By Jim McGowan
When is a dash pad not a dash pad?
When it's the whole dash assembly, including the
instrument cluster, found in the late Sixties/early
Seventies Pontiac A-bodies! When this huge hunk
of vinyl deteriorates, the damage can be immense.
And when removed, it's like looking at a map of
the United States and finding a big vacant hole
where Texas used to be. Wires and stuff everywhere!
From 1969 to 72 Pontiac used the dash design
described above. The Tempest, Le Mans and GTO
were fitted with a dash fascia just about as
large as some banana republics. Not only did
the top vinyl surfaces crack but the front face
also usually suffers the same fate. Over the
years I have removed several of these pads,
and while time consuming, the process is not
difficult.
After having spent serious dollars in the past
finding and redying a good original pad, only
to have it eventually crack, this time I am
having a total restoration done by Just Dashes.
This way it will take another three decades
of abuse before it needs another restoration.
If you own one of these cars and want to have
your dash pad completely restored, the removal
process is documented here. You can UPS your
original pad core to Just Dashes or buy a core
from them. After the resto is completed, in
the correct grain vinyl and interior color,
they will UPS it back, ready for installation.
Check with Just Dashes for pricing and info
particular to your car.
Removing the pad starts at the glove box. A
helpful hint is to place the screws and other
retainers in plastic zip lock bags and label
the bag with where they came from. This will
make the reinstallation a lot easier. Remove
the Phillips screws retaining the glove box
liner and then the Phillips screws securing
the door. If your car is equipped with air conditioning,
as this vehicle is, you must drop the under
dash ducting by removing three large Phillips
head screws. Detach the ducting to each side
vent and center duct and remove it all from
the car. Next remove the metal trim panel under
the steering column, again three Phillips screws.
Then remove the two 5/8-inch nuts holding up
the steering column and drop the steering wheel
down to the seat. Now we can get serious!
Above each gauge pod there is a Phillips head
screw. Using a short screwdriver remove all
three. Working through the glove box hole locate
and remove three 1/2-inch nuts securing studs
along the top underside of the pad. These are
easily found by looking under the dash. Now
reach up through the U-shaped area where the
steering column was and disconnect the speedo
cable. It is held in place with a pressure clip.
Push the clip in at the bottom and pull the
cable out from the back of the gauge cluster.
Remove two 9/16-inch bolts from each lower
corner of the pad which secure it to the car
and two more on either side of the steering
column hole. You can now pull the pad forward
enough to see behind it.
The radio is removed next. Pull off the buttons
and bezels and remove the 5/8-inch nuts from
the control shafts. Unplug the radio harness
and antenna cable from the radio and pull it
out of the dash. Leave all wiring under the
dash. Next locate and remove four 3/8-inch nuts
securing the heater controls to the rear of
the pad. I prefer to leave these controls intact
so I remove them from the pad and simply let
the assembly hang. If your car has A/C remove
one screw holding the large plastic duct to
the vent in the pad prior to removing the controls.
Reaching behind the instrument cluster, unplug
the two lights at the clock (if equipped), unplug
the primary wiring harness from the back of
the instrument cluster, d isconnect the ash
tray light (if equipped), remove the wiring
harness from the plastic retainer running along
the top of the cluster, unplug the cigar lighter
connection and in the case of this convertible,
disconnect the power top harness at the fuse
box. With all the connections free, carefully
pull the pad free of the mounting areas and
lift it from the car.
The arm rest pads on this '70 GTO convertible
had seen better days, so they will be treated
to Just Dashes vacuum forming process and restored
at the same time as the dash. Almost any vinyl
covered part you can remove from the car can
be restored by Just Dashes, including door panels,
head rests, etc.
We then followed the restoration process from
beginning to end at Just Dashes and brought
home a beautifully restored part, soft, pliable
and ready to reinstall. Obviously the installation
is just a reversal of the removal, but you should
detail all the parts before reinstalling them.
Use a toothbrush on the radio and other knobs,
dismantle the instrument cluster and polish
or replace the plastic lens, install a quartz
clock movement, etc. Hopefully you will never
have to remove your dash pad again, so take
advantage of the opportunity to clean everything
including under the dash, wiring, ducts and
whatever else needs attention.
Don't be intimidated by the photos, the wiring
is very basic with one plug in at the cluster
and a few other simple connections. Any novice
restorer can accomplish the removal in an afternoon
with normal hand tools. No cutting or drilling
is required, and everything is straight forward.
This is one of the best restoration projects
you can do to your interior and one you'll never
regret, particularly while driving your Pontiac.
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(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
While our pad was not nearly as bad as this, I
wanted to show you just how rough this full dash pad
can get. Even as destroyed as this, Just Dashes can
return a concours quality restoration.
(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
If your Pontiac is equipped with air conditioning
you must drop the large plastic dusting under the dash.
After removing the glove box and liner you can get at
the plastic ducting as well and pull them out. Many
years of dust has accumulated on these parts.
(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
After removing the lower metal trim panel
the two nuts holding up the steering column can be removed
and the column dropped on the seat. No wiring need be
disconnected from the column.
(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
There are six retainers along the top and four
bolts along the bottom to remove. After the speedo cable
is disconnected from the pressure clip at the back of
the cluster, the pad can be pulled forward. A towel
on the steering column with prevent paint damage.
(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
The dash pad can now be removed from the car and
stripped of instruments, vents, etc., before shipment
to Just Dashes. This pad has several large cracks along
the top edge and wrinkles in the vinyl at each corner.
(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
The speedo cable snaps into the back of the cluster
and MUST be disconnected prior to pulling the pad forward.
All connections have been disconnected at the back of
the cluster and the radio and heater controls have been
removed from the back of the pad. |
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(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
While it might look intimidating, it's really
very simple. There are only a few connections
to make at the rear and you can see the complete
A/C, heater controls resting on the console. Notice
the headlight switch hanging on the left.
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(Click Here to view a larger photograph)
Here is the instrument cluster from the back
side. The center vent/duct is for A/C cars only.
Arrow indicates clip at speedo which secures cable
to cluster. A printed circuit controls instrument
lamps, gauges, etc. Rectangular slot to the top
left of speedo connection is the main wiring harness
plug-in point. |
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Click Here to return to go to Pontiac
Perfection, Part Two.
Click Here to return to Pontiac
Perfection, Part Three.
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