How do you remove the vinyl dash cap on 73s?

[WH23G3G]

I want to remove the vinyl dash cap part of my dash on a 73. I see there's bolts near the bottom of the windshield, but I've removed every other bolt that I can find. Do you have to remove the windshield to get the dash cap off? Does the dash cap come off of the metal frame part? I want to remove the metal frame part and get it blasted, and them dye the cap, there's no cracks in it.

[Charger1973]

You can get those bolts near the top it just takes a little creativity with your tools.  No need to remove the windshield.  The dash pad will come off the metal frame, but its much easier after the frame is out of the car, then its just a matter of removing the nuts on the back side. 

[NHCharger]

Charger1973 is correct. No need to remove the windshield. I just removed the dash pad from a 72 that I'm parting out. Lots of screws to remove, I missed the ones on each end of the pad at first and it took me a few moments to find them. I actually took a couple of pics just in case anyone wanted to see where the nuts are.

[WH23G3G]

In the 73 chassis service manual under electrical it said there are ten nuts to remove. I can't quite make them all out in your photos, is that how many you came up with.

[NHCharger]

yes, there are ten. Two are on the drivers side. All the nuts are on the outer edge except for one. In the first pic it is above and to the drivers side of the opening for the vent.

[RogerDodger]

The one at each end is the most difficult. You need a nut driver with an extention. Its hard to see to get off and harder to put back on. In fact I think I may have only put 9 back on. 

[dart4forte]

Is the dash pad on the 71 Charger the same?

[RogerDodger]

Is the dash pad on the 71 Charger the same?

71 - 74 should all be the same.

[WH23G3G]

Yeah I got it off the same night I posted. Although all gauges, accessories were already removed. It took about 1hr to try and get the horn button switch ground wire screw out and I never did get it out so I had to cut the wires and leave the screw in. I don't feel it's necessary to remove the brake pedal bracket assembly even though the bars have some surface rust from being left unpainted. So I'm just going to grind the bracket bars down as good as possible and spray it with something. Is it necessary to replace all the insulation glued to the firewall behind the dash? It still looks just as good as it did when it was new, so I was wondering if it would be ok to leave it on. Now what's the proper reinstallation method. Should I put the a/c box on first and brake booster? I still have to get one of the most expensive parts, the A/C evaporator core, it's like $200. Then should I put the dash and frame back on and then the wiring harness? I've got everything labeled for what it hooks up to, so it's just plug and go. I didn't realize my dash harness already has the plugs for the standard cluster clock, which I was able to get in a deal for the whole cluster for $20. I also noticed there was a crack at the back of the dash pad, Are those molded plastic dash caps any good? I'll tell you that the Dark Parchment Interior Paint I bought at Year one sucked, it was so thin that it just ran right off the dash frame. I did a good prep job on it too. It wasn't all that bad, it just needed a few spots touched up.

[Nacho-RT74]

Is the dash pad on the 71 Charger the same?

Just difference if they have map light/seatbelt warning insert depression or not

[RogerDodger]

Yeah I got it off the same night I posted. Although all gauges, accessories were already removed. It took about 1hr to try and get the horn button switch ground wire screw out and I never did get it out so I had to cut the wires and leave the screw in. I don't feel it's necessary to remove the brake pedal bracket assembly even though the bars have some surface rust from being left unpainted. So I'm just going to grind the bracket bars down as good as possible and spray it with something. Is it necessary to replace all the insulation glued to the firewall behind the dash? It still looks just as good as it did when it was new, so I was wondering if it would be ok to leave it on. Now what's the proper reinstallation method. Should I put the a/c box on first and brake booster? I still have to get one of the most expensive parts, the A/C evaporator core, it's like $200. Then should I put the dash and frame back on and then the wiring harness? I've got everything labeled for what it hooks up to, so it's just plug and go. I didn't realize my dash harness already has the plugs for the standard cluster clock, which I was able to get in a deal for the whole cluster for $20. I also noticed there was a crack at the back of the dash pad, Are those molded plastic dash caps any good? I'll tell you that the Dark Parchment Interior Paint I bought at Year one sucked, it was so thin that it just ran right off the dash frame. I did a good prep job on it too. It wasn't all that bad, it just needed a few spots touched up.

