Upper dash pad replacement while in vehicle

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Who here has done it? Any tips?

[birdsandbees]

Just wish I could find a new one that looks OEM!   Nobody seems to have it right..

That said, I think if you pulled the cluster, heat defrost slider plate and pushed the glove box "box" out the back you could get at all the nuts. I'll stare at my dash on the bench to confirm tomorrow am.

[Ryan.C]

Who here has done it? Any tips?

X2 I am in the same boat.

[Derwud]

It is possible, but man that would tough... getting it out, easy, back in, ouch... I would start on the passenger side, glue a nut into a 1/4 inch swivel socket and get into position and tighten a little bit. get the rest started and tightened and then go back to it..

[Nacho-RT74]

thanks God 3rd gens dashes are easy to remove without deal with windshields LOL

[timmycharger]

It is possible, I would remove the front seats so you can lay on your back, probably need to remove the cluster and the radio and use some 1/4 ratchet and extensions. Agree with the below, getting the tiny nuts on without dropping them will be the worst part.

[PlainfieldCharger]

I did this on my car. Must take out glove box, radio, dash gauge cluster, and the seats so I could lay down on my back and put my head under and into the dash. I used 1/4" drive extensions with a mini led light to see. I used tape in the socket to hold the pal nut in place. Wasn't the most fun thing to do. It took me a whole Saturday.

[68 RT]

A lot depends on how big your arms are. The hardest to reach are the end nuts. On my 68 I removed glove box and radio. Then I used a palm ratchet with short and long extensions, did not remove the cluster. Use grease to stick the nuts back on the socket to reinstall. It is harder to get the nuts back on than off. Took about an hour and a half to remove and put replacement on. I did not but the end nuts back on as I could never get them started. Has been that way for over 10 years no problems. Cant remember nut size, 7/16th??

[john108]

I had my dash on a table and stripped.  It was the first thing I put back and it still was difficult!

[70sixpkrt]

I have done this. Radio, glove box, and heater controls must be removed. I unscrewed the instrument cluster but did not remove it. I just lowered it down so I can get access to the pad nuts. Pain in the ass but it is doable.

[bill440rt]

I did this on my car. Must take out glove box, radio, dash gauge cluster, and the seats so I could lay down on my back and put my head under and into the dash. I used 1/4" drive extensions with a mini led light to see. I used tape in the socket to hold the pal nut in place. Wasn't the most fun thing to do. It took me a whole Saturday.

I've done it too, several times, similar to how PC did his.
Yes, cluster, glove box, radio, ashtray, etc must come out for better access. I used a small 1/4" ratchet with several extension & socket combos. Wobble extensions also work great. I also used a small piece of tape to hold the nut in place on the socket to get them started during reinstallation. Once the nut was started, I pulled out the ratchet/socket, removed the tape, and finished tightening the nut. If you have magnetic sockets those would work too.
Yes, a little time consuming but it can be done. Be prepared for lots of skinned knuckles, have band-aids handy. 

[tan top]

yeah  all what the other guys say    

had to take mine out a couple of times , with dash in  , ( long story )
   also once you feel the socket with extension bar  on the nut  , mark the underside on the dash in the relevant  position with a sharpie , when looking up , so you can see where the nut goes roughly  when re  fitting  , also I put body calking in the socket to hold the nut in place , to stop the nut falling out the socket ,     number one tip remove the front seats , easier laying down  

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Well, I did it & thanks to those who offered the tips.   

It really wasn't all that bad of a job as I was thinking that it would be. The gauge cluster got pulled forward (but not pulled out), the radio & heater controls came out as did the glove box, and the wiper arm linkage was removed from the LH pivot. Of course all the a/c ducts had to come out beforehand, which was fairly easy. I was able to get all the dash pad nuts with just a nut driver & a deep 1/4" socket for all but the two end nuts. For those two, I switched to a standard socket. The worst one to get at was the far left nut & it would have been easier to take out the wiper pivot. While I was under there, I removed the defroster vents and cleaned 48 years of dirt out of them & cleaned the top surface of the dash frame. The ash tray was pulled just to give some additional room.

 
Last thing; does anyone know where the reverse light switch is on a 68 column shift car? My reverse lights don't seem to be operational.

[tan top]

 

[Mytur Binsdirti]

 

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Well, it appears that I am missing that switch, screws and the connector has been cut from the harness.   


Anyone got these?

[birdsandbees]

http://www.moparmall.com/MoPar-p-n-2857240-reverse-lamp-switch-for-1967-68-p/838-200_a.htm

[Mytur Binsdirti]

 

[Nacho-RT74]

1/4 of the price

https://www.ebay.com/itm/311572063388

[Nacho-RT74]

Actually 1/3

[Nacho-RT74]

And a few buck less than the previous if you count S&H

https://www.ebay.com/itm/222267735501

And more correct due the bracket

[Mytur Binsdirti]