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under dash work = hard (for me)

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Old Dec 11, 2015 | 11:08 AM
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Default under dash work = hard (for me)

1969 corvette L46 with AC

I am trying to put my interior back together.. starting under the dash .. specifically on the driver's side.

Those of you who have this experience please help.

Do I put the duct in first? I assume it goes behind the column.

Or.. do I make the connections to the lower dash bezels (lights, tach,speedo, etc) first then put the duct in?

It's sort of a mess.. I attached the harness to the upper cross member to get it out of the way .. this might be a temporary attachment .. not sure..

I'm struggling with this..

Column is dropped .. still attached to the rag joint.

Here's a photo of what I am working with .. duct and lower dash panel not shown..


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Old Dec 11, 2015 | 11:16 AM
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I don't have any experience with your year model. I can tell you that I usually end up taking out the front seat and sometimes the steering wheel just to access all of the under dash items. A PIA. Good luck.
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Old Dec 11, 2015 | 11:18 AM
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Originally Posted by Street Rat
I don't have any experience with your year model. I can tell you that I usually end up taking out the front seat and sometimes the steering wheel just to access all of the under dash items. A PIA. Good luck.
thanks .. my seat is out..I'm hoping I can deal with all of this with the column lowered.
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Old Dec 11, 2015 | 12:17 PM
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FWIW: nothing goes behind the steering column. The AC ducting should run under it.

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Old Dec 11, 2015 | 12:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Easy Mike
FWIW: nothing goes behind the steering column. The AC ducting should run under it.

Thanks ....That's good news... I should have taken more photos.
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Old Dec 11, 2015 | 01:53 PM
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Originally Posted by ballen06
Thanks ...I should have taken more photos...
The AIM helps with this. Do you have the AIM?
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Old Dec 11, 2015 | 04:46 PM
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Pull the column. A few bolts on the firewall and the rag joint and it's out. Believe me, it will be much easier, with it out. And there's nothing easy about putting the dash together either. It takes patience and perseverance to do it.

Last edited by F22; Dec 11, 2015 at 05:00 PM.
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Old Dec 11, 2015 | 04:51 PM
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Originally Posted by ballen06
1969 corvette L46 with AC

I am trying to put my interior back together.. starting under the dash .. specifically on the driver's side.

Those of you who have this experience please help.

Do I put the duct in first? I assume it goes behind the column.

Or.. do I make the connections to the lower dash bezels (lights, tach,speedo, etc) first then put the duct in?

It's sort of a mess.. I attached the harness to the upper cross member to get it out of the way .. this might be a temporary attachment .. not sure..

I'm struggling with this..

Column is dropped .. still attached to the rag joint.

Here's a photo of what I am working with .. duct and lower dash panel not shown..


Working on that dash and getting it back together correctly HAS GOTTA BE THE WORST PROJECT ON A 69 W AC. I did it 3 years ago and still loose sleep thinking about it. Still never could get the console back in right. I THINK you have to get all the ductwork together 1st but I can't remember. I had my rag joint disconnected. Support your steering wheel, you don't need it iff but isn't inly 3 screws?
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Old Dec 11, 2015 | 05:06 PM
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I see I was involved with my dash for 5 months. Here are my reference photos FWIW.
Attached Images     
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Old Dec 11, 2015 | 05:12 PM
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Originally Posted by TWINRAY
I see I was involved with my dash for 5 months. Here are my reference photos FWIW.
Aaaaughh! Those photo's are brutal reminders of what a nightmare a C3 dash job can be!!! I've done it four times on mine (trying to piece together the Bubba wiring, until I was finally forced to just replace the piece of crap harness!).

