What kind of twisted bozo removes the entire dashboard when the dashboard doesn’t need replacing? Truth be told there are several repairs that sort of require it: the heater core is one. A heater core can be done without removing all of the dashboard, but it’s a lot easier to do with the dash out of the way. If you need to re-wire the dash, you have to take the dash out of the car to access the harnesses. Unless you like swearing. Here’s a little known secret: you need to remove the dash if you have to replace the convertible top switch. There’s a brace for the steering column mount that they don’t tell you about in the service manual. It’s blocking one of the two nuts that holds the switch on. Mr. Bungle might just cut and remove the brace so that next time a switch needs service, you just work around it. That brace is there for a reason. Give yourself an excuse to spend a day communing with your car. Take the dash apart. What else do you have to do with your Saturday?
Me, I’ve got a heater core and a top switch to replace, so the dash is coming out. These are good off-season projects to stretch out over several weekends when weather allows, and you don’t care if the car is inoperable. Can you tell I live in the north?
You’ll need:
- 5/16”, 1/4” sockets (from a 1/4” drive) and wrenches. And a few other sizes. Just keep the 1/4″ set handy. This is why the Scout’s Pledge says, “be prepared”. Of course if you weren’t a boy scout you don’t know this. So I’m telling you now. Better late than never. I think that’s also in the Scout’s Pledge.
- an English straight-head screwdriver
- a #3 Phillips screwdriver
- plenty of Ziploc baggies (or any other brand, this isn’t a plug)
- a permanent marker
- flagging tape
- A small tool tray/caddy. Keep your tools in this, and drop parts into this so you don’t lose them. A little neatness separates repair jobs that are fun from repair jobs that suck.
- A task light. I stopped in the hardware store today and they have these new LED task lights that are smaller than a flashlight and throw a lot of light. I bought one and it’s a LOT better than the old fashioned task lights that are bulky, get uber-hot, and have electric cords that you get tangled up in. It has a magnet so you can mount it up in the dash and ACTUALLY SEE WHAT YOU ARE DOING! Get one that uses AA for longer life, and get some rechargable batteries for it. Save the big bulky hot thing for big jobs like chassis or engine compartment work.
Here’s a before shot of a 1970 Cutlass Supreme dashboard. This procedure should work on any Olds A body from 1970-72 with minor tweaks, depending on the accessories your car comes equipped with. The procedure pretty much follows the one in the chassis service manual, with one-two tweaks to accommodate my personal preferences.
A typical 1970 Cutlass Supreme dashboard. I think it’s time to remove all those old vehicle tax stickers and state park passes.
The pictures use colored arrows to show where screws and other hardware are located. I’ve seen a lot of how-to guides that show a picture, but don’t point out where the screws are. Sometimes there are 3 dozen screws in the shot, when the guide says “remove the 3 screws”. The arrows will make this all easier to follow. Think of it as “dashboard removal for dummies”.
Do a light check to see if you’ve got any burnt-out bulbs. This is the perfect time to replace them, since you’ll have everything apart. Write down which bulbs are out, get the new bulbs from the parts store, and pop ‘em in when you reassemble.
1) Disconnect battery. I know this is obvious, but it bears repeating so you don’t send yourself to the hospital or wreck something that’s half a paycheck to replace.
2) Remove lower A/C ducts. Chances are you don’t have an 8-track player, so this is one piece. If you have an 8-track player, The Song Remains the Same, man! Oh, and you have two pieces to remove. Most of the screws are in recesses; you’ll need to use a screwdriver handle on a 5/16” socket. The one on the far left is flush to the dash. Most of the screws you’ll encounter on the dash will be 5/16”. Unless one of the previous owners was sloppy and stripped a few screws out, or lost some of them. Then you’ll have some that are 5/16”, some that are 7/16, and some that are Phillips heads. BTW, if you strip a screw out and have to replace it with a larger screw, DO NOT USE A PHILLIPS HEAD SCREW! Especially if the screw goes into a recess. If that screw head gets stripped you’re really gonna piss someone off. I know from experience.
The lower A/C duct assembly on a 1970 Cutlass Supreme.
Once the screws are off, the duct assembly is gonna come right off. Put the screws in a baggie, label, zip, and put to the side.
