Nathan,
I had a problem removing the top pad screws so I removed the flat dash from
under the pad, leaving the pad intact on the car. Extreeemly difficult but
doable.
I powder coated the dash a bright gloss silver grey. To my surprise, no
problems with glare. Putting the dash back in under the pad went much
easier than removal, and all the push clips for the outer trim ring were
easy to install. Without the gauges installed! The gauges went in
afterwards, starting with the center group of small gauges.
One problem I encountered was that most of the gauge lights didn't work. I
thought they all burned out. But it turned out that the gauges weren't
grounding against the inside of the dash due to the paint. So do what you
have to do to the backside of the dash before you install it, to get those
gauges grounded so the lights work.
Fred
'66 2L
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> From: nruff <nruffcorn@prodigy.net>
> To: datsun list <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
> Subject: Dash resto progress
> Date: Monday, June 19, 2000 6:25 PM
>
> Well all, its getting closer. Two weeks ago I removed the entire dash
from
> my 67. To be honest with you, at first I was a little intimidated,
thinking
> the wiring harness was more complicated than it really was. I looked at
> the dash with its big hole and split right in the middleof the dash pad,
the
> crusty gauges, the less than desirable paint and knew I would never be
happy
> if I didn't do something! (this is truly an affliction, and is probably
the
> reason rebuilding this car is taking sooo long <g>).
>
> The pad was probably the most challenging. I would love to purchased one
of
> Stans great fiberglass dash repos but even with his really reasonable
> prices, I couldn't justify it as I need to spend my budget getting the
rest
> presentable. Instead I repaired the heaved pad with fiberglass, a DA
> sander, new vinyl, and LOTS of time. It looks really good now, but my
> fingers are crossed as to how it will hold up in the sun. I painted the
> gauge rings gloss black and clearcoated the dash panel metalic silver.
The
> irony- replacing those really "dangerous" chrome bezels with black paint
and
> substituting the really flat colored dash with one of the more reflective
> colors in the spectrum--whats the motor vehicle saftey board think of
those
> apples! :-)
>
> Now to a question (would a post of mine be complete without one?-thanks
for
> all the previous replys!).
>
> Can the pad and chrome trim ring be installed on the dash panel BEFORE
> installation on the car? It's easy to see that originally the panel was
> mounted first and the pad afterward. I think it would be amazingly
> difficult to install all of the push clips for the outer chrome trim
ring
> after the dash was installed, especially with all the gauges in. I find
the
> seven screws under the front of the pad to be sufficient to take the
place
> of the one bolt in the center that attaches the dash to the body. Am I
all
> wet?! What have the rest of you done and what problems have you
> encountered? I wouldn't mind doing a test fit, but with the new paint, I
> would like to make the chances for a scuff, as minimal as possible.
>
> Thanks again!
> Nathan
>
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