I think it might be a good idea to remove the dash from my wagon, because I have some major body work, welding, grinding and sanding ahead.
what is your opinion, does it go out and back in easily? where are the bolts and do I have to disconnect each wire from the dash or does the wire loom come out in one piece ? Any help appreciated.
My opinion won't be that great, cause when I removed mine, there was stuff flying everywhere around the garage, as in, I completely gutted the car.
But, if I remember, most of the screws are at the base of the windshield, and there is a bolt one each side at the bottom right by the door opening. You will have to remove the heater of course, and take the steering column mounts off, but mine came out pretty easily.
I wasn't worried about my wiring, so I can't answer that, as I plan on redoing all the wiring anyway. Seems to me though, that most of it came out with the dash. Good luck.
I have been removing all of the dashes from the cares I do you can get a better look at wiring and painting the dash
These dash boards are remarkably simple to remove. There are two bolts on each end and the two bolts at the steering column support. A hand full of screws across the top and your done. Of course removing the other things attached are in order, removing the steering wheel helps. I physically removed it alone and put it back by myself as well although a second set of hands would have helped me. I bet it can be removed in an hour.
You have to remember how these guys were put together. The dash and all the wires and controls were assembled before going to the line. There was no chassis, no doors, nothing until it all met on the line. If you think about how simple the wiring and other controls are and how they are run in the final product it is easy to see how they put them together "in the day".
So.... all the control cables disconnected, all the wires that go through the fire wall are loose it is simply remove the screws on the top of the dash, the two bolts at the door jam and the two bolts that hold the steering column up and it is loose!
If you have tried to remove things from behind the cluster, or it, you understand it is very troublesom and it becomes immediately obvious that this was done on the bench!.
It isn't hard at all to remove the dash. I unplugged the wires and the bulbs, marked them and like the others said the bolts are simple to get at. It makes a nicer job to paint and just to go over everything. HRD
if you have the small dealer installed heater it can stay in place.
Zap- :unitedstates:
thanx alot to everybody for their input ! So I will remove it before starting the welding and grinding. try to pull it with the wire loom in one piece as per factory if possible. I need to work on the heater anyways, the cables need attention too, the speedo needs greased, the idit lights need rewiring...plenty of reasons. I removed the gauge cluster several times in my old Courier and I know how tiring and knuckle busting that is.
Günter
Do you have some thick mats or foam stuff to put on the floor while you are working under that dash? That hard floor is not going to be comfortable.
Here's some pictures of a little box heater I installed.
Here's a couple more.
Nice neat installation, Donnie. Is that little thing keeping the car warm?...does it feed both the cabin and the defrost duct?
Rich I haven't had the car out when it's cold enough to need the heat and probably never will. But the main reason is you need to be able to keep the windshield clear (defrost) for a safety in Canada, probably the same in the States! HRD
neat heater arrangement, Don.
I will keep the factory heater since I am going to use the car in fall and spring too.
thanx to all of your information I lost my fear of removing the dash and it came out pretty quick in 2-1/2 hours, though I spent more than an hour to undo all the badly patched and butchered wire loom in the engine compartment. glad I did this, it is so much easier to do all the stuff behind the dash. on the bench it's a homerun.
My Ranchero was completely dis-assembled when I got it (every single screw, clip etc, etc removed!) and replacing the dash was the job I feared most, but it went really well. I have got the body and electrical assembly manuals for the 57 range and they were invaluable for putting everything back in the right order, if you haven't got them I recommend them, they are regularly on EBay.