70 drivers side dash removal

[Stan G.]

I need to replace the drivers side speaker on my 70 and tried dropping the dash . Does the steering col. need to be dropped to allow the dash to come out . It will drop partialy down on the left but the right won't release . Don't want to break anything . Thought putting an original radio back in the car would be a simple project -NOT

Thanks in advance
Stan

[Patrick H.]

Re: 70 drivers side dash removal

Yes, it is much easier to drop the column. Also note that the sill plate and the kick panel need to come out or you'll break either the dash panel or the sill plate.

If you are creative, you "may" be able to remove the speaker once the center gauge cluster has been removed. Operative word - may. You have to reach behind the dash and try. Having the dash dropped down (but not necessarily removed) will help.

Patrick

[Mark S.]

Re: 70 drivers side dash removal

I put new speakers in my 70 several years ago and did not remove the driver dash or drop the steering column. You can remove all inside windshield trim, passenger dash, center radio/gauge console, and screws only that hold the driver dash to upper dash pad. Most will probably already be removed to replace radio. Then the entire upper dash can be removed in one piece. The speakers can then be replaced and the upper dash pad put back in.

[Patrick H.]

Re: 70 drivers side dash removal

FYI, doing it Mark's way there is a chance of breaking the upper dash piece.
Just a forewarning....

[Erich M.]

Re: 70 drivers side dash removal

Stan,

I just replaced the driver's side and passenger side speakers on my '72. In order to gain access to the drivers side speaker I had to have the upper dash move upward so that you can get your hands in between the driver's side dash and the upper dash. I did not remove the upper dash.
The upper dash slides into the lower window frame with metal clips that are attached to the upper pad. In order to get the upper dash to move up, it first has to move forward to disengage the clips. The upper dash will not move forward if the driver's side dash is not lowered slightly. Therefore the steering column must be lowered so that it clears the upper dash when it is moved forward. You also have to remove the passenger side dash and garnish molding in order to get the upper dash to move forward and up. In addition there is a screw that holds the upper dash to a bracket attached to the window frame. This has to be removed.
I also removed center gage cluster and heater ducting. This allowed me to remove the driver's side speaker out towards the passenger side. If the driver's side dash is only lowered a little bit and the upper dash is moved up but not removed, then I don't think there is enough room to extract the speaker towards the rear of the car without moving the speedometer/tach cluster significantly forward rather than just dropping it slightly.

Erich Meyer
'72 LT1 5-Star Bowtie, Original Owner
Central NJ Chapter NCRS

[Robert S.]

Re: 70 drivers side dash removal

I replaced my speakers last year at this time on my 74' by removing the upper dash pad as described in some of the other replies. It is true that you have to flex the pad a little to get it out but, at least on my car, the amount of flexing was very minimal. I never considered that the flex I had to do would break the pad but I am sure others have had problems. Main point is to not be afraid to try to get the dash pad out - makes speaker replacement easy. A couple of other points. Make sure the replacement speakers are exactly the same size as the originals since there is not much room for the underside of the speaker on the drivers side. Also the replacements I obtained, although identical looking, required that I open up the 4 holes in the edges of the speaker that mate with the studs on the pot metal part that bolts to the underside of the dash pad. With the dash pad out, opening up these holes just enough to get the speaker to fit on the studs is very easy. The fitting could also be done with the dash pad still on the car but with a lot more work. Also make sure to get the right ohm speakers for the radio in the car.

[Jim T.]

Re: 70 drivers side dash removal

No going to the garage to look or look at a service manual, I believe there is a firewall support brace for the steering column that has two bolts that should be removed to drop the steering column down as well as the bolts under the drivers dash.

[Erich M.]

Re: 70 drivers side dash removal

Stan,

I looked into the firewall bolts issue. I didn't need to do anything with them. The column dropped enough to do what I needed. I never dropped the column before and was concerned as you are. If you do not loosen any firewall column bolts, the column really doesn't drop very much even if the column support bolts under ths dash are removed.

