Chimaera Dash Removal - where's me bolt?

[MADMAX2]

kramv8 said:

Hi all!

I've just picked up on this thread as I'm attempting to remove the dashtop on my '93 Chimaera 400.

I believe I've successfully removed the two bolts retaining the passenger side however, I can't for the life of me locate the driver's side bolt. I've spent the past hour cramped in the footwell trying to do so and now have a very sore back and neck and I'm also now claustrophobic!

One post said you could get to the bolt without getting in the footwell and for the life of me I can't see how that's possible.

Please can someone help!?

Thanks.

I can take my dash off in 29 seconds!!!! Well I have practiced!!!

[dazee]

Just done mine. Can't see how you'd do it without getting yourself into the footwell. Get yourself down there with a torch, it's not hard to reach once you find it. Just take your 10mm spanner with you as you don't want to be getting in and out of there too often.

I was surprised just 3 bolts holding it in place. Mine took some persuading to let go - seems over a decade of cleaning agents can get the leathers to become bonded together where they meet and take a little persuasion to let go.

[davelittlewood]

Done mine a few times. I can just get the driver's side off by squatting down next to the seat and worming my arm up into the bowels of the dash.

I have done it by getting head down into the foot well but I've got a bad back and I got stuck the last time!
Took me ages to get out and I was pretty green by the time I was the right way up again.

Ratchet 10mm spanner is a must.

Once you've got the dash off cut the drivers side bolt down. You can get an ideas of how much to remove before you take the dash out.

The driver s bolt is too long and might gouge the covering on the dash.

Anyhow have fun...

[ChimpOnGas]

Once you've removed the bolts/nuts and got the dash top off you can use self adhesive Velcro tape to fix it back on.

The threaded studs fixed to the dash top help to locate it correctly and when it's in place there are no rattles as the Vecro seems to damp any vibration between the upper & lower dash sections.

Best of all removing the dash top in future becomes a three second job, there's plenty of hidden dash area to apply the self adhesive Velcro tape so its completely invisible when the dash top is in place.

There really are no disadvantaged to the Velcro tape idea, only advantages

[NZ fan]

ChimpOnGas said:

Once you've removed the bolts/nuts and got the dash top off you can use self adhesive Velcro tape to fix it back on.

The threaded studs fixed to the dash top help to locate it correctly and when it's in place there are no rattles as the Vecro seems to damp any vibration between the upper & lower dash sections.

Best of all removing the dash top in future becomes a three second job, there's plenty of hidden dash area to apply the self adhesive Velcro tape so its completely invisible when the dash top is in place.

There really are no disadvantaged to the Velcro tape idea, only advantages

That's brilliant, I've been driving around with my dash top just sitting on with no nuts while I sort out some wiring issues. This sounds like a good move might just fit the one nut under the flap to make sure it stays put. Cheers

[davettf2]

The studs locating the dash, the vertical one maybe, but the ones at the back of the dash on mine need 40mm washers to get to something solid!!!!! But Velcro, what a cracking idea.
regards
dave

[bsdnazz]

My turn to remove the dash top and while I've got all three nuts off and freeed the passenger side of the dash I'm damned if I can release the drivers corner of the top.

I really does not want to come out. Is there some strange contortion I need to get it through? The block of wood is not helping either. Should I remove that?

Also, should the drivers side bolt be lose? It's not as I assume it's got a bolt on the outside of the dash to hold it in place.

Edited by bsdnazz on Saturday 27th February 16:55

[chimp427]

With mine you lift the passenger side up and then ease the drivers side toward the rear of the car as the bolt needs to clear the hole it goes through before it will lift up.
Be careful you dont catch the dash leather with the end of the bolt.

[bsdnazz]

Steering wheel off and more more brute force and moderated ignorance and the damn thing is off.

The drivers side bolt is held in with pop rivets and I think they're going in the morning to be replaced with velcro...

[Paulprior]

Hi
I am just trying to access the pasengers side space and hoping to do it by just removing the passenger side bolts, i have done this but i get no movement, is it just a straight up movement with a little force that i need?

Thanks

Paul

[QBee]

Paulprior said:

Hi
I am just trying to access the pasengers side space and hoping to do it by just removing the passenger side bolts, i have done this but i get no movement, is it just a straight up movement with a little force that i need?

Thanks

Paul

The bolt nearest to you goes in downwards, the one nearest the windscreen goes in pointing towards the front of the car. So it's a lift and pull action once the nuts are off. Be careful not to snag the fabric with the bolts.

[ou sont les biscuits]

spend said:

Athlon said:

....the pass side vertical one was a bugger to get back ..

I put masking tape on the washer and 'stick' that on first, put the nut in a small short socket and just screw it on. The socket is easier to hold and spin with my fumbly fingers than trying to manipulate a minute nut in two fingers with gynecologist precision

Another thread resurrection. I've just taken my dash off. I know I'm quoting a post from 2009, but the main problem I had was that someone had stuck some masking tape on the washer on the vertical stud to hold it in place before putting the nut on.

After who knows how many years, the masking tape had come unstuck and draped itself around the nut, making it imposible to get a spanner on it. Not having arms like a gibbon, I couldn't get any purchase on the tape to rip it off. So, my advice is, if you are planning to do this job more than once, don't use the masking tape trick.

What I think I'll try is before putting the dash top back on is to drop a stud through the hole from the top, and glue a washer on the bottom using some contact adhesive. What could possibly go wrong in a confined space where you can't see what you are doing and can barely reach where the stud is?

[bobfather]

I bolted a hard rubber bung into the third bolt position on the dash top. Bung is a tight fit into the socket hole and about 2cm long. Easy to remove the dash top now as the bung doesn't need to be unbolted and holds firmly due to the securing of the other two bolts.

eta, I also replaced the two passenger side nuts with wingnuts. Dash top removal takes me about 10 mins

Edited by bobfather on Sunday 10th April 10:34

[QBee]

....or don't bother with the nuts at all, just use the bolts as guides to locate the dash top and either use nothing at all, or some velcro strips, to hold it in place.

[Belle427]

As others have said once you have done it a few times you get the knack, i can do mine in under 5 mins now!
The drivers side i find easier to reach when your sat against the open drivers door hinge area reaching up.