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Dash Pad Removal
- Thread starter Ray7Smith
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AUSMHLY
Yoda
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Hello Ray,
I'm not sure if the dash pad for a BJ7 is the same as my BJ8. Here's how to remove a BJ8 pad:
Unscrew and remove the dash mirror.
There will be 2 clips under the dash at each corner. They should be black and made of bendable steel. Unbend them.
Lift up the front of the dash towards the windscreen. If I remember correctly (disclaimer here), there may be some guide pins in the bottom of the back of the dash top that fit down into holes in the metal dash to center and keep it in place. You may have to lift the dash pad up a little near the bottom of the windscreen before you can pull it forward.
I took a photo for you of the black bendable metal tab under the dash on the passenger side.
Good luck.
Roger
I'm not sure if the dash pad for a BJ7 is the same as my BJ8. Here's how to remove a BJ8 pad:
Unscrew and remove the dash mirror.
There will be 2 clips under the dash at each corner. They should be black and made of bendable steel. Unbend them.
Lift up the front of the dash towards the windscreen. If I remember correctly (disclaimer here), there may be some guide pins in the bottom of the back of the dash top that fit down into holes in the metal dash to center and keep it in place. You may have to lift the dash pad up a little near the bottom of the windscreen before you can pull it forward.
I took a photo for you of the black bendable metal tab under the dash on the passenger side.
Good luck.
Roger
John Loftus
Darth Vader
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If you are just repacing the tonneau studs you may be able to do that without removing the dash pad. Originally, there were threaded nuts under the dash pad (look a bit like weld nuts) that dug into the wood a bit so you should be able to unscrew the old and screw in the new. If they have been changed out before, there might be regular nuts under the dash and you may need to pull it.
If you need to remove the dash pad it is a bit different than the BJ8. Unscrew the mirror, unscrew the 4 chrome screws (2 on each side) which are on the side vertical portion and lift up from the front to clear the studs that go down into the demister vent area. If it doesn't want to lift, the tonneau studs may need to come out.
Cheers,
John
If you need to remove the dash pad it is a bit different than the BJ8. Unscrew the mirror, unscrew the 4 chrome screws (2 on each side) which are on the side vertical portion and lift up from the front to clear the studs that go down into the demister vent area. If it doesn't want to lift, the tonneau studs may need to come out.
Cheers,
John
Randy Forbes
Yoda
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What about removing the defroster vents first?
Required on the sidescreen cars...
Required on the sidescreen cars...
John Loftus
Darth Vader
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Randy Forbes said:
Can't do that on the BJ7 as there are speed nuts pressed over the studs and pushing against the bottom of the wood holding the demister vents in place.
Randy Forbes
Yoda
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So, the vent grills are only attached to the dashtop pad?John Loftus said:
Mine were attached under the pad through the aluminum shroud. Is that how they're supposed to be? Lots of details on my car were already "less than original" when I got it (already twenty-one years old).
My current dashtop pad hasn't had the vent holes cut in it yet, as I don't have the heater fitted (under dash rollbar hoop prevents it).
Ray: I just removed my dash pad on a '62 BT-7 which may be similar to yours, mine certainly is nothing like a BJ8. I echo the comments above re: remove the mirror and all the attachment screws you can find. Note that my pad was apparently glued down a bit by the factory (I'm sure it was the original pad) so a little bit of prying was required to separate it from the metal underneath. Finally, the very far corners were either wedged between or tucked into the corner where the window frame meets the shroud. To safely lift off the pad removing the windshield frame was required (easy, only 3 bolts on each side). The mister vents are only attached underneath with sheet metal speed nuts so they lift off with the dash pad.
The whole thing was far more of a hassle than I thought it would be (but what isn't in a restoration?). If you only want to fix a tonneau stud removing the pad seems like more work than you need to do. Good luck!
-Tom
The whole thing was far more of a hassle than I thought it would be (but what isn't in a restoration?). If you only want to fix a tonneau stud removing the pad seems like more work than you need to do. Good luck!
-Tom
John Loftus
Darth Vader
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Randy Forbes said:
Hi Randy,
Here's a picture of the underside of an original dashpad showing the speednut attachment. Even has the 'horse hair' gasket (let's see if Moss has that in stock!).
Randy Forbes
Yoda
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Thanks John. Nope, I've never seen that horse hair stuff on mine.
Now then, can you imagine how much trouble it must've been to put those speednuts on inside the defroster duct?! As they barely had much grip length, I was able to wiggle them off with a screwdriver, destrying them in the process.
Now then, can you imagine how much trouble it must've been to put those speednuts on inside the defroster duct?! As they barely had much grip length, I was able to wiggle them off with a screwdriver, destrying them in the process.
The reason for needing to change the studs is due to the difference in size of the ones on the dash pad and the size of the ones on my new tonneau cover. The original ones are smaller than the ones on the new cover. The two studs on the door caps fit the new cover. The four studs on the pad are the culprits. Have any ideas as to why the original ones are small?
Ray
Ray
John Loftus
Darth Vader
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Hi Ray,
That doesn't sound quite right to me. The smaller studs should be for the Tenax snaps (button that is lifted to release) as used along the rear shroud. The door finishers and dash pad use the larger studs for the lift-a-dot type snaps. At least that is the way it appears on my two original tonneau covers.
That doesn't sound quite right to me. The smaller studs should be for the Tenax snaps (button that is lifted to release) as used along the rear shroud. The door finishers and dash pad use the larger studs for the lift-a-dot type snaps. At least that is the way it appears on my two original tonneau covers.
John Loftus
Darth Vader
Offline
Ray,
I'm still confused though. My 'original' tonneaus (I'm guessing they are original by the material/fasteners/horsehair padding, zipper, zipper pull) use 10 lift-a-dots (4 on the dash pad, 2 on the forward chrome finisher position, and 4 on the flaps that are used when semi-storing the tonneau while driving.) There are 4 Tenax fasteners that locate the rear of the tonneau around the back and sides of the rear shroud. Maybe someone changed your dashpad studs for an aftermarket tonneau or maybe my setup is wrong? What research did you dig up?
Cheers,
John
I'm still confused though. My 'original' tonneaus (I'm guessing they are original by the material/fasteners/horsehair padding, zipper, zipper pull) use 10 lift-a-dots (4 on the dash pad, 2 on the forward chrome finisher position, and 4 on the flaps that are used when semi-storing the tonneau while driving.) There are 4 Tenax fasteners that locate the rear of the tonneau around the back and sides of the rear shroud. Maybe someone changed your dashpad studs for an aftermarket tonneau or maybe my setup is wrong? What research did you dig up?
Cheers,
John
My research indicates that the rear portion of the tonneau uses 4 lift the dot fasteners the type that are round and that are pulled up the release.The door flashes have two studs that utililize the type fastener that is pushed on to fasten and pulled off to unfasten. The 4 dash studs utilize the smaller tenex type fastener that is round and looks like the rear lift the dot fasteners, but smaller. I believe it requires a small spoon like devise to release, at least that is what is shown in the Moss catalog.
Ray
Ray