dashboard falling apart

These cars' interiors are held together by a unique philips-head screw, black in colour, which can reasonably be referred to as "K-car screws". They work fine and tend to hold things together durably, but it sounds like in your case someone was in there havin' too much fun with a power screwdriver, and stripped or almost-stripped a lot of the screws. Go get screws with a slightly larger shank -- not too much larger -- and you should be able to put everything back together securely.

No comment.

My first thought when I read his description was that the plastic is just getting impossibly brittle due to age and heat? If some of the little plastic ears and mounting points are getting extremely brittle then he's got a tough problem there.

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I think the fact that the car has had 15 years of convertible shimmeys, and 7 years of Tucson heat has contributed to my problems. The dashboard vynil still looks good, no cracks, but all of the plastic mounting points, or 'ears' as you described are cracking and deteriorating. An oversized screw won't work, becasue nothing is left to screw into. You rae correct that the factory really torqued down everything. I JB Welded about three mounts, and they seem to hold, but someday soon there will be nothing left to mount the radio, AC controls, etc. I may need to plumbers strap everything back to the metal frame in the dash; it won't be pretty, but it might be solid enoung to hold it all. There is a car stereo install shop near my work, I may ask them for some advice. Thanks for your replies! Bill

Well, The Arizona Heat does screw with the Plastics. My 03 Minivan dash is already starting to Bubble in Spots. Im in Phoenix area. But as they say, "Thats the price you pay for living in Paradise". You will probably have to do what many customizers do. And that is make your own dash supports. But it will be as difficult as replacing the whole dash. As you will have to remove the dash to do it. Use thin Plywood and make your own supports, and use "L" brakets to bolt to the floor. Cover the plywood with whatever material you have. Or, you could visit the Flea Markets, as alot of Mexican's can recover your entire interior including the roof, in vinyl or leather in 15 minutes!!! They probably can do it for you, and cheaply too.

A stereo installation guy once told me his secret weapon was hot melt adhesive.

Then allow me:

If its no more reliable than a POS dispose-a-car, its not performing up to K-car standards!

;-)

The result of age, which high heat accelerates. After 10 yrs or less most plastics show weaknesses.

I've previously not kept a car beyond 10 years, but my lovely '95 Concord may take me 20 if Chrysler doesn't wise up. Likely I'll get tired of it and go Toyota like most of my friends.

I'd just apply lots of patch at all mounting points. Perhaps try a plastic glue gun to strengthen the mounting points. Limit the amount you use though or the extra weight will bring everything down. >:)

I spoke with a stereo installer at Circuit City. Nice guy. He suggested to get a auto body fiberglass repair kit, and CAREFULLY wrap the cracked mounting points with the fiberglass+resin. He said it could be filed and drilled and even tapped for the mounting stuff.

So far, the pound of JB Weld I pasted on all of the cracked areas seems to be holding.

Thanks for all of the replies, and Merry Christmas!

Bill