wood veneer removal

How much work is involved in removing the wood veener trim? What is the process? I would prefer to remove it myself rather than have the resto shop do it unless it only takes them an hour or so. I plan to ship to a gent in CA who said he can revenner for $700.
Thanks
Randy

If your are removing the wood in the dash, it's a pretty involved process. I did mine a couple of years ago and I've tried to block it out of my memory. Actually, it was a very rewarding. Even now- when I get in the coupe, I pause to just enjoy the results my labor.

Besides the expense of having your wood pieces restored, be prepared for the cost of your project to double or triple because of the "While I'm at it" syndrome. Since all of the upper dash pieces need to come out to get at the wood pieces, it's a perfect time to send them to 'Just Dashes' to have redone. Since the windshield needs to come out, I should do the headliner. etc... $$$$

There is a good discription for dash removal in the Tech Info section of this site.

Having done mine.......I'll share,

If your planning on doing your wood, do ALL the woodwork (dash, gauge pod, center console platform, doors and rear 1/4s) at the same time = consistent material use and finish. I did mine myself (a woodworking hobbyist) without removing the windshield (its possible). Used about 1/2 the veneer (a Walnut, made almost perfect match to original) I purchased, sold in sheets. Came out great! Haven't done my vinyl bits yet, duplicating the double stitching around the gauge pod is a $$ detail I'm told.

Basically, the entire dash comes out (very, very tedious, I drank & cursed alot) and I became quite the contortionist in the process. The side trim is easier, but all the side panels need to come out.....

Its a big job, perfect for winter, but worth the effort and/or $$ (your preference) every time you climb in...... 8)

My "While your at its": fresh, higher watt bulbs in all guages, clean all contacts on guages, check all wiring for dry & brittle wires & grounds...

HTH & enjoy your new wood !

-shanon

I was able to get my dash out without removing the front windshield; be very careful with the defrost vents. Also, there is a hidden bolt (one of 3 or 4) above the heater box holding the dash base in place; fortunately mine was missing. There are many little details but advice above is pretty good. Expect to find other things. I actually removed the old veneer, mainly using a razor blade but in a few areas resorted to a drum sander. I also cut a piece of wood to fill in the speaker hole rather than attempting to re-veneer the grill. Applying veneer to the gauge cluster is the most difficult step due to compound and tight curves.

A few other things I like to add to the dash removal, the gauge cluster hood and the length wise trim padding are attached together with hidden fasteners and comes out in one piece. Remove the 2 little nuts that attaches the hood to the instrumentation frame first, this must be done by feel, the left nut is easy but the right nut is a real PITA. If you do manage to remove this nut, the reinstallation is another story, you may just want to omit this attachment altogether as it is an almost an impossible task. The long horozontal piece is held together by about 6 to 8 metal clips. Pry upwards until it is absolutely free and then pull forward, the whole assembly should come out now. All the rest of the dash removal process is done in accordance with the other posts' instructions. If you need to access the central attaching screw that is hidden by the heat/ventilation assembly, do so with care as the sliding lever electrical switches can be easily damage. Remove the several screws or bolts and drop the lever assembly slightly and gingerly. At this stage you'll probably scream to yourself, what have I gotten myself into and why the heck I started this project? But relax, tackle this slowly and methodically, it can certainly be done. While it can be done with the windshield in place like I've done as well, do take out the windshield as it will facilitate the removal process a whole lot easier.