SWB vs LWB Dash Top?

[skibovr6]

ok here is the issue, I have a 66 the car interior is mint...except the dash top. I am going CRAZY trying to find a dash top for the early SWB car. What is the difference between the dash tops? Will a 68-72 dash fit in a 66? Am I the only one with this issue? Please, any info would be great!

[Strato 102]

Is the problem that the vinyl top has pulled away from the edges? If so, this is a fairly easy fix. The dash comes out by undoing the nuts on the long angled bolts accessed through the trunk. The dash top pulls apart by carefully bending some metal tabs. I used a heat gun to warm the vinyl and some contact cement to re-attach. Make sure the padding is evened out and check the material under the speaker holes as it degrades. It seems that the speaker holes/pattern is very hard to replicate so it is worth it to try to save what you have. 68 dashes were kind of a hybrid and 69 on dashes are worth about a billion dollars if intact. The covers are bonded to the padding and almost always crack, too hot or too cold! 1967 dash tops were made by simply stretching and gluing vinyl over fiber padding.

[sithot]

Two nuts as mentioned and tabs hold it to the front. You can send it out for a re-cover if you don't want to take on the job yourself. 15 minutes and it should be out.

LWB: windshield out, and a couple of hours. A new one won't fit exactly as the defroster vents on the earlier LWB cars are different than later cars which is what the new ones are patterned on. (the last time I recall this discussion coming up.) Sometimes, the studs are not where they should be either. In any event, you are in much better shape with SWB dash issue than a LWB.

Good luck,

Tom

[68911+1]

As "they" say, it is not rocket science.

Here's a homegrown recover on a '66 done for about $10 in materials. Or just ship it off and pay the fee for the concours job.

[jimhuiz]

Uhhh...if you did that recover with the speaker holes turning out that nice...for $10 in materials...all I can say is...wow! that is spectacular. Nice work.

As "they" say, it is not rocket science.

Here's a homegrown recover on a '66 done for about $10 in materials. Or just ship it off and pay the fee for the concours job.

[RonW]

x2
that turned out great!!! any interest in helping anyother SF'er w/ it ?