With the cost of a factory replacement dash our 320i project car was a prefect candidate for a dash cover overlay. Since replacing the original dash would require the removal of the windshield, along with transferring all of the vents, heater controls and instruments labor alone may exceed $700.00.

Here is how we did it. The first step is to clean the dash and trim away and high spots that may exist where a crack in the factory dash had started to curl up due to years of summer heat. These raised edges can be easily trimmed away with a single edged razor blade, or a utility knife. Use rubbing alcohol to clean the O.E. dash removing any oily film.

Fit check before you glue: Next we fit checked our dash cover to make certain that it fit snuggly into every corner. This exercise also lets you get some practice with the right angle of approach before you do the final fit. The job was a little easier on our project car since we had not yet re-installed our windshield. However having the windshield in place hardly adds any time to the project. The dash cover's front edges wrap around and under most of the leading edges of the factory dash. Making the seams almost invisible once the piece is in place. Once the unit is in place, look for any spaces at the front edge and give the dash a good push back to see where to apply pressure to close those gaps. Remember it's not a factory replacement dash, but considering the reasonable cost of the product, and the savings in labor. It sure beats looking at that cracked dash for another 20 years! To help close those gaps during the gluing process we used a few of the large spring clamps that you can purchase at Home Depot. Just make sure the pressure isn't too much for the dash. You should pad the clamp with a folded shop towel.

Once your satisfied with the fit: Remove the dash and apply a generous amount of silicone glue (which is provided) to the inside of the flat front surfaces of the dash cover. Apply some glue also on the flat surface of the factory dash at the front edge near the windshield edge, and around the defrost vents. Stay back about one inch so you don't see any glue that may get pushed forward during installation. The glue will make the dash slippery; however once it dries it will be very secure. Gently tap the leading edge with the palm of your hand, pushing the cover snug back toward the windshield. Apply the spring clamps to any area that you feel would benefit from this added pressure. You can push some magazines into the back edge between the windshield and the dash to apply some downward pressure on the top of the dash until it dries.