Background: I'm involved in a resto mod of my 1970. It was a pretty worn car when I bought it. 100,000+miles. I decided to replace it's worn black interior with red. I have bought both red interior used parts and also all the interior red parts as new repro parts.

I've installed the passenger's dash panel, the central gauge bezel, and the central shift console with red repro parts. No problem. However.....when I went to install the red repro driver's dash panel...the speedo/tach panel....it appeared to be about 3/4 inch too long....it was not able to be installed! DING, DING..first thought, another nice quality restoration part that doesn't fit! Well.....I then tried to fit the original OEM black panel......it didn't fit either.....same apparent 3/4 inch too long......I tried another OEM used red panel.....same thing...it was about 3/4 inch too long. At this stage, I'm really flummoxed. First guess is that the central gauge bezel is too far to the left.....but it's attached to the central shift console and the shift console is happily mated to it's correct floor pan brackets......the central shift console certainly appears it it's correct location,...and hence the central guage bezel also and seemingly cannot be shifted to the right....to allow the speedo/tach panel to be shifted 3/4 inch rightward.

This is not my first rodeo. If I complete this interior install, this will be the third time I've done a complete dash interior removal/install for a C3. I've never encountered this problem before....I just cannot understand how these dimensions just don't stack up. My friends and acquantenances are surprised when I tell them I'd much, much more rather remove an engine, an engine/transmission, or the complete rear end suspension removal than muck around with the interior!!!!

This is the now interior. The shift console is properly attached to the underbody. The Passenger's dash fits...snuggly. Underneath this dash is the Vintage Air evaporator/heater core. The perspicacous C3 observer will readily note that the stamped steel bracket to mount the steering wheel is from a 1982 C3, replacing the gross massive cast iron steering wheel mounting assembly from previous years. Also, look at the radio....you can see it's back side is only about 2 1/2 inches long....very shallow penetration on the backside of the bezel. This is a repro-look alike radio.



This view isn't all that clear, but the speedo/dash panel is about 3/4 inch too long to mate with the body. Also, the original OEM panel and another used OEM panel had the same mismatch......so the mismatch is not because the repro panel doens't have the same dimensions.!!!


This shows that although the speedo/tach panel appears to be 3/4 inches beyond the mating surface on the door jam, the panel fits up nicely with the center gauge bezel.
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When I go to first mount the speedo/tach panel, I first remove the speedo and tach assemblies. The first step is to mount the speedo/tach panel without the speedo/tach assemblies. With them not present, you can put your hands through the speedo/tach holes and arrange the wire harnesses to not interfer with the speedo/tach cannisters. You can imagine where the cannisters will need to have room.

The dash harness and an all new factory alarm system harness from Lectric Limited have been installed. The original wiring was buggered up. Someone had added wiring for a custom stereo system, also added an aftermarket burglar alram, and who knows what else. I had a problem trying to sort out all their wiring changes, so I just replaced it all.

 

What I notice is the lower tip of the speedo panel is about 3/4" from making contact with the console. May be worth looking into.
You do know that these 2 panels changed in 71. In one of those is for a 71 they will not line up.
Otherwise, I'm not see anything obvious. Although is that duct running up the left pillar correct?

 

Thanks for comments. I'll have another look at what's going on with the lower tip of the speedo panel.

Didn't know the panels changed in 71, but the original 70 speedo/tach panel that came with the car has the same mismatch exhibited by the repro speedo/tach dash panel.

The duct running up near the left pillar, that you see, is to supply cold/warm air to the vent at the lower left bottom outlet of the speedo/tach ...the duct is a part of the Vintage Air system. It's loose now and doesn't appear to be in the way.
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If you do buy a repro speedo/tach dash panel you should know that the panel is for a 73 and up C3; i.e. a C3 that doesn't have the vacuum operated windshield wiper door. This means that the little stamped steel plate that attaches the tachometer cannister to the speedo/tach panel changed in 1973. Notice the little cad painted cylindrical shaped cannister shown in the first photo...it's in the middle of the photo at the bottom of the photo. This is an electric/vacuum solenoid for the windshield vacuum system. For 1968 to 1972, this little cannister bolted onto the tach cannister atttaching steel plate. If you have a 1968 to 1972 and buy a repro speedo/tach panel, you have to buy a 73 and up tach attaching plate and it will have no provision for mounting this electric/vacuum solenoid. I was able to buy a 73 tach attachment plate but now my electric/vacuum solenoid is an orphan with regards to where to attach it.

 

Help me to understand your problem. Is the panel too 'wide', or are you just not able to push it into the dash far enough?

 

I installed a VA system in my 76 and found that the hoses behind the dash took up all the room for the dash to go back in the car. I fought that thing for about 3 weeks, called VA and was told I had to "pre crush" all the hoses before I put the dash back in. I had paid almost as much for that A/C system as I did for the car, I wasn't about to "pre crush" anything. I would up moving the console back about 3/4" on it's mounts, that gave me enough room to fit all the dash panels back in, although a little rearward of where they were originally.

 

It appears to be too wide! The three mounting screw locations, along the top of the panels, are fixed. They are supposed to match the location of the mating U-nuts mounted to the bottom of the top dash panel. I think my best plan is to move the central guage panel out of the way, remove it altogether or move it forward out of the way, If I can install the speedo/tach dash maybe I can see if the gauge panel bezel is causing the trouble.......well, OK, maybe it's not the gauge.bezel panel, but rather the Vintage Air unit and it's ducts that are the source of the problem.
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BTW Last week was a big disaster for me. It all started when I wanted to know which hole in the firewall was used to provide an exit for the little plastic tube from the oil pressure gauge.......so I decided to look to see where it exited on the 68, So I went to pop the hood on the 68 and the hood release handle moved back with no resistance..so now I have a stuck hood problem. I'm going to try to see if I can release the hood from under the car. The 70 has the louver panel behind the wheels removed and I can easily reach the hood release lever by sticking my hand in there. The 68 louver openings are too small to get my hand in there.

 

Not sure why the drivers panel doesn't fit. I have removed mine a couple of times dealing with my speedometer issues. It is a snug fit.

I would be tempted to remove the passenger's panel as it is a simple panel to remove/install, and then remove or move the center gauge cluster enough to get the drivers panel installed, then install the gauge cluster then squeeze in the passengers panel.

 

I know how you feel I just did my 70 all brand new what a pain in the ***.what I did was take off the right side then put the left side in but just 1 center screw in loose to hold it they are made to travel back and forth then do the same for the right.they will fit but a lot of works needed to take breaks because you have to do some pushing.plus you won't believe me but it was so tight that when pushing the 2 sides next to the bezel I had to use a ram piston to push them in then put the 4 screws in the bezel when you get them lined up plus what helps is when there in shut the doors over night that helps to shape the dash .I think they make them to wide but they will fit just a lot of stupid work GOOD LUCK I did mine any problem just pm me.Bob