81-87 dash in 73-78 C10?

[meanbite]

I have to replace my dash and cluster and want to consider using the flat front surface of the 81 to 87 dash pad to mount a double din unit in place of the ac vent closest to the driver. Can the bezel and pad from the 81-87 years be used in the 33-78 trucks?

[frog210]

it can but its gonna be some work to do, plus your gonna have the hole for the vin on top
i didnt know the 81-87 dashes were flatter in the fronter

[meanbite]

Yea it's got a lot more surface area. the earlier years slop doen to the flat area. I'm trying to decide if I's easire to use a later dash or modify the proper dash.

[frog210]

you can but your gonna have to cut the bezel some for the location of the light switch, plus the wiper switch is located on the steering column on 81-87
so its gonna take some modification, i think i saw some guy cut the dash metal frame off a 83, and put it a 76 i think

[meanbite]

if that's the case it definitely sounds like it would be easier to just modify the pad off of the correct year truck. Thanks!

[motornut]

you can use the early bezel with the later pad no issues
space seems the same @AC hole

[motornut]

my 78 with 89 bits
either way you might need to trim

[meanbite]

Thanks man! Can you check when you have a minute the height of the flat front area of the 89 pad? It also looks like the 81-83 besels also have the same layout as the 78 including the wiper controls. Maybe I could use a 81-83 bezel and pad for a perfect fit with no trimming needed?

[motornut]

Ok
Yes 89 pad 78 bezel fits right
Other way leaves funny gap
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[RD71]

Originally Posted by motornut

my 78 with 89 bits
either way you might need to trim

Is that a shotgun in the last photo?


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Posted via Mobile Device

[motornut]

Originally Posted by RD71

Is that a shotgun in the last photo?


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Yup
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[motornut]

guess i could have been back a bit more lol don't see the change

[motornut]

even better these ones are out
88/78

[cmyc5575]

Originally Posted by frog210

you can but your gonna have to cut the bezel some for the location of the light switch, plus the wiper switch is located on the steering column on 81-87
so its gonna take some modification, i think i saw some guy cut the dash metal frame off a 83, and put it a 76 i think

are you sure about the wiper switch are all located on the steering column in the 81-87? my 82 has a wiper switch that is located above the light knob.

[frog210]

I was just implying that I didn't know what year but I know between the year 81-87 the wiper switxh moved,
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[cmyc5575]

Originally Posted by frog210

I was just implying that I didn't know what year but I know between the year 81-87 the wiper switxh moved,
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Oh ok lol. You started to make me wonder if i had some pre 81 parts in my 82 lwb.

[meanbite]

I think 82 was the last year the switch is in the old location. Thanks for the pics. That helps a lot. It definitely looks like the newer dash would require less work to use a double din head unit.

[wilkin250r]

I was just at the junkyard this weekend swapping dash pads and bezels between an 84 and a 78, to see if everything fit.

The dashpad fits and all the vents line up, but the later-style dashpad had one different clip location on the driver's side. You could either cut a hole in the underlying sheetmetal, or just pull that particular clip out of the dashpad. The 81-87 dashpad also had a screw on the far right (passenger) side.

As for the gauge bezel, the 81-87 stands out further. I think you could make the early-style work with the late-style dashpad, but you can't make the late-style bezel work with the early-style dashpad, it will leave a big ugly gap between the bezel and dashpad.