I have badly cracked dash and the prices seem low enough but I dont want the thing to look like a toupee. I want it to look original.

Does anybody have one installed and can give feedback about the longevity?

One came with my car. I am not sure what the brand is. It fits the curves of the 123 dash well, and has holes for the defrost vents, but it has been there a while apparently and gotten faded. Personally, I would rather have the cracked dash than a rug on my dash, but I am not a perfectionist about the look of the car, and that is just a personal preference.

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I don't recall who made it, it was in a box in the trunk with the car. It's molded ABS plastic and fits like a glove. You might need to trim some corners here and there but the important part is surface prep. Clean and lightly sand, stop drill the cracks, IE: Follow the instructions. The only con is the color will not be a precise match. I put it in Oct 2005 and it still looks good.

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1987 300D (230,000 mi on a #14 head-watching the temp gauge and keeping the ghost in the machine)
Raleigh NC - Home of deep fried sushi!

Why not just get a good used one? You can find em on car-part.com locally I bet.

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http://superturbodiesel.com/images/sig.04.10.jpg
1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

I thought about doing that but then I'm putting one in thats as old as the one I'm taking out so odds are it will crack soon also, at least thats the way it seems like it would go.

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1983 300SD
200000miles

I have only once seen a dash cap that was barely unnoticeable. Make sure you sand the cracks down smooth.

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http://superturbodiesel.com/images/sig.04.10.jpg
1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

I have a cap on mine and its pretty unnoticeable. Every now and then people ask what I used to keep my dash from cracking.

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1985 300TD Turbo Euro-wagon
1979 280CE 225,200 miles
1985 300D Turbo 264,000 miles
1976 240D 190,000 miles
1979 300TD 220,000

GONE but not forgotten
1976 300D 195,300 miles
1983 300D Turbo 175,000 miles

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...e485-1-2-1.jpg

Why not you use a leather patch kit (liquid leather) its cheap and easy to do.

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Current Garage
2008 Mercedes GL320 CDI 188k mi Repair/Work in progress
1994 S350 160k mi Garage Queen & prepping for repairs
2005 E320 CDI 203k mi Healthy & Daily Driver
1994 S350 357k mi Retried as parts car
1984 300TD 214k mi Blown OM617 Poss OM603 Swap??

Sold
1987 300SDL 200K+
1994 S320 181K mi
2008 E320 Bluetec 127k mi
1999 S420 130K mi
1980 240D 360k mi
15+ Others that has come, stay and gone

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
1995 E320 SE 220k mi
1984 300SD 350k mi

At the local swapmeet I can buy leather hides, or partials--just cover your dash with leather, glue & trim it and it will look better than any plastic cover.

I thought of that also but I doubt I could get it to look right. I think that would be really cool if I could do it.

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1983 300SD
200000miles

I have a Coverlay dash cap in my '84 300TD. It has been in the car for almost three years and so far I haven't noticed any warping, fading or cracking. The only real issue that I have with the dash cap is that the texture doesn't really match the rest of the car. The dash in my car was very badly cracked, so it's at least better than it was.
Pictures here, if you're interested:
http://www.ourwebphotos.com/gallery/v/cars/mb/dashcap/

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1984 MB 300TD
2003 Subaru WRX

I have an Accuform (great revue in the DIY about this company)in my 1984 Euro 500 SEC. It appears yo be better than the othe brands. It was in the car when I got it. I bought one of the other brands for my 380SE and was not happy with the color or the fit and I never installed it. I Let it go with the car when I sold it.

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1986 Euro 500SEC "RUF" 9:1CR, "Rose"
1985 Euro 500SEC Cabriolet AMG Widebody
1982 Euro 500SEL "Blue"
2001 Texas Heeler (Aussie/Queensland X) "Sulphie",
2012 Queensland Red Heeler "Squeak"
Best dogs I've ever had.

When you installed the cap did you have to remove all the wood and instruments etc?

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1983 300SD
200000miles

The only things that I had to remove were the speaker grills and the climate control temp sensor. The dash cap itself only comes down to the top of the wood trim so that the seam is somewhat hidden by the trim line. The cap also wraps around the edges of the glovebox opening, A/C vents and the instrument binnacle so that the seam along those areas isn't as visable as well.

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1984 MB 300TD
2003 Subaru WRX

I have the Coverlay on my 124. It looks better than a cracked dash, an un-trained eye will think it's original.
The downside; it is too glossy, and it warped in the sun. It is a flimsy vac-u-formed piece if ABS, unless it is thoroughly attached to the dash beneath (and perhaps even then) it will try to grow when hot and warp.
It also sticks down over the top of the center-vent control legend and up around the speakers and top vents.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff