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Removing Your High Windshield Dash While it is easier to remove the high windshield dash when the windshield is off of the car, the dash can be removed with the windshield still attached to the body. After removing mine three times over about the same number of months I was able to remove the dash without help, and reinstall it in a little less than an hour, not counting whatever caused me to remove the dash in the first place. To remove the dash you will need a 7/16" offset box wrench to get at the heads of the 6 or 7 bolts located at the base of the windshield. A short handle 7/16" open end may help with some of the bolt heads. A 90-degree Phillips head screwdriver might be useful, but not easy to use here. Start by removing all of the obvious panels and screws on the bottom of the dash. You will also need to remove the center console and shift cover in order to slide the vertical console out and remove it. BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS. THEY ARE EXTREMELY BRITTLE AND AFTER ALL OF THESE YEARS TEND TO DISSOLVE IN YOUR HANDS NO MATTER HOW CAREFUL YOU ARE WITH THEM. I replaced these connectors because they broke up at the lightest touch. I used Molex 0.062” nylon connectors in a variety of pin configurations that were close to the pin count of the original connectors. I took this opportunity to add a couple of connectors for alarm power, stereo speakers, and power antenna wiring to the harness. Molex connectors should last far longer than the original hard plastic connectors have lasted. Next remove the handles for the air vents and the three screws used to attach the heater controls to the dash. The heater controls stay with the heater cables. NOTE: The heater cables are easily rebuilt and should be replaced while the dash is off of the car if the controls do not move freely. You will find instructions for making new heater control cables using easy to find materials on my TECH page under HEATER. If you plan to replace the heater control cables, do it BEFORE you put the dash back on the car (second time I pulled the dash). Remove the steering wheel and key-lock cover. Unplug the ignition switch connector and the connectors for the wiper and headlights located under the dash. These connectors are originally made of nylon and should be in good condition. Once the connectors are disconnected remove the turn signal assembly from the steering column. Finally remove the U strap supporting the steering column under the dash. Now you are ready to tackle those bolts under the windshield. The 7/16" offset wrench may do all of the work for you. The only place I had any real problems was around the inside bolt by the VIN tag. For some reason there was a little less clearance than there was around the other bolts. BE SURE TO KEEP THESE BOLTS IN A SAFE PLACE. They are pointed at the beginning of the threads to assist in installing them during reassembly. I never had the courage to disconnect the cable harness connectors inside of the dash. They are the same hard, brittle, plastic you found behind the vertical console and I just did not want to spend a couple of days assembling new Molex connectors to replace them. I would strongly suggest a thick pad between the dash and the hand brake handle (keep it in the down position). You might consider removing the shifter from the transmission if you don't want to just put the transmission in reverse to provide as much clearance as possible. The pad prevents possible damage to the glove box door. You could remove the door if you want to protect it completely. Reassembly Reassembly is simply the reverse of the steps required to remove the dash. When you reconnect the speedometer and tach cables be sure they are routed so that they will not be pinched by the column support strap and there is no pinching against any of the other body metal under the dash. One installation trick I learned was to use a stiff wire to align the nuts that receive the bolts on the top of the dash. If they are not aligned to the center of their mounting points you may have a rough time getting the bolts back in. Molex Connectors Molex connectors are available at many electronic supply houses, or they can be ordered from Norvac Electronics (http://norvac.net/). The connectors I used are Molex STANDARD 062 power connectors. I have looked at other sites offering these connectors and I suspect that Norvac, being a manufacturing distributor, has lower pricing. I noticed other connector families on the Molex web page that might work well too. These connectors look similar to those found in modern cars. I don’t know what the cost or availability of these connectors might be. DON’T use insulation displacement connectors on the old wiring in these roadsters. When ordering Molex connectors you will need to order the following components separately: Male body When ordering pins be sure to order a few extra to take care of any
mistakes you might make during the assembly process. You should order a pin removal tool as well in the event you
need to remove a pin from a connector body. |