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| Where are the "dash removal" threads? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 31 2014, 08:20 PM (1,894 Views) | |
| JimmyStewart | Sep 2 2014, 09:47 AM Post #16 |
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Elite Member
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I can sympathize. I had removed the dash on my '93 to correct some electrical issues. That was one of the most tedious things that I have ever done. Very frustrating. |
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| banginmetro64 | Sep 2 2014, 11:11 AM Post #17 |
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its not bad at all. took me about 30-45 minutes with a couple breaks cause its hot as shit in AZ. the actual process is very easy. take your time and do not get frustrated. |
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| Bad Bent | Sep 2 2014, 03:17 PM Post #18 |
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Facetious Educated Donkey
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Thanks, we understand. Everyone is different. Some can handle removing a half dozen hidden bolts, pulling on the dash and it doesn't move. Some can't ...and take it personally.Yeah, ask me how I know.
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| dayle1960 | Sep 3 2014, 02:07 PM Post #19 |
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Fastest Hampster EVER
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Well, I worked on the A/C vents last night. All of them were broken thanks to cheap, crappy, crumbly plastic used by a tight wad GM engineer who wanted to pinch a few pennies per car. Curse you GM. On the little long slim piece which controls the louvers which move side to side, I manufactured a metal piece which replaced the broken plastic part. It works pretty well. I have one vent left to repair. I painted the dash with three coats of blue/gray spray paint and it looks splotchy. Guess I can refer to it as a camo patterned dash. My dash won't look great but it will be an improvement over what I had. Also I tried the heat gun fix and it was a no-go. The original color had somehow turned white and using the heat gun never brought the blue/gray color back to life. Nor did the heat gun make the finish shiny. I opted for a rattle can finish. I will hit it with some clear coat finish before I install it back into the car. BillcNc had a write up on playing with broken plastic and painting a dash. His dash looked great but then again he is a professional who loves playing with plastic. Heck, my metro is just a vehicle to get me to work and back. I don't need it to be a classic car with no problems. If I can get the dash back to a reasonable appearance then I will be happy. Now I have to figure out how many screws, washer, fasteners, and other little bits and pieces will be left over after I get the dash back in the car. Any bets on that number? |
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| Cobrajet25 | Sep 4 2014, 07:31 AM Post #20 |
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Why not just find a '98-up car and swap that dash into yours? It's the same dash, minus the cancer. Edited by Cobrajet25, Sep 4 2014, 07:31 AM.
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| dayle1960 | Sep 4 2014, 07:52 PM Post #21 |
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Fastest Hampster EVER
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Because that costs money. I am cheap. I drive a metro. I refuse to make my life easier when I can tinker and figure out how to do something new and exciting. Plus, my experience with tearing out my dash and throwing it back in might be beneficial to another member in the future. I've learned that pulling the bazooka tube is the easiest way of removing the dash. Just unclip all of the connectors and leave the loom attached to the bazooka tube. Plus it is a way for me to get my kid involved in helping me. Lots of beneficial results with me doing all of the leg work and not taking the easy way out. I also know that painting the dash with rattle can spray paint sucks. Ain't no way that you can get a factory finish with that paint. Oh well, the costs of being frugal. |
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| Cobrajet25 | Sep 5 2014, 04:01 AM Post #22 |
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If you really believe that pulling the bazooka tube is the easiest way to pull a dash, come to Washington, give me 45 minutes of your time, and I will prove you wrong. The time it took to get my dash out, which is what I pictured, was less than an hour. All told, it took less than three hours to do the job, and that was taking my time.Not trying to twist the knife, but if all you needed to remove was the plastic cover you took out WAAAAAY more than you needed to. If I ever need to do it again I will do a full write-up. All the wiring, save what is actually connected to components on the dash, can be left in situ, as can the bazooka bar and steering column. I actually discovered this when I bought the replacement dash. Somebody had torn the dash out with the bazooka bar and had just kinda left it hanging there by the wiring. I assume they were going for the heater core? I bought the dash with the bar, then took it home and separated the two on my bench. Seeing everything from the back, I knew exactly what needed to come out of my car. So I kinda cheated! I thought about just refinishing my dash, but a replacement dash was only $35 and I knew I wouldn't be satisfied with the results had I tried giving it "The Krylon Touch". No point in busting my ass pulling out an ugly dash only to put a slightly less ugly dash back in. As much time as I spend in the car and with all the work I thought it was going to be removing the old one, I wanted from-the-factory results when I put it all back together. Glad to hear you got it sorted out, and to each his own...
