New soft touch dash install spider
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 10:29 pm
I got a soft touch dash to replace the warped cracked stock one. If you think its plug and play guess again. Spent almost the whole day for fitment issues and getting it right and still need to work on the glove box hinges so lid fits straight and center. Plan on modifying the defroster duct and get your file out for some itchy dash adjustment to the glove box and gauge section. I think they get too much money for these things that require this much work to fit. Where to I send my labor bill to?
Well to start it looks great. There is a sean mold on the pad below glove box but not an BIG issues. The gauge cluster is too tight and some filling with a big rasp file to open up the edges was requires but not alot. The glove box on the other hand has to have about 1/8 to 1/4 inch filled away on the inside section for glove box to even start to fit in. The metal plates for the glove box latch are not there so you will have to remove the rivets off the old dash and watch your drill go thru the top of it. I guess grinding or chisel is better of you want to keep the old dash hole free for some reason, I wasnt concerned about it. There are two holes in the rubber that match the top plate but none for the larger lower plate with 4 rivets. not wanting to poke a hole or more into the new dash top I elected to use some rivets and attach the lock plate only. Make sure you have shorter rivets and the proper diameter.
Once that was done I had to salvage brackets off old dash for lower end mounts. At least they used the correct size studs. Had to adjust one side stud more center but other stud was not molded in right and centering it would only make it further away from bracket hole so I notched the bracket. Glove box hinges now have studs in them not screws as factory so you will need to source 4 small nuts. Not a problem as I used the ones off the mount brackets from another old dash. You will also want to fist mount your glove box as it will no longer go in with the hinges on first, they dont move out of the way enough. Fitting the glove box door on reveals it sits too high so I will have to see about shimming the hinges down and see if that works.
Fitting in the car you will probably find the defroster duct is keeping the dash from sitting back nicely. Original dash the duct is right in the upper edge of the dash. The new dash has 1/4 inch less room there. So I cut the corners on the defroster and used a heat gun to fold the front edge back about 1/4 inch to get the clearance back.
There is no center metal plate or provisions to rivet the old plate on so your on you own. I dont have the lights in the wood so Im leaving as is and going to attache the switches directly to the center plate and then use 2 screw to secure to dash as last owner did. I painted the center trim black and because the center section was in bad shape I wrapped it in some vinyl. Looks pretty good.
In all I wouldn't expect this from a $500 dollar (with shipping) dash. For $250 I wouldnt mind the extra 6 hours it takes to make this fit right.
I will add anything further if I come across something on the install.
I hope to finish extending the wires for hazard and wiper relay that were located behind the dash to under the glove box where they should be. They thought of this on later models. Then I can FINALLY put the dash back together. Then finish some sound deadening and lower my trans as it is pressing up against the tunnel too tight. Not sure if its the new mount or what.
Well to start it looks great. There is a sean mold on the pad below glove box but not an BIG issues. The gauge cluster is too tight and some filling with a big rasp file to open up the edges was requires but not alot. The glove box on the other hand has to have about 1/8 to 1/4 inch filled away on the inside section for glove box to even start to fit in. The metal plates for the glove box latch are not there so you will have to remove the rivets off the old dash and watch your drill go thru the top of it. I guess grinding or chisel is better of you want to keep the old dash hole free for some reason, I wasnt concerned about it. There are two holes in the rubber that match the top plate but none for the larger lower plate with 4 rivets. not wanting to poke a hole or more into the new dash top I elected to use some rivets and attach the lock plate only. Make sure you have shorter rivets and the proper diameter.
Once that was done I had to salvage brackets off old dash for lower end mounts. At least they used the correct size studs. Had to adjust one side stud more center but other stud was not molded in right and centering it would only make it further away from bracket hole so I notched the bracket. Glove box hinges now have studs in them not screws as factory so you will need to source 4 small nuts. Not a problem as I used the ones off the mount brackets from another old dash. You will also want to fist mount your glove box as it will no longer go in with the hinges on first, they dont move out of the way enough. Fitting the glove box door on reveals it sits too high so I will have to see about shimming the hinges down and see if that works.
Fitting in the car you will probably find the defroster duct is keeping the dash from sitting back nicely. Original dash the duct is right in the upper edge of the dash. The new dash has 1/4 inch less room there. So I cut the corners on the defroster and used a heat gun to fold the front edge back about 1/4 inch to get the clearance back.
There is no center metal plate or provisions to rivet the old plate on so your on you own. I dont have the lights in the wood so Im leaving as is and going to attache the switches directly to the center plate and then use 2 screw to secure to dash as last owner did. I painted the center trim black and because the center section was in bad shape I wrapped it in some vinyl. Looks pretty good.
In all I wouldn't expect this from a $500 dollar (with shipping) dash. For $250 I wouldnt mind the extra 6 hours it takes to make this fit right.
I will add anything further if I come across something on the install.
I hope to finish extending the wires for hazard and wiper relay that were located behind the dash to under the glove box where they should be. They thought of this on later models. Then I can FINALLY put the dash back together. Then finish some sound deadening and lower my trans as it is pressing up against the tunnel too tight. Not sure if its the new mount or what.
