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Removing the dash is not very difficult. It takes some patience, though. The wiring harness is connected to a junction block at the firewall next to the steering column. The alternative to disconnecting the whole harness is to remove each connector to panel switches, gauge pod, lighter, radio, glove box, steering column, etc. Remove the radio antenna wire. Remove the heater control cables, lamp, and power connection. You can remove the heater control unit from the dash and leave it connected to the control cables, but removing the cables is easier. If you have hideaway headlights, the vacuum lines to the light switch come off with a single ganged connector. The speedometer cable is not long enough to move the dash very far and must be removed. There is a spring clip that holds it to the back of the speedometer. Remove the glove box to gain access to three nuts holding the dash to the metal shelf where the defroster outlets are located. One is above the heater controls, one about the middle of the glove box opening and the last is near the right edge of the opening. Three screws inside the top of the gauge pods hold the other side of the dash. Under the steering wheel is a trim panel with two screws that must be removed. Take care when removing the panel because there are two fragile plastic hooks in the front that slip under the plastic wood dash insert. This exposes the bottom of the steering column and the bolts holding the column up in place. At the base of the steering column is a rubber trim piece, remove it to gain access to the clamp that holds the bottom of the steering column to the firewall. Loosen this clamp but do not remove it. Disconnect the steering column connector, remove the two bolts holding the column to the dash and lower it to the drivers seat. Put something like a pillow under the steering wheel to keep it from digging into the seat. There are two more screws near the steering column support that must be removed. The last two screws are in the dash corners at the bottom of the dash. Gently pull the dash toward you, checking for any wiring you may have missed or for any mods that have been done under the dash to add accessories over the years. Once the dash is free of its mounts and about an inch from its installed position, you can see the backs of the gauge pods. Just above them is the wiring harness. If you did not remove the firewall plug, you need to remove the black plastic sheath that holds the harness to the dash. There are two screws holding it to the back side of the dash above the gauge pods.
There are two was to go on the dash pad. OPGI and Ames sells a hard plastic cover that goes over the existing pad. It must be painted to match your interior. It is serviceable and provides a much improved look over cracked vinyl. It fits fairly well, but doesn't quite align to the chrome gauge bezels or air duct outlets. If you are serious about having the vinyl and padding replaced professionally, checkout Just Dashes. If you want to see the process they use, pick up this month's Hot Rod magazine. They use a vacu-forming method similar to the way the originals were done. They also do vacuum metalizing of the plastic chrome pieces like the gauge pods, vent outlets, etc.
Hope this helps, good luck. This is not an easy process, but it works. I've had my dash out twice to fix years of wiring mods by prior owners and to replace the worn plastic pieces.
Bill
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