Edited by Cobrajet25, Sep 5 2014, 04:58 AM.
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| High MX | Sep 5 2014, 08:20 AM Post #23 |
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I have a new dash pad ready to go to put in my Geo and I plan to make a "How-to remove and replace the dash 95+." Removing the dash with the tube requires a couple more bolts and a few connectors to disconnect. It took me 45 mins at the PnP to take the donor dash out and I took my time to make sure I didn't break anything. I hope to have something to post by this weekend. |
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| dayle1960 | Sep 5 2014, 07:59 PM Post #24 |
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Fastest Hampster EVER
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Seems that a few folks have pulled their dash in about 45 minutes. One question that I have and made my experience time consuming is this..........Behind the passenger air bag is a metal strut which is screwed to the dash and welded to the bazooka tube. How did you get that screw out of the dash since the head is facing towards the engine bay? |
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| marxtoys | Sep 6 2014, 12:29 AM Post #25 |
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stuck in a dent
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That screw will be looking you right in the eye once the dash assembly is on the bench and the defroster tube is unscrewed from the dash cover. Note the use of 'unscrewed' as to distinguish from pried sawed chiseled busted off or otherwise hacked. |
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| Cobrajet25 | Sep 6 2014, 12:41 AM Post #26 |
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IIRC, I got it out with a stubby. But I had one of these handy just in case...
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| econoboxer | Sep 6 2014, 09:17 AM Post #27 |
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I am the one on the left.
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It was a |
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| econoboxer | Sep 6 2014, 09:25 AM Post #28 |
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I am the one on the left.
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It was a pita. Dayle, when you paint plastic, its 99% prep work. If you have a base coat and its splotchy, but sticking, i guess thats a good start. I literally just did this project on my vert. I cleaned the dash no less than 5x. Then did an alcohol rubdown until no more color transfer. Then I sealed it with rubberized dash refinisher. Only then did I paint it using a rubberized vinyl paint. My better half points out that if it is splotchy now, it is likely due to poor adhesion. It will likely blister and peel up in the sun. He says if you aren't happy wih it now, you really aren't going to be happy in a few weeks. He thinks you'd be better off stripping what you've done- spend more time in prep- then repainting. You can find the paint in SEM at $16.00 a can, or go the cheaper route- and oreilly's or pep boys carries duplicolor for vinyl and fabric at $8.00- will take a can, possibly two. You will want to rustoleum a clear matte finish over the duplicolor to prevent color transfer from contact rubbing,according to some online reviewers of that product. Good luck, but since you've already taken the plunge- and you are going to see it every day you drive it, you might as well do it to the best of your ability, especially if little dayle is helping. Btw, where's your pictres??? Feeling your pain, and we used a different kind of screwdriver for the rear facing screws. Edited by econoboxer, Sep 6 2014, 10:09 AM.
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| marxtoys | Sep 6 2014, 09:42 AM Post #29 |
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stuck in a dent
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After stripping off the extra junk (everything but the non-broken vents) my DASH PAD(car, small) was $16 at pick 'n' pull. My apologies to the kind folks at SEM - didn't need their goodies for this one. |
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| Metromightymouse | Sep 7 2014, 12:24 PM Post #30 |
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Powdercoat Wizard
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I used Duplicolor for my interior and it has held up well. Lots of prep and careful masking and I painted it in place. Other than some chipping it has looked really good and I did not have any issues with color transfer. Also one of the colors is a good match for the interior grey on our cars. |
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...and take it personally.

The time it took to get my dash out, which is what I pictured, was less than an hour. All told, it took less than three hours to do the job, and that was taking my time.
9:25 AM Jul 11