Taking the top of the dash out. PLEASE HELP!

[ned2xlr8]

OK. So I've got all of my dash, center console, vents, and doors painted now. But I can't figure out how to get the top of the dash out. I'm sort of scared of the passenger side airbag popping. I certainly don't want that. Will someone please tell me how to do this? If you have any pics that would greatly be appreciated. And if anyone knows how to get the steering wheel off, too, I could use some help with that.

[rainfever]

i'd also like to know how this is done, something i'll end up doing in the future.

[Censee]

heres how i did mine.... im still in the process of chagning my interior to black...

http://community.webshots.com/photo/727740...155733162fnIbQn ('http://community.webshots.com/photo/72774091/155733162fnIbQn')

http://community.webshots.com/photo/727740...160935659ACTjFq ('http://community.webshots.com/photo/72774091/160935659ACTjFq')


first u have to take off certain parts of the car... the glove box,,the part under the steering wheelwhere ure knees would be at,, the underside of the center radio consoile (the area that goes attatched to ure glove box right under the radio console above the lighter and ashtray)....pull up the rectangle plastic grey piece that covers the passenger airbag,, u will see its held by nylon.....then u will have to cut the nylon attatched to ure passenger airbag,,,this really makes no difference in whether the aibag works or not,,beacause the nylon is there to hold the grey rectangle plastic in place in which u can just reclip it back on,,,, u have to cut that nylon under the airbag beacause the plastic piece on the dash on the passenger airbag will not let the dash come off because its bigger than the actual hole made for it..... when u have the glove box,all the trims on the dash,gauge bezel,both pillars,,ac vents,,etc.. panel under the radio console,and the panel under ure steering wheel,and the air bag plastic cover on ure passengerall off..,,,, u then have to take off the plastic grey covers on each side where u open the doors and the
fuses are inside ure car,, on each side.....u will take off those covers and on the end u will have to unscrew two bolts that hold the dash in place at each side,u will notice them because they are the only gold bolts holding it in place.,then,,,,,then u will have to unbolt 2 bolts that lay behind the speedometer gauge bezel,(which u should have off),that hold the l driver side of the dash to the metal on the car ,,,then unbolt any bolts that hold the dash to the car,,radio trims,etc..,then set the steering wheel angle at its lowest to give u more clearence and space to work...,then u will have to pullupward and outward at the same time because the big piece where it meets the windshield comes together with the frontal dash that is covered in grey stock vynil..... after that u just have to keep pulling up and out, it will come off with some struglle,,, but it will come off.. clip it off and take the whole piece out..the whole piece u will take off is the front dash along with the 2nd part of the dash that meets the windshiield,,since they are both stuck together..its kinda hard to explain but i hope u understood,,,,,i dont havce a clue on how to take off the steering wheel.. i suggest u discoonect ure battery when messing with the dash , just to prevent the air bags from deploying...any other questions,, ill try my best to answer

[Bigg Boi]

Censee basically hit the nail on the head. I dont know if he mentioned this, but I took off the plastic on the A-pillars. Those pieces got in the way of lifting upwards when I was removing my dash.

[rainfever]

thanks for the post and pics

[ned2xlr8]

Thanks so much. I'm going to do it tommorow. I had already taken out all the things you mentioned and a couple of the gold bolts. The radio bezel is what I was missing along with the pillar covers. So in other words I've been driving around with no bottom dash and other parts for two weeks b/c of two more bolts and the pillar covers. Thanks Censee! I was going to just ask you but in the second pic, which I saw yesterday, it didn't look like your top dash was painted so I figured you couldn't get that piece out either. Well TGC helped me again. I'm so glad I ran across this site one day b/c you all are the shit! When I get finished I'll try and post pics. I'm going with black and pearl white and so far it is tight. I just couldn't stand that shitty tan.

[ned2xlr8]

Censee I meant to ask you where you got those diamond plate floormats? I have been wanting some of those. I've about decided to buy the material and bend/cut them myself. But damn that shit is expensive at Lowe's or Home Depot. If you can tell me where you got those it would probably save me a lot of money and would for sure save me a pain in the ass. Thanks again.

[Censee]

Thanks so much. I'm going to do it tommorow. I had already taken out all the things you mentioned and a couple of the gold bolts. The radio bezel is what I was missing along with the pillar covers. So in other words I've been driving around with no bottom dash and other parts for two weeks b/c of two more bolts and the pillar covers. Thanks Censee! I was going to just ask you but in the second pic, which I saw yesterday, it didn't look like your top dash was painted so I figured you couldn't get that piece out either. Well TGC helped me again. I'm so glad I ran across this site one day b/c you all are the shit! When I get finished I'll try and post pics. I'm going with black and pearl white and so far it is tight. I just couldn't stand that shitty tan.

yes i did take EVERYTHING out.. u see in the other pic where my interior is COMPLETELY stripped,, theres no dash in there(top or bottom).. theres no way to wrap the part that is black on my car without taking off the top and bottom dash off the car compltely.......beacause the two pieces come stuck together stock...i did take off the entire dash...oh and i didnt paint anything u see there black,, i wrapped it in black vynil....i left the top dash grey because i didnt like it all black,, so i left it grey,, but my entire dash was wrapped blue before,, the pics are here somewhere,, but now i changed my mind on the colors so im redoing em,,but i decided to leave the top grey so it wouldnt be too much black in one spot...

[Censee]

Censee I meant to ask you where you got those diamond plate floormats? I have been wanting some of those. I've about decided to buy the material and bend/cut them myself. But damn that shit is expensive at Lowe's or Home Depot. If you can tell me where you got those it would probably save me a lot of money and would for sure save me a pain in the ass. Thanks again.

umm i bought the material about 2 years ago at some metal warehouse by where my dad use to work,,, but i recently went back and the warehouse closed,,,, i bought it real cheap too,,, about 40 bux for like a 10 foot long by 5 foot wide plate,, i then just dremeled it toi the outline of my oem mats and bent it at the spot where it went upp... its very easy,, being that these things sell for over 200 bux on some places..

[Insane99]

Good info.