Removing the dash pad

I'm getting ready to remove the dash pad to refinish it. I know that I have to remove the windshield to get at some screws up front. My question is, are there any other screws that I have to remove, or will it all become obvious once I get the glass off.



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Bill Krause
'79 911SC Euro

yes there are more....under the dash I think there are 6?? studs that come thru from the dash you can access them tho from underneath and by removing some of the guages. when you go to re-install make sure you have new pastic inserts too that help locate the dash pad too
the hardest part is removing/re-installing the window as it is tight in the lower front area around the dash to get the seal pulling "rope" to pull the lip over, but you will be able to "feel" if it seals correctly, it took me a good morning to do mine but the results were great as nothing detracts from the interior like a badly cracked dash!! Good luck....Bob

I recently removed mine with the windshield AND all the heating equipment romoved and it was still a pain. I have a 79 and could feel the studs along the front of the dash. I think there are ones in the corner by the pillars and one on each side of the center vent. When it wouldn't come loose I found the two above the gauge panel, set back a few inches from the front edge. Only after I got frustrated and yanked it out did I realize it has white plastic clips, similar to those on the door panels, that run along the centerline. Even had I not broken them, it is probably a good idea, as mentioned above, to replace them.

Rich

Thanks for the help. Are the plastic clips exactly the same as the door clips, or do I have to order special ones for the dash?
I'll look for all the bolt locations before I start pulling the windshield. I'm going to have a shop replace and reinstall the windshield, but I think getting it out shouldn't be too hard.

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Bill Krause
'79 911SC Euro

I finally got the dash out, but I botched it pretty bad. I found and removed all of the mounting hardware, and started to lift up the dash, thinking that the plastic dash clips would come out easily. I was wrong. They broke and the dash cracked in about three places. I think the clips can be compressed from under the dash before attempting to lift. So if I ever attempt this again, I'll know how to do a better job of it. If anybody is attempting to remove a dash without cracking it, contact me for more details (I'll tell you how not to do it).



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Bill Krause
'79 911SC Euro

Hope this helps the pain. You can repair cracks in the dash easily. The body shop industry has a multitude of 2 part epoxies for repairing different kinds of plastic bumpers and fiberglass. About $25 per unit (enough to fix 50 or 100 cracks). I used the one we happen to have open in the shop. Bevel cut away from the crack and rough sand 1/4 to 1/2 inch out from edges. Fill with epoxy(very sticky, very messy). Filler should be dome shaped and completely cover crack and sanded area. Sand when dry - not long. Sand again - finer grit, sand again even finer grit. Very smooth and very level. If you screw it up just sand some more and try again. Take to auto upholstery place for paint or recover with your choice of vinyl or leather. My upholstery guy charged me $35 for painting, but I send him lots of business so I don't know the market price.

Two of my studs above the guages were loose and separated from the dash. I used the same epoxy to reinstall them.

There is a special gun (similar to a caulking gun) for these cartridges. It costs $50, is very sturdy, and designed specifically for these cartridges and heavy use. Don't buy a gun for one use.
Wear gloves and a mask, have lots of rags, make sure to get equal amounts of both tubes of the cartridge. Have several other household projects that need big time holding power. Use up the entire tube,or mix all the stuff together when done, so as not to leave nasty liquids around.
David

Hope this helps the pain. You can repair cracks in the dash easily. The body shop industry has a multitude of 2 part epoxies for repairing different kinds of plastic bumpers and fiberglass. About $25 per unit (enough to fix 50 or 100 cracks). I used the one we happen to have open in the shop. Bevel cut away from the crack and rough sand 1/4 to 1/2 inch out from edges. Fill with epoxy(very sticky, very messy). Filler should be dome shaped and completely cover crack and sanded area. Sand when dry - not long. Sand again - finer grit, sand again even finer grit. Very smooth and very level. If you screw it up just sand some more and try again. Take to auto upholstery place for paint or recover with your choice of vinyl or leather. My upholstery guy charged me $35 for painting, but I send him lots of business so I don't know the market price.

Two of my studs above the guages were loose and separated from the dash. I used the same epoxy to reinstall them.

There is a special gun (similar to a caulking gun) for these cartridges. It costs $50, is very sturdy, and designed specifically for these cartridges and heavy use. Don't buy a gun for one use.
Wear gloves and a mask, have lots of rags, make sure to get equal amounts of both tubes of the cartridge. Have several other household projects that need big time holding power. Use up the entire tube,or mix all the stuff together when done, so as not to leave nasty liquids around.
David

Glad I'm not the only one that has had trouble with this. The cracks in my dash were all slight hairline cracks, and I was able to glue them back together quite easily. I'm going to paint it myself (It's the last piece of the interior to get the conversion to black). If the cracks are too visible after painting it, then maybe I'll look for somebody to recover it. I'll post some before and after pictures when I get it done.


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Bill Krause
'79 911SC Euro