I’ve heard people refer to these ducts as “skirt chasers”, “crotch coolers”, and “poor man’s ass warmers”. Do these things really push enough air to do any of those things?
3) Remove glove box. To do this, you’ll need to take off the door/hinge, the glove box light, and the striker. Refer to the picture below to locate all the screws. Everything should have a 5/16” head except the glove box light, which will be a Phillips head. Don’t remove the door from the hinge; just remove the whole thing as an assembly. Those bottom 3 screws are kinda hidden behind the hinge.
Location of glove box screws, 1970 Cutlass Supreme. All these screws to hold on a piece of cardboard.
Oh, almost forgot. There’s a stopper on the glove box door, all the way to the left. I didn’t show it in the picture becasue someone who shouldn’t be named removed it but neglected to reconnect it. You can’t see it in the picture so you don’t know it’s there.
Getting the glove box out is a lesson in geometry. The thing is made of cardboard and if it is old, it’s not gonna make it out alive. The replacement boxes are cheap, so just order one and replace it. You’ll need to push the thing up, back, and turn it to the left to get it out.
4. Remove steering column trim panel. After doing something tough, I like doing something easy. It’s two screws staring you right in the face, if you’re laying on your back with the driveshaft hump pressing into your lumbar.
Location of screws on steering column trim panel, 1970 Cutlass Supreme.
5. Remove A/C manifold if so equipped. I read somewhere that most CS’s came out of the factory with A/C, as the car was marketed as an entry-level personal luxury car. Chances are you have this duct, even if you don’t have A/C because some kid removed it in 1979 to make the car “go faster”. This is why I groove on having a car this old with the original A/C system. Anyways, there are two screws holding this on. Once you pop out the screws, the duct comes right off.
Screw location, A/C manifold, 1970 Cutlass Supreme.
This is a good spot to also remind you to get replacement gaskets whenever you do a job like this. In most cases you have no idea when the last time the gaskets were changed, and they’re probably the original gaskets. What do you suppose my 44-year old gaskets were like when I took the manifold off? That’s right, spaghetti.
6) Remove left-side A/C duct. While you’re lying on your back practicing to be a contortionist, shift around and remove the duct on the driver’s side. There’s only one screw holding it in. With the manifold out of the way this duct will pop right off. You now have full access to everything behind the dash… from below.
Screw location. LH side A/C duct, 1970 Cutlass Supreme.
7) Remove instrument trim panel. OK, time to sit up and stretch. The instrument panel has four screws. Two up top, and two below that serve the dual purpose of holding on the light diffusers for your options switches. Grab your Phillips and take ‘em off. I’ll stress this really important tidbit now: DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN ANY OF THESE SCREWS! The two that hold on the light diffusers are perfect examples. Over-tighten these, and you’ll warp the diffusers. You’ll warp most of the plastic on these dashes. It’s not like the modern shit that’s treated with chemicals to prevent UV and heat damage. When you put stuff back on, snug ‘em up and you’re done. If your gramma can’t get them off, they’re too tight.
Screw location, instrument panel trim, 1970 Cutlass Supreme.
Here’s an example of how to use the plastic bags: put the hardware in, label what the parts are for, and find a box to put them all in so they’re all in one place. If you’re doing this as a weekend job, it might be a while before you get back to work. You’ll forget stuff. I’m a single man with no kids, but I’ve seen what my nephews are like in a garage and if you don’t keep stuff organized and put away, shit’s gonna get lost. I can’t stress this enough: a little bit of neatness goes a long way. I expect this job will span 4-6 weeks for me, and there’s no way I’m going to remember which screw goes where when I put this baby back together at the end of March.
Hardware and small parts tucked away neatly in a bag. My gramma would be so proud.
8) Remove idiot light cluster (also known as the fuel gauge). You’ll take the instrument clusters off left to right, starting with the idiot light cluster. Remove the three screws. Gently work the cluster forward. Pop off the wiring connector. Use an English screwdriver to GENTLY pry up. Once you work it loose, use your hands to get it off the rest of the way.
The instrument panel with trim removed, showing screw location. 1970 Cutlass Supreme.
Removing wiring harness from the back of an instrument cluster, 1970 Cutlass Supreme.
