How to fix console crack

[stros]

My OER replacement console has developed a crack.  Any suggestions on how to repair it?  I’d rather not have to pull it out and repaint it.

[5th T/A]

I seem to recall Roadking77 did a very impressive dash and console repair job on his TATA several years ago. I believe both were in much worse shape than what you are showing. After reading your post I expect he will elaborate.

[Wallington]

Why has it cracked there? I can't see how you'd repair it in situ, other than being a tiny touch-up and filling the seam until it gets worse. Perhaps see if you can shove something under the base at that point to pull it out from the hump, that will close it more, limit it spreading further.

[stros]

Why has it cracked there? I can't see how you'd repair it in situ, other than being a tiny touch-up and filling the seam until it gets worse. Perhaps see if you can shove something under the base at that point to pull it out from the hump, that will close it more, limit it spreading further.

I have no idea.  It was cut to insert the power window switches.  Maybe that weakened that area somehow. 

[Wallington]

Or loosen the screws under the compartment bin, see if the console body lifts and closes crack. Just thinking of where it could start to let go if pulled out of shape.

[stros]

Do you guys know what material the console is made out of.  I see it mentioned as both injection molded plastic and vinyl.

[roadking77]

It is both. Hard plastic base and a softer vinyl outer layer. I would think maybe the storage compartment has been overloaded if that is at all possible. The console should be anchored at the shifter, and there is a bracket under the bin that screws to the hump. Really though I think its just a stress point that is causing it to crack where it is. I have done far worse  but I dont think I would do that to this one. I have no idea what to use but I would try to find something compatible with vinyl material and perhaps do a very careful fill of the cracked area. Polyvance has a number of products you might find something there. In a lot of cases with stress cracks if you were to drill a hole at each end of the crack it may prevent it from going any further. I would tape the area off good to do the fill. For painting, you should be able to find SEM in a compatible colour, I would spray a bit in a small cup and use a brush to do the actual painting rather than trying to spray it in the car.

[stros]

Thanks - that explains why I was confused about what material it was.  Hopefully I don’t end up making it worse than it is.  I see a small crack also by the shifter. 

[roadking77]

I saw that also, wasnt sure if it was another crack starting or a piece of lint.

[70_71_78]

There are shops that repair leather upholstery damage, using soft flexible filling material and color matching it. I wonder if that can be applied here?
J

[Wallington]

Still need to know why it is occurring to stop it restarting after the repair. It's almost like the window switch is a high point and the console is fastened and pulled down each side of it over of time, beyond where it is happy to sit without stress fractures. It may be just the vinyl coating there that has lost its stretch, in which case flexing the console back and forth possibly doesn't close the gap.

[stros]

I found a local vinyl repair guy that I’ll have take a look at it and get an opinion.

I had my cracked dash covered in leather.  Maybe I should consider that on the console too.

[Wallington]

My console is leather if you want a squiz as to how it looks.

Console leather retrim2 by Ben, on Flickr

Console leather retrim4 by Ben, on Flickr

Console leather retrim7 by Ben, on Flickr

Console leather retrim8 by Ben, on Flickr

[FormTA]

That actually looks pretty darn good. I am not a fan of leather wrapped anything for some reason but that looks good.

[stros]

Here’s a full pic showing the leather wrapped dash and console.  I guess I could get the under steering column panel and glovebox covered while I’m at it.  They’ve always bugged me a bit as they don’t match the dash leather color.

[Wallington]

Mine are both done as well, they don't sit as flush due to the extra padding and covering. So if you manage to get a matching offcut of leather you can send it off to paint matching place instead. I did that to get perfect match and sheen for speaker grilles, seatbelt guides, sail panels, kick panels. etc. Was there a certain paint you used for the dash grab handle, that looks perfect.

Apart from the glovebox door, and probably the steering column panel if you said the same, the rest looks good with just a slight and subtle change of shades throughout. Once you start matching a few more areas, the parts that don't match look like they are errors! Once I replaced a few of the camel tan parts on mine and retrimmed a few more, I basically had to finish anything that wasn't. It'll feel like slipping into a caramel thickshake when done, not sure that's a good thing, but smells so nice. It dated from a time when replacement door trims and seatcovers were not a thing, plus the custom touches and of course, RHD dash. There's things I'd change, for sure if starting from scratch.

I'd perhaps try some fine flexible filler for yours before it got to that stage, combined with some colour-matched touchup just wiped over the join, make sure it's well clean of any oils and protectants first. Too nice to cover just yet. Perhaps a dash or upholstery place might have some tips, the type that touch-up cracks in leather and vinyl.

[5th T/A]

I always considered myself kind of an all stock kind of guy. I never would have thought about covering the console in leather. I got say it looks very nice.

[TA301]

Console looks very nice. As for the crack, try tan color latex caulking material. You will be surprised how well it works. BTDT

[stros]

Console looks very nice. As for the crack, try tan color latex caulking material. You will be surprised how well it works. BTDT

Thanks.  Makes sense - will try to take the repair route first before considering ripping out everything.