MBVette

im working on installing my new stereo and I’m trying to take out the shelves the radio and hvac sat on. I just played with a sawzall for a bit and that steel is friggen hard as hell.

How is do you guys get those shelves out of the dash?

redzg

I'm waiting on my bezel from Vettenuts (fingers crossed), but my lifetime experience tells me that cutting hard steel takes quality blades, nothing short of American made Starrett or Lennox. Starrett is hard to find (McMaster, but then you wait), but I believe I've found good Lennox blades at Lowe's or sometimes Ace.

unlvrebel

Sawzall. I tried to drill out the rivets, but the sawzall was easier.

MBVette

I had a new dewalt metal blade. But it’s barely doing anything. Took about 10 minutes to take one side off of one of them

Shaolin Crane

Use GOOD carbide drill bits, took me a few seconds for each.

striper

I drilled them out. Used aviation snips for additional trimming.

MBVette

How are you guys getting drill bits in there

Shaolin Crane

There's plenty of room to drill from the outside

striper

I own a Makita right angle drill. My wife bought it for me as a birthday present. One of the best gifts I have ever received from anybody. It is amazing how many times over the years it has made a job so much easier. The chuck is at 90 degrees from the motor so it fits in almost anywhere.

unlvrebel

Yep. Right angle drill. Falls into the category of "right tool for the job". No one wants to fork over a hundred buck plus for a tool that is hardly used, but the one time you need the tool, it's worth twice that!

MBVette

Got it all off finally.

Now onto wiring ring up the rear view camera

StayinStock

give you guys a protip on the sawzaw... unplug your battery... deployed my pass airbag the other day sawing out the bracket... shoulda know better just wasnt thinking about it, thank god i dont have a drivers side, that'd hurt a bit.

Lilbluevette

I used a cut off wheel. Had bracket out in 6 minutes.

unlvrebel

HOLY *****!!!!

Glad you are OK. Anytime working on electrical related... disconnect the battery is the first step.

StayinStock

yeah... as a veteran technician in the auto field this is a thing I knew and have always done and.... all I could say was whoops lol... scared the hell out of me for a good min before I realized what happened we had a good laugh about it after though, one of those oh well **** happens moments

bonzo

I paid the installer!!

Grandpa1

Yeah, me too!
In reality, the only tool I used was a credit card.

CactusCat

I used a Dremel with an aluminum oxide cutoff wheel on it. Stuffed an old towel in behind the dash to catch sparks and metal shavings. Each side took about 1 minute. I just ground the top of the rivet off, the rivet popped right out and that was that. Careful, it's hot. Take a moist rag with you to handle stuff or wait until it cools down.