9) Remove LH duct hose. See that paper hose going up to the LH A/C vent? With the idiot light cluster out of the way, you can reach in and work it loose from the vent. There’s two plusses to having this out of the way: it lets a bit more light behind the dash, and it makes it easier to remove the wiring harnesses. This hose was stapled to the vent at the factory, so to remove it you’ll need to pop off the louvers and remove the staple. Unless somebody in the past didn’t know that this was all stapled together. In that case, your hose will look like this when you get it out of the car:
You said you couldn’t feel any cold air through the vent when the A/C was on? Well there’s your problem.
That’s what restoration parts warehouses are for, right?
With the louvers off, you can take those inside and give them a good scrubbing in the mudroom sink. And get some chrome touch-up paint to freshen up all the chips in the “chrome” accents on the louvers. Poor man’s alternative: Testor’s silver enamel paint is great for touching up chips in the chrome. No one will notice except you.
10) Remove speedometer. Take out the screws. Also, take off the ground strip and put it in the bag with the screws. You’ve got two things going on in the back that’ll make this a party if you aren’t careful. Disengage the transmission gear indicator if you have a column-mounted shifter. Back down on the floor and look up at the steering column. You’ll see a thin metal rod like a paperclip, attached to a hook on the steering column. The hook is held in with a screw, on my car it was 1/4″. Use a wrench to remove. Trust me, you can’t fit a socket on it.
Mounting location for the transmission gear indicator, 1970 Cutlass Supreme.
While you’re down there, shine a light on the back of the gauge. See that cable smack dab in the middle? That’s the speedometer cable. It’s held in by a metal retainer. There’s a tab on the bottom of the retainer. Get the English screwdriver, depress on the tab, and pull the gauge forward. The cable should pop right off and the speedo is free. Remove the wiring harness like you did with the idiot lights.
Location (sort of) of speedometer cable to speedometer mount. 1970 Cutlass Supreme.
11) Remove clock. Yeah, the thing died 15 minutes after the car drove off the dealer’s lot, but you still have to deal with the body. Three screws out, pop off the electrical lead and the light bulbs, and that’s that. BTW, if your clock doesn’t work there are rebuild services that will replace the old mechanical clock with quartz movement hardware. I’d recommend this service. Had this done back in 1997, and after 16 years the clock is still working. That’s 15 years, 364 days, 23 hours, and 45 minutes longer than the factory clock worked. And it keeps better time than the digital clock in my 2005 Honda Civic or my 2011 Ford F-150. Besides, if your concours judge takes off the instrument panel to see if it’s still the original mechanical clock, you’re dealing with a judge who REALLY needs to get a life.
Back of the clock cluster, 1970 Cutlass Supreme. How is a concours judge supposed to tell this has a quartz clock in it?
12) Remove radio. If you’re like me and you still have the factory radio, this is easy. If you put an aftermarket radio in, you’re on your own. Remove the knobs and the two nuts that hold the dials in place. With the glove box out, you’ve got easy access to the mounting bracket. There’s a single nut holding the radio to the bracket. EPIC FAIL on the anti-theft device. Then again, who’d want to steal one of these radios? Can you imagine how whacked out someone would have to be? Anyways, remove the nut, 7/32” or some odd size like that, and the radio slides right down the back and out of the car.
Radio dial retainer nuts, 1970 Cutlass Supreme.
Radio mounting bracket nut, viewed from glovebox opening, 1970 Cutlass Supreme.
If you have a factory radio, this is a good time to clean the volume and station tuners. In the old days, we’d scoot down to Radio Shack, get some tuner cleaner, pop off the cover, take out the tuners, spray them down, and put it all back together. Good as new. Radio Shack doesn’t sell that stuff anymore. Now you have to go to Amazon. Search “contact cleaner” or “TV tuner cleaner” and you’ll find it. I’ve heard some say brake cleaner works. Without doing a label comparison I’m not willing to sacrifice the radio.
At this point, you’ve done everything you need to do to undress the dash for removal. When we continue, we’ll unplug wiring harnesses, loosen the steering column, and remove the nuts and screws holding the dash to the car. Much of this is blind work so don’t expect many pictures. BTW, if you’ve followed directions your dash should look like this:
I wouldn’t suggest driving anywhere. You won’t be able to tell how fast you are going or if you have enough time to make it to the next gas station before your tank runs dry.
Part II coming up when I get to it. Depends on the weather.
This Old(s) Car 