Anyone successfully re-attach the padding on the side of an ’85 and up firbird center console? What did you use?

 

My dad and I are about to try with mine. We're gonna try some Liquid Nails, some clamps and a board go to between the clamps and the console to keep it straght along the sides

 

U sed 3m adhesive, then I clamped the sides tight using wood clamps, Large C Clamps used to hold wood together while gluing. Held up great for several years, until I swapped to a 4th Gen console.

 

You mean as in the 3m Super 77 in a spray can or something else? Would you use it again? Seems a little thinner then what I was thinking would be a good adhesive, but strong enough.

Liquid nails goes way the other way… not sure that it’s not so thick that you can’t get the stuff to squeeze flat without being able to see the bead through the soft padding. Also, I’ve had bad luck with the stuff in automotive applications, I believe that interior heat in the summer made the stuff fall apart.

I trust that something like super 77 would be strong enough and heat tolerant enough, but again, I’m not sure it has enough body. I was thinking of trying some expanding foam (after you spray it out and it expands you can squeeze it down and it works as a pretty serious adhesive, which obviously fills gaps), or possibly something polyurethane based (humidity/water cures like the expanding foam, and does foam some when curing to fill gaps, even though most are sold as adhesives for wood working, I’ve had good luck in other somewhat similar applications, like fixing the hard plastic console in my truck).

 

Console repair----- I've used Gorilla glue with c-clamps and boards to repair my console sucessfully. Gorilla glue is liquid but expands into cracks, foam, fingers, etc. and seems to hold better than anything I've tried in the past. Repaired mine over a year ago and still perfect.

 

Gorilla glue is a polyurethane glue… that’s what I was thinking of using.

 

Gorilla glue is what I used, then I clamped it together overnight, but I didn't put anything under the clamps, so it left some ugly dents, so put boards or something under the clamp, so you don't get the dents.

 

I used a hot glue gun and some of those ratchet style nylon straps.

 

you can use a piece of cardboard or a utty knife to spread liquid nails flat and smooth. I did this on my 89 RS and it worked just fine.

 

Are you talking about the center console, and the carpet on it?

I just redid mine with the 3M 77 and it worked great. You don't even need to clamp it, just apply to both surfaces, and then let it set for a few seconds. Then put the two pieces together, and that's about it.

Liquid nails seems to thick and messy for this type of work.
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I just realized you said padding.

I think 3M has another spray glue that is more suited for that. Not sure of the number tho.

 

its all about the gorilla glue and a clamping device. Ive glued back 2 consoles and on the second one i cut away some of the foam on the inside of the part pulling away, it makes for a longer repair plus it looks a little less poofy afterwoods.

 

the '85 and up firbirds got something not nearly as cheesy as the early console and the console that the camaros got the whole time, that had padded vinyl sides/trim and a more organic shape.