I purchased my speakers from S/M Elecro-Tech in Minnesota. Had no problems! Speakers fit right over the studs in the upper dash. You do have to put some spacers on the dash studs (supplied by Electo-Tech) to take care of nut interference problems with the replacement speakers. I found Electro-Tech very knowledgable about Corvette replacement speakers and easy to talk to on the phone.

Also very important based on my research and as posted by others, make sure your replacement speakers are 10 ohm!

Erich Meyer
'72 LT1 5-Star Bowtie, Original Owner
Central NJ Chapter NCRS

[Bill C.]

Re: 70 drivers side dash removal

Remove the inside upper window trim
then the inside pillar side trim.

Remove the bezel containing the fan switch
remove the 6 screws that hold the gauge bezel to the lower dash pads.
remove the 6 screws at the top of each lower dash pads.

loosen/remove the side screws of each lower pad - the outer ones in the door jamb

remove the screw holding the upper pad to a retaninig bracket located on the passenger side.

at this point you should be able to carefully bend and remove the entire dash pad - you will need to unplug both speaker wires.

should take no more than 30 minutes to remove -


did this MANY times......

Bill

[James N.]

Re: 70 drivers side dash removal

Stan,

I looked into the firewall bolts issue. I didn't need to do anything with them. The column dropped enough to do what I needed. I never dropped the column before and was concerned as you are. If you do not loosen any firewall column bolts, the column really doesn't drop very much even if the column support bolts under ths dash are removed.

I purchased my speakers from S/M Elecro-Tech in Minnesota. Had no problems! Speakers fit right over the studs in the upper dash. You do have to put some spacers on the dash studs (supplied by Electo-Tech) to take care of nut interference problems with the replacement speakers. I found Electro-Tech very knowledgable about Corvette replacement speakers and easy to talk to on the phone.

Also very important based on my research and as posted by others, make sure your replacement speakers are 10 ohm!

Erich Meyer
'72 LT1 5-Star Bowtie, Original Owner
Central NJ Chapter NCRS

You'll be hard pressed to find a better Vendor to work with than Electro-Tech. For radios, speakers, clocks, guages....any electrical instruments. I highly recommend.

[Stan G.]

Re: 70 drivers side dash removal

Thanks for everyones input . Had'nt considered removing the dash pad didn't know how it came out , thought if I could drop the drivers side lower dash enough I could access the speaker through that space . I already purchased 10 ohm replacement speakers from Vol Vette . Never thought trying to put a correct radio back in this car would be such a hassle . New 10 ohm spkrs to replace the 4 ohm , new power plug and speaker plug (both missing).I don't listen to the radio when I drive it anyway .
This 70 vert is a learning process . I removed every piece of my 58 and restored it mostly by myself but I bought this 70 already restored so I'm still finding out how everything comes apart and goes back together.

Thanks everybody
Stan

[Robert S.]

Re: 70 drivers side dash removal

I purchased my speakers from Volunteer Vette and had to open up the 4 attachment holes slightly to get the speaker to fit down over the studs. Otherwise speakers looked to be identical to the originals and once installed work fine.

[Stan G.]

Re: 70 drivers side dash removal

I have already mounted the passenger side speaker and thats what I had to do just bore out the holes slightly .
Thanks , Stan

[Bill L.]

Re: 70 drivers side dash removal

Be very vey careful bending the dash pad. It will crack.

Ideally I would set the car in the sun on a nice hot day to remove the pad as others have described. Let the pad heat up so it will be nice and flexible.

You can probably do the entire job in a couple hours taking your time.


Bill

[Stan G.]

Re: 70 drivers side dash removal

Bill thats a great idea . Its greaat to have a site where you can get help from so many people who have already done what you are attempting to do so that you don't make any mistakes . If I have to take the dash pad out and the drivers dash out I want to research how to repair the oddometer reset while I'm in there . Thats another project .

Thanks to everyone,
Stan