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I decided to restore my dash since I was putting in Vintage Air, I bought all new repo dash pads, they look beautiful but the fit is crap!!! I can't get things to line up, I've had to file on upper dash pad where the lower pads are suppose to screw into it because not one lined up correctly, the corners on the lower dash pads will not pull all the way in under the upper pad, the center gauge cluster doesn't fit between the two lower dash pads and in my frustration I broke the f*@ken thing... I'm so damn frustrated and pissed off at spending damn near $1,000. for pads that don't even fit correctly and now will cost me even more money and frustration. The people whom make these things and charge such a significant price for them are ripoffs but know they have us over a barrel since we've got no where else to turn to. Today, right now, I feel like selling this thing I'm so disgusted... I'm so close to completing this job but then again I'm still so damn far away because of the crappy replacement parts.................. [/rant]
What a total friggin' drag! I'd be pissed too! You'd think, for the extravagant amounts they charge for these things, that at least you'd get something close or of good quality, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I'll keep my stock original dash with the few small cracks.
Too bad nobody doesn't produce a 'make over' kit for the C3's dash, like the entire thing, because the five piece 'wiggle-fit-jostle-pray' setup in there now, is a huge nightmare!
Next time, I swear, I'm just going to go full custom. I don't know what to tell you, order another one? Deal with the broken one? I'd like to go custom, when I have to eventually, down the road, deal with mine, but that's a huge PITA too!
Hey out there! If you can do laser measurements of the interior, have CAD skills and access to manufacturing, there's a pretty good size market for an all up dash and console replacement! Maybe next time, they can move the hole for the manual shifter plate up an inch, so your shifter doesn't hit it!
Thanks brother! I was just out in the garage trying to fit things as best I can, decided to go ahead and put the broken gauge bezel in, top first, but because of where it screws into the upper dash pad doesn't quite match up right I thought I had it in and was moving onto the lower broken part when the top part just fell out, scratching my nice new paint on it... I just closed the garage and walked away...
Thanks brother! I was just out in the garage trying to fit things as best I can, decided to go ahead and put the broken gauge bezel in, top first, but because of where it screws into the upper dash pad doesn't quite match up right I thought I had it in and was moving onto the lower broken part when the top part just fell out, scratching my nice new paint on it... I just closed the garage and walked away...
I'm glad you walked away. Is that the driver's side of the dash? I reinforced mine with a strap of metal, because it's such a floppy, delicate POS! Did you remove the steering column completely? I'm going to try to find a pic of my dash reinforcement.
I'm glad you walked away. Is that the driver's side of the dash? I reinforced mine with a strap of metal, because it's such a floppy, delicate POS! Did you remove the steering column completely? I'm going to try to find a pic of my dash reinforcement.
I"m trying to get the broken piece of center console (broken because of my frustration that the dash pads don't fit right causing you to have to force the center console bezel between them). Yes, the steering column is completely removed, my problem is the pieces just don't fit the way the factory pieces fit. As I said prior the corners of the lower dash pads don't go all the way under the upper pad and they seem to be too wide for the center gauge bezel to fit properly between them. Also where the upper portion of the gauge bezel screws into the upper pad that doesn't line up correctly and it just screws into a piece of raised abs, well it just catches the edge of it ... In short these are poorly made and way over priced!!!
EDIT: Oh yeah, the section vinyl between the speedo and tach isn't glued well, you can see it pulled away from the backing (if that makes sense). I'm not happy with the crap at all but it's what we are stuck (screwed) with!
Last edited by AirborneSilva; Oct 31, 2015 at 12:56 PM.
I"m trying to get the broken piece of center console (broken because of my frustration that the dash pads don't fit right causing you to have to force the center console bezel between them). Yes, the steering column is completely removed, my problem is the pieces just don't fit the way the factory pieces fit. As I said prior the corners of the lower dash pads don't go all the way under the upper pad and they seem to be too wide for the center gauge bezel to fit properly between them. Also where the upper portion of the gauge bezel screws into the upper pad that doesn't line up correctly and it just screws into a piece of raised abs, well it just catches the edge of it ... In short these are poorly made and way over priced!!!
My center console is original and it doesn't even fit that well and at the top, it actually juts out a full 1/4 inch! I did the center console first, then I did the right side and then the left. Try that and also, if your drivers side is getting floppy and ready to break (it's kind of like a dead floppy Stingray), consider using a piece of metal, across the bottom of the Speedo and the Tach. Mine was completely almost broken in two and adding that piece, made it totally rigid and far easier to handle.
Good luck! We know what it's like. The one member said, not that long ago, that he'd rather have a colonoscopy, than do the dash!
Good luck! We know what it's like. The one member said, not that long ago, that he'd rather have a colonoscopy, than do the dash!
