complete dash replacement

[walkertx2008]

so i bought an 87 turbo shell to swap my engine and transmission in to and the entire interior aside from the door panels and carpet needs to be swapped out, my question id does any one know exactly how to remove the dashboard and replace it with a new one? and do you have pictures of the process? the dash that is in the 87 is cracked to hell but the dash in my 88 is smooth as a baby's butt. if any one has done this and can give me an in depth walk through of how to do it that would be great, and like i said pictures would help too thanks.

 

[GrimJack]

It's not the easiest thing to replace, however, it's not the worst.

- Pull off the kick panels and dash undercovers.
- Drop the steering column by removing the two BIG nuts.
- Remove the glovebox
- Remove the radio surround
- Remove the radio and climate control unit
- Remove the left switch panel
- Remove the gauge cluster
- Unplug the dash harness from the fusebox in the driver side kickpanel - this will stay screwed to the dash as you pull it out
- Unbolt the dash... there's a bunch of bolts, obviously - behind the gauge package, on either end underneath the kickpanels, behind the glovebox, beside the shifter hole...
- Disconnect the big floppy rubber hose to the climate control
- Yank on the dash, hard, straight out. There are a bunch of pop in clips that will still be holding it in place.

I'd suggest removing the one you don't care about, first. That way, if you forget a bolt and break something, you won't care. Installation, obviously, is the same steps in reverse.

 

[walkertx2008]

that sounds perfect thank you very much, and yea I'll take the 87s dash out before so i have a better understanding when i do the 88, cool thanks again. if any one else has more to add and picture that would still be greatly appreciated.

 

[MarkIII4Me]

Removal is cake, but installation is a real bitch. Definitely wouldn't attempt it alone. Make sure your removal the dash wire harness from the old dash and install it in the new one unless you are sure the one in the new dash is from the same year.

Also don't make the same mistake I did; which is bolt it all down before making sure that none of the dash wire harness is trapped between the dash and where it mounts. I eventually decided to just extend the wires on some trapped plugs and crimp in new ones rather than deal with the headache of pulling and reinstalling.

 

[Asterix]

Search for heater core replacement threads, since that requires removing the dashboard. (There are several.) SOGI has a write-up as well.

I didn't find it all that hard, but it does take a while.

Asterix

 

[ForcedTorque]

Grim's post is excellent from start to finish. I will come back later and post some pretty good pictures. I have posted them before, but can't remember where. No real time right now. I will edit this post with them.

 

[walkertx2008]

cool, yea the pictures would be awesome and thanks for all the advice guys knowing this stuff will make doing this a piece of cake. it will prob be around 2 months before ne thing can get started but once i start swapping parts and things over i will be posting up alot of pics and info on the swap and build.

 

[redSUPRA '88]

Im contemplating doing this to my 88. Glad to have found this thread