1970 Lower Dash - Think this can this be restored?

[80WA7113]

I can't tell you how much I really enjoy that kind of work. It's the details that make all the difference in the world. My wife says that's the engineer part of me channeling...

I'm going to save my flat vanes, and should I ever be lucky enough to come across another set, I will happily transplant them into the cars deflectors. I just didn't want to have mis-matches in my dash. Honestly, nobody would ever have noticed a mis-match, but I would have known they were there. And knowing me, that's all that I would ever see each time I get in the car.

 

[sprink]

Just backed up and followed work.
Great job saving it.
Who didn't cut the dash up in the 70s, 80s?
Hopefully u don't get rid of the car and the next owner hacks it back out!

 

[80WA7113]

Ok gang, this is the last group of pictures to show what the ultimate goal of restoring that lower dash was to lead up to in my mind. I've probably got between 20-25 hours into this dash all together, including all of my nit-picking alignment. Of course I will have to make minor tweaks when I mount it in the car, but those should be minimal, and final installation shouldn't be much more than plug-n-play.

THE END
(of this particular project...more to come)

 

[hubedobeedo]

Ok gang, this is the last group of pictures to show what the ultimate goal of restoring that lower dash was to lead up to in my mind. I've probably got between 20-25 hours into this dash all together, including all of my nit-picking alignment. Of course I will have to make minor tweaks when I mount it in the car, but those should be minimal, and final installation shouldn't be much more than plug-n-play.

View attachment 151276


View attachment 151277


View attachment 151278


View attachment 151279


View attachment 151280


View attachment 151281


View attachment 151282


View attachment 151283


THE END
(of this particular project...more to come)

if you put that kind of detail in the rest of the car it will be Very Nice! great job! keep up on progress, thanks for sharing.

 

[70lt1z28]

Very nice work and an interesting set of parts. A Z28 tach with an AC dashpad. Adding AC to a Z or a higher redline tach to base engine? Did you do the silver edging by hand or tape it off and spray? I don't have a steady enough hand to try by hand.

 

[80WA7113]

The car was originally a base Camaro 350 / TH350 car. It now has 383 410hp mated to the original TH350 (which has been beefed up).

I was just planning on getting a 150/7K combo cluster, but when the (as I consider it) the holy grail of all Camaro clusters was presented for sale by a member here, I just couldn't pass it up. So I bought and restored it.

As far as the A/C dash? The car came with a brand new Vintage Air system uninstalled, and the original pad was long gone, so it was decision time. I could have gotten a non A/C dash and put the center vents in the console cup, but I didn't like that idea, and decided on the A/C dash.

Also, I taped off and sprayed the lower dash trim. I have a steady hand, but not that steady.

 

[tom3]

Getting off topic but - I see your car is on wheel dollies/casters. Do those work pretty decent or get jammed up on every grain of sand when you move the car around? I have a work side and a storage side in my garage, those could come in handy if they work.

 

[80WA7113]

Getting off topic but - I see your car is on wheel dollies/casters. Do those work pretty decent or get jammed up on every grain of sand when you move the car around? I have a work side and a storage side in my garage, those could come in handy if they work.

They work great. It makes getting the car out of the way easy. You have to lay into the car a bit when moving it out or back in because the wheels have to pivot 180º, but once they rotate, they roll freely. Keeping the wheels and pivots lubed helps too.

 

[giggity]

might have been my installation, but keep in mind that the factory radio helps to hold the dash a little.

The radio put a lot of pressure on the dash knob area when I installed the lower part. Not sure if the radio was supposed to go in after the lower dash. It just didnt seems like there was enough room to get radio in after putting lower dash in.

 

[blown32]

Absolutely amazing craftsmanship! Very nice!