1982 Toyota Pickup Dash Beautifully Restored with Fiberglass

Fix the dash in your Toyota truck entirely with items from the local hardware store.

The dashboards of Toyota pickups in the 1980s were comprised of foam with a thick, plastic skin. This construction allowed designers to include curves and indentations on a surface that was solid, yet somewhat cushioned. It was great when new, but over time, the plastic becomes brittle and cracks away, exposing the foam underneath. This can be fixed easily with an aftermarket cover, but “Sent112” came up with a way to repair the cracked Toyota dash while maintaining a relatively stock look.

Using a list of supplies that can be purchased at your local Lowe’s or Home Depot, the OP was able to take a very rough dash and make it look like a brand new part. Best of all, the items needed to perform this repair aren’t expensive, but the process is fairly time consuming, so this isn’t a project that you will start and complete in the same day.

1980s Toyota Dash Problems

The OP opened his thread with an explanation of what he was dealing with in his 1982 Toyota pickup. This first post also included pictures of the rough shape of the dash cap.

I recently picked up a rough but not rusty ’82 4X4 with the intention of a full restoration on it. I want to drive it some to work out the mechanical bugs but thought I’d tackle the really bad dash. I recently restored an ’86 IROC and did this with the dash too. Turned out great but this dash was going to be a challenge since the Camaro dash is almost completely flat.

So here goes…This is what I started with.

As you can see, the plastic is cracked and peeling while the foam is wearing away as well. It is particularly bad around the speaker opening.

Cleaning Up the Damage

The first step after the dash was removed from the 1982 Toyota pickup was to clean up the damaged areas. The OP trimmed away all of the damaged plastic and smoothed out some of the old foam.

Next, since the OP didn’t plan to use the center speaker opening, he covered the hole from the underside. With that opening filled, the OP layered down a generous portion of spray insulation foam in all of the damaged areas.

Once it was dried, he cut away the excess, recreating the factory shape of the dash, sans the speaker opening.

A New Finish

Once the cracks in the plastic was filled with foam, the owner of this 1982 Toyota pickup created a more uniform cover with some quick fiberglass work.

That wasn’t smooth enough for his liking, so he covered the entire dash cap in bondo, smoothing it out to perfection.

A layer of primer and black spray-in bedliner from Harbor Freight finished the job, and the results are incredible. With the exception of the speaker hole being gone, this restored dash cap looks like it could be a factory piece. The bedliner even creates a textured plastic that fits nicely in the off-road-ready Toyota pickup.

Click here for a closer look at this dashboard restoration process.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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