'73 B body center console crack repair

[Charger Fan]

Looking for any experience/advice/tips on crack repairs for the plastic center console. My first thought was to replace it with another upper half. Lots of black ones available, albeit with both top and bottom pieces, however gold color ones seem to be non-existent. Found a complete gold console on e-bay, top and bottom, but it also has one of the two cracks that I have. Thought about maybe painting a black one with the '73 gold interior paint but can't seem to find the paint on-line. Not sure how the gold color would appear starting with such a dark color underneath. Any suggestions would be welcomed and appreciated.

 

[Davefinan]

Did you look at the SEM product line? The seem to have many colors for interiors

 

[Photon440]

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[#41]

If you use the car, don't paint it. I have not seen a paint product yet that will stand up. Better to glue the crack with a backer and live with the hairline.

 

[70chall440]

I've never repaired a tan console but I have repaired a few black ones. While you can repair structurally it is very difficult dare I say impossible to make the repair invisible.

 

[tak419]

They all seem to crack on the thin area left of the shifter handle. It'll be hard to pull it together and keep it there. The other crack, use super glue to hold it in place. Then if you feel that's not enough, you can use a good 5 minute epoxy on the back side.

 

[Sparky Anderson]

Use an epoxy to repair the crack in that console and get your paint from Herb's Parts: HERBS PARTS INTERIOR PAINT, Interior Paint, PAINT and use an adhesion promoter, before you apply the paint. Easy as pie!

 

[YY1]

I patched some holes that were drilled in a cassette recorder pod with JB Weld and used masking tape on the outside to hold it level while it dried, and hopefully add some texture that was close to factory.

It came out OK and you have to look close but you can still see a little.

...and I bought the expensive Herb's 1973 green (the only one they had) and it's nowhere close to the extremely common F6 green.

I had a closer match with Krylon "Italian Olive" from wal-mart!

Agree to clean thoroughly (and then clean again), and use adhesion promoter.

 

[Photon440]

I patched some holes that were drilled in a cassette recorder pod with JB Weld and used masking tape on the outside to hold it level while it dried, and hopefully add some texture that was close to factory.

It came out OK and you have to look close but you can still see a little.

...and I bought the expensive Herb's 1973 green (the only one they had) and it's nowhere close to the extremely common F6 green.

I had a closer match with Krylon 'Italian Olive" from wal-mart!

Agree to clean thoroughly (and then clean again), and use adhesion promoter.

Adhesion promoter is the key!

 

[ODZKing]

I agree with all of the above. And eventually it WILL crack again. Not sure what that plastic id but it doesn't seem to like any glue you use. Maybe JB weld is the best, I don't know, I gave up on mine and bought another, but mine was black and easier to find.

 

[70chall440]

The cracks can be fixed and if done right will not crack again. By "right" I mean that the cracks need to be V'd out so that either the adhesive being used can fill the gap or you can plastic weld the cracked area. If you can get to the back side, I usually plastic weld along the crack using a wood burning tool. I also at times take headless finishing nails and heat them and lay them across the crack (obviously on the backside) and then plastic weld over them slightly to make sure they stay put.

The key to using any adhesive is that the area has to be rough, I've even dimpled the back side with a drill bit to create a gripping surface. If you have to do the outside only, well your choices are more limited however IMO a limited repair in a specific spot is not going to go well, the entire console needs to be restored. This will allow repair of the cracks, then refinishing and trying to bring back some texture to hide the cracks and then a complete repaint to blend it all. As noted, before painting the console must be thoroughly cleaned, degreased (like within an inch of its life), then sprayed with adhesion promoter and then painted.