gauge console gap
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
gauge console gap
Hi Gents,
This is bugging me to no end.
I need to replace my Ammeter and wiper switch this Friday. Is there a trick to closing this gap? I see this gap on a lot of cars.
MTIA,
DC3
This is bugging me to no end.
I need to replace my Ammeter and wiper switch this Friday. Is there a trick to closing this gap? I see this gap on a lot of cars.
MTIA,
DC3
Last edited by DorianC3; 09-20-2018 at 09:18 AM.
#2
Former Vendor
Member Since: Aug 2006
Location: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
Posts: 76,656
Received 1,813 Likes
on
1,458 Posts
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Below are some pictures of how the bezel should actually fit.
This is from my original 72
Here is another picture head on.
And here is a picture of all the brackets.
Willcox
#3
Melting Slicks
#4
Former Vendor
Member Since: Aug 2006
Location: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
Posts: 76,656
Received 1,813 Likes
on
1,458 Posts
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Kansas... The look you have is correct now... look at my 72 picture. This was take before the dash was ever removed from the car, (it's been out since then to repair the clock). There is always a little tilt at the driver side... I've never tried to correct it and bending isn't an option. You try to bend it and the bezel will snap at the thin area.
Willcox
Willcox
The following users liked this post:
kansas123 (09-21-2018)
#5
Team Owner
You cannot correct that bent-down corner (upper-left). It was formed that way when the machine operator sped up the machine so he/she could get more 'free' time instead of letting the pot-metal die casting cool to the point of being solid. Pot metal is very brittle and will crack and break if you even try to bend it. That bent corner is PROOF that the part was original to a production car.
#6
Racer
Guys just went through this when removing dash / console pieces on my 72. In my case the tilt was the result of a cylindrical piece cast on the underside of the dash making contact on the left side of the bezel. It looked like maybe where the foam was shot into the dash. At any rate a judicious cut with the saw zaw removed an offending 1/4 inch and things have leveled out.
#7
Could be a stupid question but in your picture I am not sure I see the screw that attaches the top of the guage cluster bezel to the dashboard. Is that screw present?
Last edited by Mike1973; 09-21-2018 at 09:47 AM.
#8
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Thank you Gentlemen, the feedback here was fantastic. I dropped several panels including the gauge cluster, the radio inspection side cover and the passenger side map-whatever-that-is-called... I found that the centre gauge cluster screws raw into the plastic of the dash pad and the passenger side map-whatever-that-is-called. However, clearly screws have very little fastening power; including @Mike1973 the top screw. It is in there, but it isn't really doing much to cinch things together.
i was going to replace the Ammeter that I accidentally fried... but I discovered that it was a far more involved procedure that I originally suspected. I don't have time to do that before the rally. And if I make a mistake, I may wind up stranded.
One day I will go through the entire interior so that it is like new, adding material, retapping and adding reinforcements.
I did manage to close the gap a little in the meantime so that it doesn't look awful
I did learn one thing tho'...
My wiper switch had been working like So, while I had the gauge cluster out, I replaced it with a new one and... that one began working like It turned out that when I tightened the screw attaching the wiper switch to the rear of the plate... it must have been distorting the switch causing it to malfunction. two very small shims fixed that problem.
Last edited by DorianC3; 09-22-2018 at 02:36 AM.
#9
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Wtf !!!
watching a video here and look ! The equivalent of a shim! Time to research what that blue box is.
H/T to TheCorvetteBen for the screen shot
watching a video here and look ! The equivalent of a shim! Time to research what that blue box is.
H/T to TheCorvetteBen for the screen shot
The following users liked this post:
JBrooke825 (09-22-2018)
#11
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Thanks thanks ! I’ll have to explore the back of the dash to see if it is still hanging somewhere.
Aaaand... the switch that was working fine on the bench, ok when I installed it with the shim, is once again acting up. What is it with these switches.
Either this his works or I’m going to modify. Another thread on this soon !
Aaaand... the switch that was working fine on the bench, ok when I installed it with the shim, is once again acting up. What is it with these switches.
Either this his works or I’m going to modify. Another thread on this soon !
Last edited by DorianC3; 09-23-2018 at 08:17 AM.
#13
Drifting
DorianC3- Most older C3 have had the dash apart at least once and have damaged the screw holes in the side dash panels. I got tired of the bad gap in the center panel on my 68 convert and finally took it out, filled in the holes in the side panels with JB Weld and then carefully re-drilled the holes. I now have the center panel installed better than it came from the factory. Hope I never have to take it out again.
The following users liked this post:
DorianC3 (09-27-2018)
#14
Burning Brakes
gauge console gap
Hi all, putting my small gauge cluster back in my car and am experiencing this bezel gap that is driving me nuts; It's been out a long time so I don't remember having this problem before. At the least, I can say it had never been as pronounced, as I am seeing on some of the pictures on this thread. It is said to be a pretty common problem with the original bezel/dash setups; Is the problem in any way made better with any of the aftermarket bezels or dashpads? Thanks.
The center dash cluster sits on top of the shifter console so possibly the center console bracket is bent, screwed down in the wrong place... I don't have a clue... From the factory most bezels were cocked at the top a little bit but nothing like what is shown in your picture. If you do need to raise the center dash bezel you'll probably have to fill the old holes and drill new ones. You can use plastic fusion or plastic weld to fill the old holes, you can buy that at your local parts store.
Below are some pictures of how the bezel should actually fit.
This is from my original 72
Here is another picture head on.
And here is a picture of all the brackets.
Willcox
Below are some pictures of how the bezel should actually fit.
This is from my original 72
Here is another picture head on.
And here is a picture of all the brackets.
Willcox
#16
Former Vendor
Member Since: Aug 2006
Location: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
Posts: 76,656
Received 1,813 Likes
on
1,458 Posts
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
nope... they fit just like the original bezels I'm sorry.
Willcox
Willcox
#17
Safety Car
Member Since: May 2004
Location: los altos hills california
Posts: 3,609
Received 1,126 Likes
on
730 Posts
Happened to have a picture of mine out of the car. The red lines are all parallel and the photo is nearly dead on. Installed, it isn't too bad but the distortion is clearly built in. Now, about those ears that don't mate with the shift console .... That too bugs me but I guess it isn't due to the gauge cluster