's 2 pictures of the BEFORE: and the answer to those two cracks: there's a youtube flic you'll probably find: go for crashpad restoration (its a toyota) - otherwise its laminating, sanding, glasfiber filler, filler and more sanding to 120 is enough, making sure you get all the radi to make it original (there's radi coming from all 3 planes) mine had no front edge (right under the screen beginning) so i remodelled that curved edge with fiberglas polyester putty - 3 pictures added sandy