Did you take the dash frame and everything out? If so definetely put the heater box back in first. I used one of those dash caps. It was around $70. Its not perfect but its not bad. I had a little trouble getting the center part by the speaker to sit down right. Also it left a little of the old dash showing at each end by the door. You wouldn't know it unless you were looking for it. Mines a driver so for the money I like it. 

[WH23G3G]

Who's got the best price on one of those dash cap covers? Also my dash panel was originally dark parchment. I painted the frame the best I could with that crappy Mopaint, it was so thin it just ran off. It took the whole can just to cover the bottom of the dash frame. It didn't even stick to the vinyl dash pad. The guy before me painted the dash and cap gloss black, so even if I put the new cover on, I knew a little would show, so I at least want it to be of the same color. I've only been able to find the cap covers in black, are they available in any other colors? The heater box was one of the first things I took off the car, and if I remember right, isn't supported by a brace connected to the dash frame? So I should put that in first, and the booster?

[RogerDodger]

I've seen them on ebay. I ordered mine from year one. They are all around $75. Use the discount from Year One and thats probably as good as it gets. At least you know who its coming from. I haven't seen anything but black available. I thought all dashes and consoles were black. I may be wrong. I know my 72 was that way and it came with a white interior. Thats the way my 74 will be as well.

When you say heater box I thought you were refering to the big box that houses the heater core and air conditioning. Are you talking about the ducts that go to the dash? Here is a picture of what I call the heater box.

[defiance]

No, there are some other color dashes.  Now that I think of it, though, the others I've seen were all on ebay, so they could have been dyed by the prior owner...

[WH23G3G]

Yeah that's the box I'm referring to. So I should install that before anything else? I'm still hunting for the evaporator core. It's proving to be one of the hardest parts to track down. Not impossible though. I work for Autozone and tried to order the evaporator core there and it was cancelled so, it's no longer available through them. The only other parts store that can order it is Pep Boys, but it's possibly still available online at www.partsamerica.com but it's close $200 vs. $140 at Pep Boys, and there's also a possibility that it may not come either, since it appears there's only one company that makes one. I've just got a call that someone can get the new evaporator for $135. So that's the best price I've found. The heater core I can get still for about $40. I emailed the guy at Detroit Muscle Technologies and he said he's working on an A/C Plenum box gasket kit to rebuild that A/C box. My gaskets were nonexisitent when I took it apart, so I have to wait on those too. Has anyone found a good deal from somewhere else on the evaporator core? I had my original one tested and another supposedly non-leaking one tested and they both were no good, so I want a new one.

[RogerDodger]

I would definetly put the heater box in first. It's large and I'm not sure you can get it in after the dash goes in. I had my dash frame in place and went to put the heater box in. It didn't look like it would go so I took the dash back out. I didn't put a lot of effort into trying to make it work because it was easy to yank the dash back out. Check with NAPA on the evaporator core. If not they may have a universal one that will work. I got my heater core from them for about $40.

[defiance]

I got mine from Advance (partsamerica.com) - I didn't know about the pep boys availability, or I'd have gone there.  Oh well, what's done is done

[Nacho-RT74]

you can assembly/disassembly anything with dash assembly mounted... only difference would it be how hard will be to do. Of course you need to remove glovebox liner to remove/mount easier the Heater/A-C box.

Same case to the brake booster. Is posible to do it with dash frame, but of course is easier removed.

Wiring harness... Mount the dash frame WITH harness already attached and plugged on it... THAT WILL BE A LOT EASIER... really makes a difference, specially with rallye cluster. Standart cluster is a little bit easier, but Rallye cluster is harder to plug everything mounted on car.