86 Upper Dash Pad Removal
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,037
Likes: 28
From: Montclair New Jersey
86 Upper Dash Pad Removal
I have been working on my interior but; I want to recover the speaker openings on top of the dash pad. Does anyone know how to remove the upper dash pad correctly? Is there any tricks I could use without removing the pad?
Any help would be appreciated.......Thanks.....
Any help would be appreciated.......Thanks.....
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 7,207
Likes: 311
From: Lino Lakes MN
Remove the center surround around the drivers guages, the center council upper area around the radio and climate control, screws under the dash pad and on center defrost vent and above the passanger bread box and you should be good to go! My speaker cover material was simply fadded and I simply spray painted it with material dye.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,221
Likes: 446
From: Overland Park Kansas
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C4 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
I thought you only had to remove the hex screws up under the front edge. All the way across. Also remove the two screws located in the defroster vent.
Lift up slightly to avoid contact with the dash while pulling toward you. (That's directly toward the rear of the car.)
For all applications, I don't think the front grills contained speakers. If they did, it was only for a cheap-azz AM radio. As long as the fabric is not torn, spraying with flat-black fabric dye (duplicolor) from auto parts stores would be the cheapest/easiest solution.
BTW, you correctly determined the grills have screws that must be accessed from underneath. So, the dashpad does need to be removed to pull the grills. (I modified mine to hold speakers.)
Lift up slightly to avoid contact with the dash while pulling toward you. (That's directly toward the rear of the car.)
For all applications, I don't think the front grills contained speakers. If they did, it was only for a cheap-azz AM radio. As long as the fabric is not torn, spraying with flat-black fabric dye (duplicolor) from auto parts stores would be the cheapest/easiest solution.
BTW, you correctly determined the grills have screws that must be accessed from underneath. So, the dashpad does need to be removed to pull the grills. (I modified mine to hold speakers.)
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,021
Likes: 7
From: Morgan Hill and Marina California
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Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
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From: El Paso Texas
You can break clips or damage the pad if they aren't lined up. Easy to overlook too.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Clifton Park, NY ............Clearwater, FL ... 85 Original Owner
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Anaheim CA
There are also screws above the instrument panel. You must remove the instrument panel bezel to get access to them.
The standard Delco radio has speakers in the dash pad and none in the doors.
I used black shoe dye on mine.
The standard Delco radio has speakers in the dash pad and none in the doors.
I used black shoe dye on mine.
Last edited by Cliff Harris; Jun 9, 2017 at 01:16 AM.
