Dash pad photos

[dmjlambert]

Well it was quite difficult to get this dash pad off of my 69 CST/10. My objective was to remove the dash pad without destroying it, and wrap it with new vinyl leftover from my bench seat upholstery. I believe part of my difficulty removing the pad was because information I could find about the dash pad was not clear. There are many posts that say there are a few nuts, 5 nuts, 6, 7, who knows. And there are no photos that I could find of the underside of the dash pad so I can tell what I'm dealing with, and what is the hardware used. So, here it is on the Internet for the first time. Documentation. And high resolution photo of the under side of the stock dash pad. The stock dash pad is quite substantial, it is made of a large piece of sheet metal that takes the curve around the dash edge.

Next time will not be that hard to remove.

There are 4 Phillips screws on the front, visible from just sitting in the seat in the truck and looking up under that pad. I had one that would not come out, it would just spin, although the u-nut in the dash was OK. I think the screw was missing some threads. Even pushing on the tip of the screw from the back, while turning the screw with a screwdriver would not allow it to get started on fresh threads and come out. I had to put a chisel on the screw where it joins the nut, and whack it with a hammer in order to beat some sense into it. I did that by holding the chisel and hammer inside the glove box area. Then I was able to push on it from inside the dash while unscrewing it, and it came out.

I believe it would not be possible to remove the dash pad without first removing these things:
instrument cluster
headlight switch
glove box
air conditioning center vent (take this off by removing 2 nuts behind the duct, firewall side of the duct)

On the under side of the dash pad are 5 ea. #10-24 studs that poke down into the dash top, that are secured by 3/8" nuts. And at the ends of the dash pad there are 2 studs that poke into the dash front. They are secured by a different looking 3/8" nut, looks like an acorn.

After all the nuts and screws were out, the pad was somewhat loose and moving around, but I needed to use a small pry bar to gently pry the middle of the pad up in the area of the speaker, because the stud threads scraping in the dash top hole were giving me resistance. The back of the dash pad (part near the windshield) lifts up first to clear the studs out of the dash top holes, then I pulled the pad straight toward me.

Pictures:

[dmjlambert]

High resolution:

[Andy4639]

The search button pulled up several links on this. I have pulled several pads off trucks and replaced them. The pads have several nuts and screws to remove. You also will do yourself a favor by removing the glove box and cluster the radio isn't a hve to but makes it easier also.

Nice write up though. Sorry it was a pain. If I had seen your post I would have helped you out.

[dmjlambert]

Thanks. Search button pulls up numerous pictures and threads with general descriptions, but nothing that helped me. There just was not enough detail and pictures. I also googled the Internet in general and looked and looked for pictures.

The job was not impossible, just harder than it should have been and much more time consuming than it should have been, because there was no definitive information or good photos of exactly what holds that dash pad down.

I took care of that.

[Stocker]

When I replaced my dash pad, I just winged it. I don't recall looking at any threads or pics. I do remember removing the dash gauge cluster, glove box, radio & speaker, and all the HVAC ducting and vents. Maybe the HL switch too but I can't remember. Pretty much everything but the cluster was being replaced with new stuff anyway.....

[HO455]

Having done it both ways. Removing all the components listed makes it easier. But it can be done with the glove box being the only component being removed. It depends on the size of your hands and arms. Sometimes being a stickman is a good thing.

[71gmcC15]

I've done it once before. It realty is not hard of you just remove all the things. Although I never had to remove the headlight swich.

[697498chevy]

Thank you for taking the time to post this info . It's something I've wondered about . Maybe now I'll tackle replacing my 1969 C 10 dash . Thanks , again .

[Astro-Balls]

Took my Dash Pad out Saturday to recover the pad and paint the upper dash.
Started to remove the old cracking vinyl, if you are very careful you can remove the old vinyl and save the original foam. If some of the foam tears out don't worry, it can be filled before recovering.

In the next few days I will post pics of the dash recovered.

[dmjlambert]

Originally Posted by Astro-Balls

Took my Dash Pad out Saturday to recover the pad and paint the upper dash.
Started to remove the old cracking vinyl, if you are very careful you can remove the old vinyl and save the original foam. If some of the foam tears out don't worry, it can be filled before recovering.

In the next few days I will post pics of the dash recovered.

If you can post pictures of filling areas of foam, cutting and forming the new cover and gluing or otherwise attaching the cover to the foam, that would be great.

[Astro-Balls]

After the old vinyl has been removed, use Gorilla glue to fill any voids in the old foam. This will need to sit over night to foam up. don't do the top and bottom of the dash at the same time, this stuff is a little runny so you dont want to get it on anything.




After it sits overnight, it will look like this.

[Astro-Balls]

Sand down the expanded foam, we use a pneumatic belt sander.







Where the screws go through the bottom of the dash, make a thumb sized indent in the foam so the vinyl will push in when the screw is tightened.


Glue the backside of the vinyl and the backside only of the dash, don't get ay glue on the foam.

[Astro-Balls]

Let the contact cement set up and start by pulling the vinyl side to side to wrap the dash.





Studs should stick through the vinyl.




Finished Dash.....

[dmjlambert]

If the vinyl cover is in pretty good shape except for a couple of cracks, is it best to leave it on and fill the cracks with the foaming gorilla glue, or peel the whole cover off anyway?

[Astro-Balls]

You could leave the old vinyl on, but you would need to trim the old vinyl away from the backside of the metal dash so the glue will stick, at that time you will likely find you will have to remove all of the old vinyl.

[dmjlambert]

What are we looking at here?

1 seems to be some sort of indentation on the pad top
2 is that some sort of masking tape? Does it stay on when you put the vinyl on?

[Astro-Balls]

1. is the indent at the bottom of the dash that the screws go through.

2. is a layer of masking tape that I use to cover the edge of the metal so its not too sharp and cut the vinyl.
The edge of the metal dash is very sharp.

[dmjlambert]

Beautiful work. Thanks for documenting how this is done.

[Boog]

I've got a green dash pad from my 69 in good shape except a low spot in it. It got wedged between some things in storage. It is permanently mashed down there. Wonder how it work out to fill in that low spot with silicone over the original vinyl then wrap the pad with new vinyl? I'll want it black anyway.
And did you have to use a heat gun to pull the wrinkles out around the ends of the dash pad?

[lolife99]

Great thread. Thanks to all involved

[Astro-Balls]

If you do the work on a warm day, you wont need a heat gun. At least if you use the proper vinyl.
PM me for the type of vinyl you should use.

[dagnabbitt]

Thank you to both of you for this thread, I am going to tackle mine this weekend.

Question, though, I have been trying to get a good look at the ends of the finished pad: when applying the new vinyl, there appears to be no stitching on the ends... it is just wrapped around and glued down?

[Astro-Balls]

Correct, no stitching, just stretched and glued.

[KevinK7]

Thank you for posting this...
Is that dash you redid the FAWN color?
If so (our trucks have that in common too , where did you purchase the material? SMS? and what size piece did you purchase/need?

My original dash has some cracks, but otherwise not too bad. Based on your write up, I think I could tackle this.

Thanks again for posting the details...

Kevin

[Astro-Balls]

I have an Auto Upholstery shop so I have a lot of material on hand.
I used a vinyl called soft touch, the Fawn color is almost exact to the original vinyl. Used it on my seats too. Steering wheel is leather.
The dash will take a piece of vinyl about 12" x 60"