Dash Removal S3C

[Mr Plow]

Hi All

I'm currently in the process of removing the two wood veneer panels for recovering or replacing. I have used the search function, located all the bolts on both panels, the small one is straight forward the large panel not so.
I have the panel pulled forward everywhere but the middle around the heater controls. I read that I should be able to pull the panel forward and remove the controls, this is proving difficult. The photo below shows the heater set up, has anyone succesfully managed to pull the panel forward with this set up, I don't want to break anything (its not my car!!) The photos I have seen has a slightly different less chunky set up.



Any advice greatfully accepted before I break something, or give up to go and fix the cuts on my hands !!

Cheers

Liam

[mep12345]

Liam,

I think with this type you have to get your hands behind and disconnect cables from the sliders before pulling the dash forward.

Mark

[Mr Plow]

Hi Mark

I was hoping you won't say that

Thank you, it was your site that I got all the info from.

Any idea how the cables come off the sliders?

Here goes the rest of my skin then. I hope its worth it

Cheers

Liam

[Barry S1]

Not the same as my S1 but your before photos are better than my after photos,
Good luck with it

[mep12345]

Pinch bolt if they are the same as on the later ones

[Mr Plow]

mep12345 said:

Pinch bolt if they are the same as on the later ones

Thanks, I'll give it another go tomorrow evening I think. Maybe from the passenger side, the cables go in from the drivers side so it may be easier from the other side.

Thanks again, see you soon.

Liam

[ThePrisoner]

Here is a picture that might help you.

[phillpot]

And a close up

[Mr Plow]

ThePrisoner said:

Here is a picture that might help you.

Thanks for the picture, I've been doing a little more searching and found this:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=3&a...

Looks like it going to be harder than I first thought, oh well.

Hope your reading this Longers ??

[Mr Plow]

Thanks Mike, as above I need to get that out, I might take the entire dash out to make it easier getting it back together again.

[phillpot]

Mr Plow said:

Hope your reading this Longers ??

££££££££££££££££££££'s

[Barry S1]

On my S1 the bolts are in the dashboard and the heater
controls are fitted from the back so not as hard to do,thats progress for you, still took me 4 hours to put it back in

[ThePrisoner]

Mr Plow said:

Thanks for the picture, I've been doing a little more searching and found this:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=3&a...

Looks like it going to be harder than I first thought, oh well.

Hope your reading this Longers ??

No problem , i have a spare Heater Control Assembly if things go pear shaped.

[foot2firewall]

On my S3C I found that releasing the heater cable from the heater control under the bonnet allowed a bit more movement on the dash panel, sufficient to get a spanner behind it to undo the nuts

[Sandgrounder]

I did mine in Sept last year. There was no way in hell I could get access to the cables even whilst pulling the dash as far forward as possible.

Didn't fancy taking entire dash out, so I forced heater control out, bending the U clamps in the process until I could get access to cables. Did a little bit of damage to heater panel with the grips, but if you are clever, you should be able to get a screw driver behind the control panel and lever it out. Unless of course you are happy to remove entire dash.

When I re-installed the heater control, I drilled two small holes in the sides, countersunk, and inserted two small black screws, which pass behind the metal plate, so all is secure, neat and also easy to remove the next time!

Good luck!

[Stone Cold]

Good luck Liam, this is exactly why I always looked at it and though you know what, nah, couldn't be arsed myself, didn't have the nerve to ask you and couldn't afford for anyone else to do it. I hope Longers appreciates it and that you are charging him accordingly

[glenrobbo]

Stone Cold said:

Good luck Liam, this is exactly why I always looked at it and though you know what, nah, couldn't be arsed myself, didn't have the nerve to ask you and couldn't afford for anyone else to do it. I hope Longers appreciates it and that you are charging him accordingly

I hope that after rewarding L.I.Am for his services, Longers has enough funds left over to afford coming on the Eurotour with us.

I think I speak for all of us in saying that it just wouldn't be the same without him.

[Mr Plow]

Good news, its out



Thanks you for all the advice.

Rest of the car now looks like this. Don't show Longers.

[glenrobbo]

Well done Liam,
Is that the rest of the wiring loom visible top left of the picture?
Good luck putting it all back .
Hope you remember where all the flower pots go.