HELP!!!!! 71 Dart swinger dash removal

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chuckwagon2004

71 dartswinger
Joined
Feb 9, 2008
Messages
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Location
Palestine Texas
Guys,
I'm trying to get all the bells and whistles off of my dash without getting aggravated and ripping stuff out. What is the easy way to go about this. I have the car pretty much stripped and the windshield is out. Will it be easier to take the dash out of the car with all the junk still attached to it? The woodgrain around the radio/heat control is really giving me fits.

PS- Sorry its been awhile since i have logged on.
 
The plastic woodgrain panel has plastic studs on the back that go through holes in the dash then cadium plated cut nuts on those. 3/8 socket I think. Sometimes the plastic stud is stripped so the nut doesn't travel when turned. Get the ones that will come off them pull on the bezel while turning the stuborn ones.
I could type out the proceedure of how I remove an instrument panel but it wouldn't be how the service manual states. Maybe someone can scan those pages of a manual for you. To buy a manual is the very best plan . Good luck
 
Yeah, those 2 studs are to the left and right of the control section.......you gotta reach up in there after removing the ashtray and radio.......ALSO, some of those center sections have speed nuts on plastic studs nearly all the way around it.......take your time and keep your sanity.
 
Thanks Redfish I got a little ticked off when I was trying to get the woodgrain. Be a few days before I can get to it again... Has anyone had good luck removing the dash with all the accessories still installed and stripping it after getting it on some saw horses?
 
chuckwagon2004 said:
... Has anyone had good luck removing the dash with all the accessories still installed and stripping it after getting it on some saw horses?
Click to expand...

Did that to a 65 Dart GT I parted out. Because the whole dash is kind of heavy and awkward to handle, get some help to at least get it out of the car. Made getting at everything so much easier. I will do the same thing to my wagon when the time comes. I will be installing the completed custom dash (with help) back in the same way.
 
Thanks 65... I believe thats how its going to come out. If I run into any hickups Ill be sure to post them on here. Now all I have to do is get back home and go to work on the car.
 
I've removed the entire "dressed" dash several times from Darts. No problems, but, just take your time and unhook the wires from the bulkhead first as well as the heater cables from the heater box. Drop the steering column down, or remove it too. Remove all but one top bolt, then loosen the two on either side, then the last top to rotate the dash down and lift it up and out. The whole assembly is sort of flexible when it's out so be careful not to break any plastic. As stated, a friend comes in handy. The dash is surprisingly simple to work on once out. Good luck.
 
I took the entire dash out and stripped it on the sawhorses. i did not take pics but it is a pain. make sure you lable every wire connector as you unplug it. this helps when re-installing it, I'm still trying to find connectors.
Not sure how far you have gone so Where do I start?
1-i unbolted 4 steering colum bolts at the floorboard that will let it drop. I found that if the wheel is sitting on the seat you should have enough room
2 Un-bolt the e-brake handle from the dash 7/16 nut on the back side or slide the pin from above the handle. let it go down to the floor
3- loosen the bolts on the lower side where the kick panels would be. just loosen them as the dash will pivot down on them
4- un-bolt the 5 bolts along the front of the dash. 3/8 i believe. swivle the dash down.
5- now the hard part- LABLE ALL WIRES. (Let me say, I wish I were by myself in this part. One I would not have been drinking and two I would not have been in a hurry.) take plenty of pics. DO NOT unplug everything you see. Not all the connectors go to the dash. I would start on one side and work to the other. there are clips along the bottom of the dash that hold the wires, pull all the wires from there so that you can tell which go to the dash and which just are there and for under the dash. Once you feel that all the wires are labled, check again.
6- woodgrain around radio\heat controls. there are 2 nuts that need to come off to pull the controls off the dash. You will see which they are. Don't worry about taking off the woodgrain yet. Once you have it on the bench\ horses or wherever you can take that off.

WOW, if you need more help just PM me. I am still trying to get my map light and glove box light working. But I just completed the install. so fresh in my mind.
Now have a buddy help you pull the dash out of the car.
 
Damn GT340. Maybe I should have asked the question before I got started. I would have just unplugged from the bulkhead.
 
Man o Man this site is the best... Thanks again guys!!!! I need to start a resto page for the dart and post a few pics. Car is totally stripped right now. When I get to the house I will post some and start taking more pics.
 
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