LOL yeah I can agree on that. The dash pads are fine, nothing broken or floppy. My originals fit great, the center dash bezel used to fit a little poor up top, the corners stuck out maybe an 8th of an inch but otherwise good and it slipped right in between the two dash pads no problems. It looks as thought the two lower dash pads are about 1/2 inch wider than the originals. I may try to get the right dash pad and the center gauge bezel in before the driver side dash pad and see what I get but I may just sit on my *** in the house and watch the latest Jurassic park in 3D
This is what the dash looked like before I attempted to install the center gauge cluster. You really can't see it in the picture but the two ends of the lower dash pads stick out a good 1/4 inch where as the rest is fully under the upper dash pad like it's suppose to be and as I've said prior the left and right pads seem to be wider than the originals since getting the center gauge cluster in has caused me to break the bezel (my fault for getting frustrated over the **** fitment)...
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It actually looks like that space at the top, narrows down!
Yeah squeezing that damn thing in and up is not working out real well. I think if I had another person to assist it might go smoother but the people I have that can and will assist are busy with family and projects of their own... This should be a one man just though!
You might try leaving the right side pad out, then put the center section in and then the right side.
I agree the replacement parts are crappy, if they are going to go to all the trouble of re-making them why not do it right, the vendors need to step up and stop selling them, then the producers would have to make the quality better.
Now here's where I'm at, frustrated, pissed off and center gauge bezel in two pieces in stead of one!!!
Mine is busted too. It will go in that way, you just have to align the pieces carefully and line up the cracks with each other.. They made it super thin and narrow, right there and they're not hard to break, being made of pot metal and all. Sheesh!
Start from left to right. Install the left dash panel then the center cluster and finally the right dash panel. Get everything screwed in place and then tighten it all down after lining everything up. I broke the center cluster at the weak point on my 69 just trying to slide it back in the stock dash without removing the right side panel....
Good luck!
I decided to restore my dash since I was putting in Vintage Air, I bought all new repo dash pads, they look beautiful but the fit is crap!!! I can't get things to line up, I've had to file on upper dash pad where the lower pads are suppose to screw into it because not one lined up correctly, the corners on the lower dash pads will not pull all the way in under the upper pad, the center gauge cluster doesn't fit between the two lower dash pads and in my frustration I broke the f*@ken thing... I'm so damn frustrated and pissed off at spending damn near $1,000. for pads that don't even fit correctly and now will cost me even more money and frustration. The people whom make these things and charge such a significant price for them are ripoffs but know they have us over a barrel since we've got no where else to turn to. Today, right now, I feel like selling this thing I'm so disgusted... I'm so close to completing this job but then again I'm still so damn far away because of the crappy replacement parts.................. [/rant]
I did the same, purchased new upper and lower dash pads, A pillar and header trim and then had them shipped down the Australia.
They didn't even come close to fitting.
I ended up getting my original parts re-skinned. The company that did it repair any cracks in the surface and then vacuum form new vinyl over the parts. They couldn't do the stitching on the edges but I was cool with that.
The parts look good and being original they fit.
To get my original parts re-skinned cost about half of what the replacement parts and shipping cost.
You might try leaving the right side pad out, then put the center section in and then the right side.
That is the best way to get the dash installed properly, whether your using repro parts, or original ones.
Corvette America is one of the company's making dash pads, and they're well aware of the fit issues. They were collecting original panels from vendors, earlier this year. They were looking for good original pieces to use as samples, so they could retool and remake the sub straight for their dash pieces.
I'm not sure where they're at with the project, but I hope they're successful at eventually improving their dash panels.
Last edited by gbvette62; Oct 31, 2015 at 05:26 PM.
I had to replace my lower dash pad on the drivers side of my 68 because someone butchered the ignition hole and the replacement part was a lousy fit . Had to make modifications to some of the mounting points on the back so the gauges would fit and the overall fit was terrible but I used it because it was the only thing available but if enough people keep complaining maybe something will eventually change . When I bought my 72 it had been sitting in storage for over 20 years and had a stubborn white mold on them down in the grain and looked so dingy that I thought they would never look good again but I didn't want to use the aftermarket panels so I cleaned them up with alcohol and coated them with vinyl dressing . They look like new and I didn't have to deal with the fit problems. When they are not cracked sometimes it is worth a try to just try to save the originals.
My RANT about replacement dash pads
[/rant]
. They made it super thin and narrow, right there and they're not hard to break, being made of pot metal and all. Sheesh!
Start from left to right. Install the left dash panel then the center cluster and finally the right dash panel. Get everything screwed in place and then tighten it all down after lining everything up. I broke the center cluster at the weak point on my 69 just trying to slide it back in the stock dash without removing the right side panel....
