The Dreaded Driver's Side Dash Installation
2026 Loser of the Year
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 36,594
Likes: 7,042
From: New Or-leens Loo-z-anna
The brace is missing on my car...now I know why!
I think I will fabricate a brace that actually fits without putting the reset cable in a bind.
Hopefully tomorrow I will be reinstalling the dash.
Thanks to the members who convinced rookie-me to drop the column AND ADD 1 FOOT OF color-coded wire to each gauge & light wire.
I was able to ziptie the main dash harness tightly in place and plug the modified wiring into the new connectors. Now I can literally pull out the driver panel without fighting the harness or without disconnecting the wiring...it also makes the speedo/tach cables much eaier to disconnect-reconnect.
The same thing with the center gauge cluster....it can be repaired and tested because of the long modified wiring.
Thanks again Members.
I think I will fabricate a brace that actually fits without putting the reset cable in a bind.
Hopefully tomorrow I will be reinstalling the dash.
Thanks to the members who convinced rookie-me to drop the column AND ADD 1 FOOT OF color-coded wire to each gauge & light wire.
I was able to ziptie the main dash harness tightly in place and plug the modified wiring into the new connectors. Now I can literally pull out the driver panel without fighting the harness or without disconnecting the wiring...it also makes the speedo/tach cables much eaier to disconnect-reconnect.
The same thing with the center gauge cluster....it can be repaired and tested because of the long modified wiring.
Thanks again Members.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 272
Likes: 69
From: Reno, NV
Speaking of custom bracing for convertibles, the pass side brace doesn't fit with Vintage Air, as they designed their system for a coupe. So made a 1/4" thick x 1" wide bar brace to fit around the AC/heater box.
Last edited by btwick; Mar 22, 2023 at 12:13 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 272
Likes: 69
From: Reno, NV
In case anyone is also interested in the routing of the odometer reset cable relative to the bracing, did a search and found this thread from 2008. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...placement.html
According to GUSTO14, it does go up and around the brace on install to prevent the sharp bend and potential damage of the cable at the speedo.
According to GUSTO14, it does go up and around the brace on install to prevent the sharp bend and potential damage of the cable at the speedo.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,363
Likes: 1,587
From: los altos hills california
I didn't read the whole thing, but, like the Painless picture, I installed all the lights first (LED's) then ganged together the supply wires to one accessible connector which was one of the last things I put together. That helped some
2026 Loser of the Year
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 36,594
Likes: 7,042
From: New Or-leens Loo-z-anna
Please share your plan or post a pic of your custom brace. Thinking about doing the same thing.
Speaking of custom bracing for convertibles, the pass side brace doesn't fit with Vintage Air, as they designed their system for a coupe. So made a 1/4" thick x 1" wide bar brace to fit around the AC/heater box.
Speaking of custom bracing for convertibles, the pass side brace doesn't fit with Vintage Air, as they designed their system for a coupe. So made a 1/4" thick x 1" wide bar brace to fit around the AC/heater box.
(since my car is/was a basketcase originality is not a priority)
2nd Gear
Joined: Jan 2024
Posts: 2
Likes: 1
This photo shows the under dash wiring. Here all the wiring is laying on the ground. At the bottom is the main passenger side firewall harness and the dash pads and their wiring. You can see that the wires from the firewall harness, going to the tach/speedo lightbulbs, has been cut. I've added wiring to increase their length and added connectors that will be used to join the tach/speedo lightbulbs to the main harness. After installing the firewall harness and the dash pads, the interconnecting wires, and their connectors, are just dangling down, easy and convenient to reach after the interior parts have all been installed. Just "stand" on your knees outside the car, reach in, snap the connectors together, and voila...the wiring connections are all made.
To avoid a Bubba look, I used OEM connectors, Packard Electric. It's a little pricey. You have to buy packages of male/female connectors, pins...different pins for different gauges, and connector pin seals...little rubber plugs that make the connectors water resistant, and all the different colored wires and gauges. You also have to buy pin inserting tools, pin removal tools. This makes connecting the harness wiring to the console speedo/tach and also all the center console gauges just real easy.
I am not getting any pictures of the way you increased your dash wiring.
Can you send them to me?
