When your Corvette's dashboard starts to become an eyesore, installing a dash cap or "topper" might be a tempting remedy. And indeed, when these caps hit the market a few years back, they initially seemed like a godsend. Suddenly, everyone who had a cracked dash suddenly had a way to improve the looks of his or her car quickly and affordably. We, too, bought into the phenomenon for a time, seduced as we were by how painlessly these units cleaned up the look of a ratty dash.
But after the initial years of excitement over dash caps, they started to radiate the aura of a cheap fix. Professionals would spot one on a collector car and deduce that the vehicle had been hastily "spruced up" to sell.
Step one is to disconnect...
Step one is to disconnect the battery. This is necessary since part of the dash removal requires unplugging and disconnecting wires.
We contacted Jeff Allen-Souter, an avid car collector who frequents such national auctions as Mecum High Performance and Leake, as well as a number of independent collector sales. When asked what comes to mind when he sees a classic car with a dash cap, he replied, "It makes me wonder what else was thrown together. It's a real turn-off when someone has invested thousands of dollars to restore a car, and they don't go all the way."
We also spoke with Zip Corvette President David Walker, who outlined some of the pros and cons of a full dash replacement "The advantage [of a replacement dash] over a cap is that it simply looks right. And doesn't your Corvette deserve that? [Caps] are usually for cars that need a quick replacement and may not be worth the effort of tearing the entire dash apart. When using a dash cap, the savings is not only in cost, but in the labor as well.
"There are often other parts needed to complete a full dash install...the cluster bezel, lower steering-column cover, and glovebox cover. These are usually replaced to make for a perfect match. The center-console gauge bezel is typically replaced at the same time as well, usually because the black plastic or chrome trim doesn't hold up."
To see for ourselves what a full dash replacement entailed, we decided to install a new Zip unit on a '79 Silver-over-Oyster C3. While most of the car's interior was in pretty good shape, the dash showed numerous splits and cracks across its surface. Follow along now, as we take you through the process.
On the right side of the compartment...
On the right side of the compartment is a small light that needs to be disconnected. While most cars have a harness that can simply be unplugged, ours needed to be cut.
The top gauge cluster was...
The top gauge cluster was then removed, and the wires unplugged. Note that there is a connector for the dash lights situated about 6 inches back from the wire ends.
The speaker and center-vent...
The speaker and center-vent covers were next to go.
Our '79 Corvette had quite...
Our '79 Corvette had quite a few accessory pieces that needed to be removed in order to pull the dash. We started with the interior of the glovebox, using a short Phillips screwdriver on the five small screws that held it in place. We also used a 9/32-inch nut driver to take off the glovebox cover.
Before we could remove the...
Before we could remove the center-console pieces, the adjoining carpet needed to be taken up. A Corvette interior is linked like a puzzle: in order to remove one piece correctly, you'll first need to remove another one.
The bottom column plate was...
The bottom column plate was removed with a Phillips screwdriver. It's secured with four screws.
We elected to remove the interior...
We elected to remove the interior side pillars for extra working space. In order to do so, we first had to take off the upper windshield trim, which is held in place by eight screws.
We then removed the glovebox...
We then removed the glovebox liner and subjected it to a thorough cleaning. Keep in mind that the plastic lenses, vents, and trim pieces on a C3 are extremely brittle, so it's important that they be handled with extreme care.
Next, we removed the four...
Next, we removed the four screws on the lower console using a 5/16-inch nut drive. Our car was already missing two of these screws, because the plastic that held them had cracked due to age.
We then took out the delicate...
We then took out the delicate plastic lens cover by very carefully removing the screws holding it in place. With that done, we removed the four screws on the sides of the dash, facing the doors (in the doorjamb area).
There are two large clips...
There are two large clips under the dash, holding it in place. They're not easy to see, so you may have to reach underneath and feel for them.
We were able to pull the dash...
We were able to pull the dash out about 4 inches to unplug all the electronics. Write down each plug so you don't forget any of them when it's time to plug them back in. From our notebook: "Two plugs for windshield wiper and one large one for lights. Remove speaker wires, which should have a connector but were previously spliced."
The ancillary items were then...
The ancillary items were then installed in the new dash. The plastic on one of our car's vents was broken, so we took the opportunity to repair it.
Now it's time to install the...
Now it's time to install the new dash. Take your time with this step and have a friend assist you, if at all possible. Put the corners in one at a time (keep an eye on those metal clips so you don't tear anything), then drill the last four holes (two on each side), making sure the With the old dash removed, it was time to prep the new one. We began by cutting off the shipping supports.dash is lined up correctly.
With the old dash removed,...
With the old dash removed, it was time to prep the new one. We began by cutting off the shipping supports.
Here's a trick that'll make...
Here's a trick that'll make removing the light-switch assembly a bit easier. Pull the stalk all the way toward you, as if you're trying to turn on the lights. There's a button you can push that allows the mechanism to separate into two pieces. This allows you to easily remove it from the old dash and place it in the new one.
Once our dash was situated,...
Once our dash was situated, we plugged everything back in and reinstalled the rest of the interior components to complete the job.
The dash doesn't have any...
The dash doesn't have any pre-drilled holes, so you'll need to carefully line everything up, mark, and drill. Don't drill the four extreme side holes that wrap into the doorjamb; those will be done later.
The next step is to reattach...
The next step is to reattach the glovebox. Lay it in place and flip over the dash to attach the bottom two leg pieces; this will allow you to make sure the glovebox is centered. Adjust the door to get the best fit, mark the spot where the hinges are, and drill. The finished product should look like this.
As you can see, our plastic...
As you can see, our plastic lens cover cracked at both corners during reassembly. Fortunately, we were able to obtain a replacement piece from Zip. After using a heat gun to soften the dash mounting points slightly, the new piece slipped right into place.
The entire dash replacement...
The entire dash replacement took around 10 hours. The process isn't especially difficult, but it does require patience, as well as an understanding that other components may break and need to be replaced along the way.