Dashboard rattle fix options
 

So I have an 87 fc that has a rattle on the dash when I'm accelerating. Yes, this is expected from a car from 87 but id still like to fix this if I can. Looking for what my options are to fix it.

Where my problem lies:

so my rattle is happening on the dash behind my wheel. Not sure what this part is called. If I put pressure with my hands (pretty hard predsure), it quiets down and is beautiful. The top 3 screws are in tact and holding strong but the bottom half is completely broken off. It's got screws on the bottom but I think it's just holding the turn signal, cruise and other controls.

If the bottom clips are broken, what are my options to get the dash back on tight? I'd love to hear what you guys have done to remedy this.

Side note: windows down, I can ignore it. System up and bass kicking, I don't hear it. But my car has ac and when I drive my wife in it with windows up, I hear it and it bugs the hell out of me.

thanks!

I take it you're describing the bezel that surrounds the gauge cluster and houses the switchgear...correct?

That bezel is made of ABS, so any solvent based adhesive (like Weldon #16) will work, as will "welding" it with a soldering iron.

Mine was broken in the same way and I made up some new tabs from scrap plastic, screwed it in to the dash and a few weeks later the dash mounts cracked.
It's almost a losing battle...the main dash structure plastic is just falling apart due to age and I'm not sure what you can do to stop it..

Yeah, that's the part I'm referring to. Hmm. That's unfortunate. So no long term fixes, ey?

the car purrs so nice when I don't hear that rattle. What frustrates me the most is that I can't exactly pin point where the actual rattle is happening from. If I knew, I would attach the specific area but hard to tell and I can only hear it when driving so I can't stick my head down there. Haha. Well, thanks for the info. I'll report back if I find a long term solution.

Well, you could start by removing the bezel altogether and confirming that it is/is not the source of your noise.

When I did my chassis swap I removed the dash entirely and I'm convinced it was the first time ever...the entire plastic structure was riddled with cracks and broken pieces.
The plastic was just disintegrating.
Had the outer skin been cracked, I'd have expected damage but it wasn't (and still isn't) so the extent of the "rot" was surprising.
A few years later, as we grafted the Miata dash into the Z, I observed that Mazda had used a nylon based (?) plastic instead of ABS and it was still in perfect condition.

BTW...if acetone melts your plastic it's ABS and you can use a solvent cement. Acetone will not touch nylon and you'll need a purely mechanical fastening system.
Much of the FC dash looks to be designed to fail...case in point being the cantilevered sockets the defrost garnish pops into. Those metal snaps are tough and the plastic is very flimsy.

The dash on my 91 has so many broken/cracked pieces in the dash, that it annoys the hell out of me. A custom aluminum dash is in order...

Yeah, I'll try removing that and seeing if I can narrow down the noise; Good idea. Are the turn signal and other components held on by that same piece? I wonder if one of those pieces are broken too. The rattle stops when I put pressure around the 10 o clock position ( at or around the pop up headlights section). I'l dive into it some more tonight.

You'll find thin, narrow strips of felt where some interior parts touch. Use adhesive backed felt in between some rattle locations. I think it's available at art supply or craft places. Maybe aliexpress or ebay or mcmaster-carr if no local places.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=adhes...hrome&ie=UTF-8

i have a black S5 dash i kept inside the shop, away from sun and lots of heat, the tabs broke off it just moving it and it was in perfect condition 10 years ago. it even developed the frog warts on the hood, it was severely disappointing considering i tried to take care of it.

so much for a clean black interior conversion...

EXACTLY my point. These parts were fragile back then, add 15-20 years to them, and they break just by looking at them. Any option that has to do with the factory plastic is a short term band aid, IMO/experience)

I'm starting to see the truth in that. I was out there last night on the car looking for the source of the rattle and I quickly came to realize it's not so much the sound of parts vibrating together, but the sound of the piece flexing. I'm confident I won't be able to solve the rattle in any long term fashion now. It is what it is.

I'll try to not look at it so much so it doesn' fall apart from just looking at it. Haha.

thanks, guys.

Another update! FOUND MY RATTLE SOURCE!

K so I was 100% sure it was coming from the plastic that goes around my gauges. I came to this conclusion when I would put a LOT of pressure on the dash, pushing toward the front of the car, the noise would quiet down. But I had to push pretty hard for it to go completely quiet.

One of my buddies (Acesanugal) suggested it may be one of the vents on the top of the dash, I knew it wasn't the small triangular ones on the sides because I removed those and the rattle is still there. He told me he suspected it may be the long narrow one closest to the windshield. Tonight while driving, I decided to check that out by putting my finger on it... 100% silent the second I put my finger on it. I pulled over at a gas station to see if it's loose or what not... it wasn't even the vent part, it was the Vin plate. The dash has a crack through it that goes right under the vin number plate and makes the vin rattle. THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN MAKING ALL THE NOISE!

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...4a8b250648.jpgThis is what was making all the rattling in my car and making me pull my hair out!
Open for ideas on a CLEAN way to fix this? Initial thought is to put some clear tape over it but this isn't the cleanest solution. I'm so glad I found the source!

I never considered these because of the metal look, but I suppose I can paint them. Also, I thought these were no longer for sale.

thanks for the link! Good deal!

My 1990 with 116k on the chassis does something similar. Usually only on cold days when the plastic is cold around the dash parts. Otherwise for the most part it's fairly quiet. My front windshield vents are cracked and loose also, I might try a few small clear 3m strips to hold it into place and go for a drive to see if it helps.

I have been very satisfied from the aluminum dash vents I received from LRB. Great fit and well made. I painted mine easily with self etching primer and flat black paint. They are even drilled and tapped for your VIN plate.