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1967 Plymouth Barracuda Dashpanel RestorationDo-It-Yourself From the August, 2008 issue of Mopar Muscle By Dave Young Photography by Dave Young
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Since you see the dash of... Since you see the dash of your car every time you drive it, you might as well make it look good and function properly. Follow along as we show you how. We've all seen, and probably even owned, Mopar cars with instrument panels that don't look good or function properly. Rather than pulling the instruments from our cars and repairing them, most of us simply bolt a set of aftermarket gauges under the dash and tolerate the nonfunctioning instruments in the ugly original panel. The fact is, the dashpanel and instruments in our cars get overlooked for several reasons. First, the dash can be a pain to remove as all the switches, gauges, and electrical junctions must be disconnected. Second, the dash is primarily electric, and most of us despise electrical work. Third, it takes special equipment to calibrate the instruments, and most of us don't have the tools to perform the work. While we can't really do anything to make the dash easier to remove, we can show you how to make it look and function better without sending out for repair and without any specialized tools. You might remember this project... You might remember this project from our rare finds department several months ago. Aesthetically, the dashpanels found in most Mopars have suffered years of abuse from the elements, making them unsightly to look at. Spilled drinks, windows left open, and, especially, the sun all take their toll on the dashpanel of your car, eroding the paint and hazing the clear plastic that covers the gauges. Additionally, the engine instruments in the dashpanel of most Mopars are notorious for simply not working. Electrical circuitry in the '60s and '70s wasn't what it is today, and these cars were just not designed to still be operating some 30 or 40 years after they were built. While there are companies like Autoinstruments.com that will completely refurbish your dash to better-than-new standards, the cost of professional dash restoration sometimes doesn't make sense for a driver quality car. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can do at home that will not only make the dashpanel in your vehicle easier on the eyes, but more functional as well. While our '67 Barracuda has... While our '67 Barracuda has relatively low miles, being a convertible has subjected the interior and dash to more abuse than a non-drop-top would generally incur. While restoring the dashpanel yourself will save you time and money, remember that it's nearly impossible to make your dash look like it did when it left the factory unless you have the ability to rechrome plastic in your garage. Also, gauge faces that are extremely weathered or faded can really only be properly repaired by stripping them and reprinting the face (again, hard to do at home) or replacing the gauge face with a better quality used one. So if you're restoring that numbers-matching, one-of-one, rare Mopar, we certainly recommend sending the dashpanel to a professional to be refurbished. If you're like us and simply want gauges that work and a dashpanel that is less unsightly, follow along and we'll show you how you can accomplish the task on your home workbench with simple hand tools, a soldering iron, and a few cans of spray paint.  Removing the dashpanel is...  Removing the dashpanel is time consuming, but not difficult. We generally begin by removing the Phillips head screws from the front of the panel to free it from the dash itself, and then disconnect the electrical and instrument connections from the rear of the panel so it can be removed from the car.  Before we can remove the switches...  Before we can remove the switches and heater controls, the knobs must be removed. Heater control knobs have a set screw on the bottom that can be loosened with an Allen wrench.  It's always easier to work...  It's always easier to work on a component like the dashpanel on a workbench. We also dug up an extra gauge set that we had in the shop just in case we need to use it for parts.  Ever struggle to remove the...  Ever struggle to remove the headlight knob from the switch? It's actually easy if you do it properly. By depressing the spring-loaded release button on the bottom of the switch (under thumb in the photo), the knob and shaft are easily removed from the front of the switch.  We're sure there's a special...  We're sure there's a special tool to remove the round nuts that hold the emergency flasher, headlight, ignition, and wiper switches in place, but we don't have it. By carefully using a small screwdriver in the grooves, you can unthread these nuts without damaging anything.  Turn-signal, brake, and high-beam...  Turn-signal, brake, and high-beam indicator lenses are all held in place by both adhesive rings and the plastic of the dash board. Gentle pressure from the dash side is usually enough to pop them out of the dash.  The gauge lenses and dividers...  The gauge lenses and dividers are held in place by the plastic of the dash itself. Tabs from the back of the dashpanel run through holes in the lenses and dividers, and are then melted to hold everything in place.  To remove them, simply remelt...  To remove them, simply remelt the plastic with a soldering iron. Melt the least amount of plastic possible, however, so you'll have some left to hold the lenses in place during reassembly.  With the switches and heater...  With the switches and heater controls removed, the gauge panel can be unscrewed from the dash face...  ... and the metal frame holding...  ... and the metal frame holding the gauges can be removed from the plastic dash face.  With the dash face separated,...  With the dash face separated, we cleaned it thoroughly with soap and water, and then scuffed the surfaces with a number 400 Scotch-Brite pad in preparation for paint.  Originally, A-body dashes...  Originally, A-body dashes were plastic chromed, then painted over with silver and black paint. Since we don't have access to plastic chroming equipment, we'll start by painting the entire dash black, and then use silver spray paint and chrome spray paint over the black.  With the black paint applied,...  With the black paint applied, we taped off the areas we want to remain black and painted the dash with our silver spray paint. Then we taped off the silver and painted the areas that will be chrome.  While chrome spray paint won't...  While chrome spray paint won't have the luster of actually having the dash plastic-chromed, it will be brighter than silver spray paint and give the contrast of the original color scheme. Most people will never know the difference.  If the dash in your car is...  If the dash in your car is faded beyond recognition, it helps to have an issue of Mopar Muscle around to use as a reference.  Our gauge lenses were discolored...  Our gauge lenses were discolored from years of sunlight, so we used Meguiar's plastic polish to clean them up. We were amazed at how much clearer the polish made the lenses.  While our paint was drying,...  While our paint was drying, we decided to repair the most common problem that makes most Mopar gauges not work properly. The pins for the wiring harness were pressed into the dash circuit board at the factory...  ...and they have a habit of...  ...and they have a habit of becoming corroded and not making a proper connection. By dabbing a bit of solder on each pin where it presses into the circuit board, we ensure good electrical conductivity.  Even if your dash lights worked,...  Even if your dash lights worked, it's a lot easier to replace bulbs now than it is crawling on your back from the car's floor. We suggest replacing them all while you're refurbishing the dash.  Since our wiring harness pins...  Since our wiring harness pins are soldered, we can now test the gauges using an automotive battery charger on its lowest setting.  By grounding the dash, then...  By grounding the dash, then touching the positive lead from the battery charger to each individual wiring harness pin, we can test each circuit of the dash, including lights and gauges.  While we can't test if the...  While we can't test if the gauge is calibrated properly, needle movement indicates the gauge will work.  Since our gauges tested ok,...  Since our gauges tested ok, we cleaned the gauge faces with a brush and repainted the tips of the faded orange needles.  Exceptionally corroded or...  Exceptionally corroded or faded gauge faces should either be replaced or sent off to be reprinted.  Using the soldering iron to...  Using the soldering iron to remelt the plastic tabs in place, the lenses and lens dividers can be reinstalled to the dashpanel.  Now the gauge panel can be...  Now the gauge panel can be reinstalled to the plastic dashpanel, and our job is nearly complete.  Using fine steel wool, the...  Using fine steel wool, the radio and switch knobs can be polished to accent the clean look of our refurbished dashpanel.  While it may not be an OEM-quality...  While it may not be an OEM-quality restoration, our dash will now function properly and looks far better than it did when we got the car.  Once our Barracuda is back...  Once our Barracuda is back from the paint shop, a good-looking, working dashpanel will certainly add to our enjoyment of the car.
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