I purchased a new upper dash pad for my 76 from Mid America and they have told me that there are no written instructions to install it. If anyone can give me instructions for removing and installing the new one it would be appreciated. I was told that I need to remove the interior molding around the windshield and that I have to bend the pad a little to get it in. Also, I was told to get the dash pad warm so it bends easier and won't crack. I'm not sure where all the screw locations are that hold down the dash. Any info will be helpful, thanks in advance.

Secondly, the color of my new dash pad is not as dark as my old pad. Is this normal or should it be exact?. My interior is buckskin.

Hey Andy,

I just did mine. Basically it goes like this:
- carefully remove the windshield molding.
- unscrew the right, left and center dash pieces.
- take out the windshield wiper switch.
Now it is ready for removal. What you do is tilt it to one side. I found it easier to push the end toward the windshield on the drivers side, and pull the end on the passenger side away from the glass. Then with very little presure push up in the middle of the pad with your hand (approx. 1-2 inches) and the end away from the glass should be free to pop out.

You put the other one back in by reversing the order. It's really not hard when you pull out the windshield molding.

Good luck!
Glenn

Glenn's got it right! I would add that if you need to do anything with the driver side dash, tach, speedo, etc. Do it while you have the top off. The speedo cable is a buggar to get to with everything closed up.

and the one before him, too

One additional piece of advice: do this outside on a warm, sunny day. Setting the new dash in the sun for fifteen or twenty minutes will make it much more pliable. Same goes for removing an old one for service work.

This, and other helpful information, will be found in my eventually-to-be-realeased best-selling book "Stupid Stuff I Learned The Hard Way." I think that chapter seventeen is the one entitiled, "Hell, Boy, only an IDIOT would pull a dash pad when it's 24 degrees out!"

Good luck.

John

sounds like a great book that will take a lot of vette owners down memory lane.

There is also a brace that attaches to the dash pad just right of center on my 70 cpe. If you have that brace and don't detach it you will never get the pad out. Don't ask me how I know. I removed mine when it was 24 degrees out and that was an expensive mistake.

Follow the directions given in the previous posts plus the above and you should be OK.

That brace is just out from the firewall. If mine was still
correct, it took a hex wrench, not a phillips screwdriver.

Before the new upper pad goes in now is the time to insulate the buttom side of the upper pad with foil backed heat- barrior,sound deadner,
foil side up,helps cut down the heat from the sun coming through the windshield heating the area behind the lower dash pads which ends up down by you feet and legs

|UPDATED|5/31/2004 8:35:23 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

I just bought a dash pad skin from Al Knoch...Of course no instructions.......I understand I pull off the old pad as described above. What over the counter adhesive works well? I realize that I can get adhesive specifically for this from say Corvette Central...but I have run out of time I need to do this, this Saturday. One week before a show...Any other tips? anyone else used just the skin???
thanks

I suggest that you go to a paint store that specializes in automotive paints and finishes, talk to the counter person, this kind of paint store should carry just about every automoive product to finish the exterior and interior, which includes adhesives