Dash Pad Replacement, Dash Panel Removal

[jec13]

Hello Fellow VTCI Members,

I've replaced the dash pad and refurbished the dash panel and related components in my 1961 Thunderbird HT. It was an extensive project, but quite successful. I took many notes and photographs along the way, and have now posted them to a website page to share my experiences with other VTCI members.

Please visit this page:

https://tbird-dash.carswithfins.com/

I hope someone finds it helpful. Best wishes and happy Birding!

-- John C, Rockford MI

[Gagarin]

Finally! Thank you, I have recently embarked on this journey and had decided to document the process for others as well. I can put that task behind me and concentrate on the task at hand.

I am happy to know that I had the work habits and process correct but the detail was hit and miss and I picked up several pointers in just the first few pages. I have the interior gutted but I was still trying to work around the steering wheel. So I know what I will be doing in the AM. I was also missing the electrical build manual which I admit, until recently I did not think to purchase since I thought that I had every bloody manual there was on this car.

Thanks again!

[caseyc]

John,
Thank you so much for such a timely and well organized article! I am doing my dashpad now and this will be a great resource to help me with my rebuild.

[jec13]

Gagarin and Caseyc, I am glad you both are pleased. Best wishes with your dash projects! I will be interested to know they go for you.

Yes, do get the electrical assembly manual, it is important. More than schematics, it has detailed line drawings showing how the wiring harness routes around behind the instrument bezel and through the console, helpful to understand at both disassembly and reassembly.

Now I am on to the power steering in my 61 HT. Steering wheel is grinding when the car warms up; looking into that, I discovered tiny metal shavings in the power steering fluid, yikes. Gonna clean out the pump reservoir and then disconnect the fluid return line at the steering gear and flush the system through with some fresh quarts of Type F. Hopefully that will clean out the metal and then we will see what happens next. I may be in for steering gear and/or pump work. Always an interesting project awaiting with our vintage Birds!

Enjoy the holiday Labor Day weekend.

[Gagarin]

The truth can now be known that after reading through you're well written and documented "How to" I was ready to put the whole thing back together again and call it a day! LOL, I am well past the point of no return, I have little choice but to soldier on.

[Mheiron]

Awesome job of documenting your work!

Many, many kudos for a job well done.

[Gagarin]

So we all remember the saying in the 60's / 70's "Never buy a car manufactured on a Monday"...

Well I think that I have lived it?
First off, pulling this dash is not a job for one whose skill sets may be challenged by such a project and who is trying, oh so hard to be patient through the whole exercise but it is really not going his way.

I digress, had this happen, finally found the last two bolts holding the whole pad and frame in (Swing away column supports) and when I pulled back the frame I realized that rather than running the wiring along the tray at / in the designated location for such the wiring was run through the bloody dash frame itself, forcing me to cut a bundle of wires at the smallest possible place in order to free the unit.

I was seething but laughing a bit as well, whomever put this together on this day, assuming that they have most likely moved on to a higher place, is looking down at me and laughing their tail off.

[Gagarin]

Just Dashes out of business or?

No one answers the phone? Auto message says that they are making improvements to better serve customers? Sent an email as instructed, crickets? And no, I have not yet sent them anything, thank goodness. Do not want to ship something off to a black hole. Just beware if anyone was planning on using Just Dashes, the website is up and running with ship instructions etc. but no way to physically contact anyone to date?

[Gagarin]

Answering my own question but I am putting the result out here as a PSA.

After a couple of weeks of trying I was finally able to get in contact with a human being at Just Dashes. I will not be the judge of their flakiness (I think I just did) but lead time is 6 mos and if they tell you 6 is will surely be 7-8.

[Gagarin]

Progress at last.....
I know that others have made this Journey but I was punching way above my weight on this one. Combating family responsibilities, work travel and weather. Patience has never been a virtue for me, not in my DNA, this has really forced me to stay deliberate in my actions and not accept "Good enough". For me this job has been best performed by parsing work into 3-4 hour segments and then calling it a day, keeps me focused.

[Gagarin]

Significant progress made when you are working from home and have weekends to dedicate.

Headliner done, Note: The liner I purchased from Original Auto interiors was a bust, a bit of a one size fits all for 1963 Fords, it required a lot of modification and cutting. I gave up and sourced one from Birds Nest, perfect fit, nice and tight.

This has all been a learning curve for me but after doing things once, twice or even three times to get them right I can confidently dive back into this project again if the opportunity came up. My biggest issue has been order of precedence for the re-installation which has probably cost me a week of lost time over the course of this project. I was constantly getting something installed in front of something else which need to go first, I am a better man for it all?

Most of the interior back together and ready for seats. I had sent them to a local shop in December but they sat and sat and he had a plethora of excuses whilst other work went through the shop ahead of me. The day before they announced a shelter in place order I picked everything back up and ordered the upholstery kit from Birds Nest as well and I am knee deep in that process now. Hope to have it back on the road by Monday?

[63_downlow]

Love the progress, especially the dash! I currently have my dash on a stand right now, filling in some cracks. Thankfully it was only 2 small cracks and 1 very very tiny crack. But the odd ball is the top of the dash is missing the graining texture, like bald spots. While the underneath where the gauges are the texture is there, assuming the the sun beat the living hell out of it. What did you wrap your dash with? I can see the stick marks and what did it run you?

I contacted justdashes also and they quoted me $1500
I think NO to that price, and they also quoted me $600 for the center console not including the lid which was another $300
And for color it was an additional $300
So $2700 hahaha hell no.

[Karl]

Love your work.
Karl.

[Steverino]

Great progress you're making! My dash desperately needs to be redone, so am grateful for these links.

Where did you end up sourcing your dash? Did you go with Just Dashes, or ?? Sorry if I missed it. I did use them for my glove box lid and was pleased with the outcome, but I know doing the dash & door panels will be financially, um, stressful...

[Gagarin]

Just dashes was pricey, un-responsive and when I did finally get in touch with them there was a 6 month lead time. Given their lack of overall communication which to me translates into me sending them my dash and being at their mercy or worse. Unfortunately Just Dashes is the only game in town and they act like it.

I took mine to a local upholstery shop and he did a great job. I had to dye it to get the correct color but I have a Monaco edition, hard to match, it turned out fine. I am a firm believer in getting what you pay for, Just Dashes was $1500.00 a year ago, local guy charged me $275.00 and it looks great.