ok, even on my first time ever doing it back in the Winter and Spring I could manage to take a non-running car, pull the motor, clean up the motor, fame, suspension, drop the motor back in, and get the car running but anytime I have to work on the interior of the '78 it causes me untold trouble and frustration.

I had to pull the radio out to fix a minor mistake I made previously when I installed it a few months ago (replaced a POS aftermarkt unit with a correct stock radio).
Just loosen up and moving the shifter plate and center bezel is a PITA. Than getting it back together was an even bigger PITA, it just didn't want to go back the way it was suppose to. I finally got it back together after fighting with it for untold hours and I'm still going to have to redo it all over again because now for some unknown reason the shifter plate and the center bezel are not lining up correctly - they are offset from each other by about 1/8" or so.

Worst, i just started the car to double check operation of everything now that it was back together and even though I checked it as I went along I only checked things by turning the key to ACC. This time I checked everything by actually starting the car.
The headlights went up by themselves and wouldn't drop back down and I could hear the lovely hissing noise of escaping air.
Yep, with all the fooling around with the center bezel and a bit of play that was in the ceter air duct that goes down to the ductwork under the dash the vacuum line(s) must have pulled out from the pull-down vacuum switch under the dash so now I get to start digging under the dash in the morning to fix that. I had to fool around with that previously when I was under there months ago removing the POS aftermarket alarm the car had and it's tight working under there so I'm not looking forward to it.

I really don't have any luck whenever I touch anything on the interior and nothing ever seems to go back together again correctly!

i HATE on the interior!!

sorry, I had to vent

 

i know how that is, everytime i mess with anything inside my car i break it or make it worse.

but anything to do with engine and body work im great at.

 

Inside the doors, or under the dash are the worst places to work. I'd rather pull engines and rebuild suspensions anyday.

 

Some of my fondest memories are laying on my back working up under the dash.....NOT

I feel your pain Barry.

Now I try to not touch anything and just drive.

 

Stuff just doesn't look right when my feet are higher than my head. Which is how I usually end up when working on interior parts.

 

I can't get energized enough again to work on my radio after installing insulation under the carpet and redoing the heater/ac box under the dash Winter before last. Working on the console, radio, and shift plate is a nightmare. I've had to replace screws with new ones, drill holes, and contend with stripped screw holes everywhere. One tip, use an ice pick to align screw holes before installing the screw.

 

I,m with ya Barry. I did a complete frame off and had a blast with it until I got to the interior. No replacement parts fit without some modifications. I thought I would never finish. I need to go back and install a hydroboost as I have very poor brakes at idle but I can't stand the thought of working under that dash again. Maybe this winter.

 

It's OK to vent Barry I know what you mean about the tight spaces and alll the previous BUBBA work that has to be redone but when it is finished you will love it (TRUST ME ). I have a post about my interior finally finished and although it was a PITA and very time consuming,and to top it all off I am a perfectionist it was worth the effort and I love it. So just hang in there and it will be just fine.

Scott

 

So I'm 5'11" 250lbs, nothing better than upside down on the drivers side. My old lady came out when I was changing the brake switch, one leg on top of door, the other I don't know where, she was laughing. How about changing out the tach and speedo cables,yep FUBAR. They must have secretly used smurfs to build them, god knows the engineers would never have to fix anything.

 

well, at least I know it's not just me than, sounds like everyone hates working on the interior.

i'll work on the vacuum hose issue today because my wife wants to drive the car tomorrow to a show while I drive the '65 but the mis-alignment of the shifterplate/center bezel will just have to wait as I am NOT about to take all of that all apart again this week or even this month to try to find out why it won't line up correctly