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...lonoscopy.html

Originally Posted by bj1k
I would rather have a colonoscopy than work on the dash of a C3 corvette. I have had many C3's and I know that there are many things that are much harder to work on than other classic and muscle cars such as Chevelles , GTO's , Mopars , etc. , but the dashes were the most poorly designed part of the C3. On the drivers side where everything is crammed in everything has to be perfectly in position to get the dash panel back into position causing a real pain in my a** , thus I would prefer a colonoscopy for which I experienced no pain. Unfortunately I'm going to the garage right now to finish the dash which explains this rant.
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Old Dec 11, 2015 | 05:19 PM
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Originally Posted by ballen06
thanks .. my seat is out..I'm hoping I can deal with all of this with the column lowered.
t tops off will give you a lot of screaming room
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Old Dec 11, 2015 | 05:33 PM
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Hi b,
Do you have the 69 AIM to refer to?
I can't imagine working on the left side dash without it.
If you don't I send you a couple of pages from the 71 AIM.
The main difference, I believe, how the harness is routed in 69 compared to 71.
Regards,
Alan
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Old Dec 11, 2015 | 10:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Alan 71
Hi b,
Do you have the 69 AIM to refer to?
I can't imagine working on the left side dash without it.
If you don't I send you a couple of pages from the 71 AIM.
The main difference, I believe, how the harness is routed in 69 compared to 71.
Regards,
Alan
Hey Alan .. That would be helpful if you could find the time to send me the relevant pages... Actually I have the 69 AIM but one of the critical pages is not readable.

Thanks .. B ..
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Old Dec 11, 2015 | 11:40 PM
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If you are using the original wiring harness, keep in mind that the routing for 1968-early 1970 is different than late 1970-1972.

Your photo shows a very non-stock harness retainer that would locate the harness in the "later" location.

Regards,

Stan Falenski
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Old Dec 12, 2015 | 07:09 AM
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Originally Posted by ballen06
1969 corvette L46 with AC

I am trying to put my interior back together.. starting under the dash .. specifically on the driver's side.

Those of you who have this experience please help.

Do I put the duct in first? I assume it goes behind the column.

Or.. do I make the connections to the lower dash bezels (lights, tach,speedo, etc) first then put the duct in?

It's sort of a mess.. I attached the harness to the upper cross member to get it out of the way .. this might be a temporary attachment .. not sure..

I'm struggling with this..

Column is dropped .. still attached to the rag joint.

Here's a photo of what I am working with .. duct and lower dash panel not shown..


FYI
TAKE THE STEERING COLUMN OUT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's easy you are half way there .I am 6'4" 275lbs and trust me it's like trying having S**x with wife your 150 lb Bull Mastiff dog in the bed with you:cheers

Last edited by 530planeman; Dec 12, 2015 at 07:54 AM. Reason: spelling
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Old Dec 12, 2015 | 07:46 AM
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Originally Posted by 530planeman
FYI
TAKE THE STEERING COLUMN OUT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's easy you are half way there .I am 6'4" 275lbs and trust me it's like trying having S**x with your 150 lb Bull Mastiff dog in the way
Yep, that's what I told him yesterday. Much easier without that bouncing around in some kind of macabre lap dance.
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Old Dec 12, 2015 | 07:52 AM
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Originally Posted by Rowdy Rat
If you are using the original wiring harness, keep in mind that the routing for 1968-early 1970 is different than late 1970-1972.

Your photo shows a very non-stock harness retainer that would locate the harness in the "later" location.

Regards,

Stan Falenski
Thanks for your input Stan ... That clip is my doing .. just trying to get the harness up and out of the way .. may just be temporary
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Old Dec 12, 2015 | 08:12 AM
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Hi b,
I'd think the 69 pages you have are going to be more help than the 71 pages I might send you. (I was thinking perhaps you didn't have anything to refer to.)
Are you looking at both the dash wiring and a/c option pages?
Regards,
Alan

Which sheet can't you read?
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Old Dec 12, 2015 | 11:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Alan 71
Hi b,
I'd think the 69 pages you have are going to be more help than the 71 pages I might send you. (I was thinking perhaps you didn't have anything to refer to.)
Are you looking at both the dash wiring and a/c option pages?
Regards,
Alan

Which sheet can't you read?
Oh WOW!! I didn't intend for you to send me 71 pages .. are you kidding??

I can't read page 300 in my 69 AIM... UPC12/B6. ... shows the backside of the instrument panel bezels along with lights, etc.
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Old Dec 12, 2015 | 11:58 AM
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Hi b,
No!!!!
I meant pages from the 71 version of the AIM!
Yikes!
Regards,
Alan
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