1969 Charger console restoration

[rikubot]

Hi all.

I've got my console out right now and am planning on restoring it. I've got most of it taken care of, but I need to repair a couple cracks and strip some paint off of the main plastic piece. My first attempt of removing the paint was with Heavy Duty Easy Off oven cleaner, and I saw a lot of green in what I stripped. The console was originally green plastic and obviously this was too harsh on it. Anyone have any links I'd suggest in what i should do to strip the paint and repair the plastic? Thanks in advance.
- Mike

[rikubot]

Bump

[Dino]

Easy off is actually pretty good. Don't mind the dye coming off a bit, it's fine. When you spray the piece with easy off, cover it with cling wrap so no air gets to it. It'll work a whole lot better. Rinse with vinegar before you wash the piece with water.

Cracks can be fixed structurally but it's not easy yo make the grain look perfect. Got pics? It'll be easier to explain how to possibly proceed if we can see the damage.

[rikubot]

It seemed to be doing okay. I was a little concerned with the green, but the texture didn't seem to change so thank you for he reassurance. I have been doing it without the wrap so that could explain why it's taking a little longer than my bezel. Plus the console has that glue where the carpet was glued on.

The structure integrity is more important to me than the cosmetic value but I'd still love to get it lookin' good. I was thinking about using JB Weld to fill the crack and then use a pick to try to carve out a texture. But really, anything is better than a plain ole crack.

And as always, thank you 

It's good to hear from you again Dino, hope school is going well!

[Dino]

Yeah anything you do will improve that look to be sure!

Any good adhesive will work but personally I'd make a slurry with acetone and small pieces of ABS. That stuff will weld the cracks shut for good. I'd do that from the back. Then once the cracks are gone and all that's left is cosmetics, you can use the same slurry or JB or whatever, and do the toothpick trick.

See if you can find my grille resto thread. It shows how to make the slurry. Cheap and easy!

[rikubot]

I have the hardest time finding posts with the search engine on this site. I searched "grille resto" threads from "dino" only and still cant seem to find it. I'm very curious about this slurry you speak of though haha. You mentioned that I should clean the console with vinegar before I hose it off. What for?

[Dino]

I'll try to find it tomorrow.

Easy off is caustic due to the lye which is a base, so the vinegar balances the pH and stops the process.

[Dino]

There you go! I did this in the winter so it took a while for the slurry to form, should be easier in warmer temps.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,121524.0.html

[rikubot]

You should be knighted for how good of a job you did on that thing. Your skills and patience are 👌👌👌. If I am to use the slurry to repair my console, how would I go about applying it? What consistency is it, how thick should I apply it, will it melt through the thin console plastic if I put too much?

I'm going to dream about that grille when I go to bed tonight haha

[Dino]

LOL thanks!   

Start with very small chips/slivers of ABS. I use a sharp knife and cut tiny slivers but quickly went to some sharp wire cutters to nibble off somewhat larger chunks. Then start adding acetone bit by bit. The smaller the ABS chunks, the fast it goes. Add ABS and acetone as you go to get the consistency of peanut butter. With a small brush, apply straight acetone to the underside of the crack. The ABS will get sticky. Try to get acetone into the sides of the spit as well but limit contact with the top side. You may want to put some blue painters tape on the top side of the cracks now and stuff the slurry in from the underside. Push it in gently so it will go all the way to the tape. Smooth out the underside a bit to keep it looking clean. It'll set up very fast so remove the tape before it does and dab the top surface with a rag and acetone if need be. Once the majority of the crack is gone you can adjust the slurry, thinner or thicker, to appy to the top side to fill out any gaps and create a base to carve your vinyl look. Finish with progressively finer sanding until it's ready for paint.

[rikubot]

Thanks Dino. I think I have my work cut out for me. Any specific type of ABS I should ask for? I was planning on building it up pretty high because of the location of the crack. Its right where the elbow sits. Maybe like a quarter inch on top of the console plastic. What are your thoughts? At least its completely out of sight. I'd just like it to be a LOT stronger than factory.