dashboard replacement

[Laldog]

Here in New England, it seems winter has left and working on my Coupe becomes a strong possibility.

I have a replacement dashboard that is in much better shape than the one in the car now.

I have read that removal is close to impossible without the windshiel being taken out first.
The new front windshield is the car, but needs some final steps before it can be called complete. (The installer was having some trouble getting the chrome strip to seat correctly)

So... my questions:

How much time does it take to take out and re-install a different dashboard?

On a scale of 1-10, what is the difficulty factor?

How much is a dashboard worth? (Rating a 7 on a scale of 1-10)
How much is a Instrument panel worth? (Rating a 7 on a scale of 1-10)

I have read the 2 posts about dashboard replacement, but please feel free to ring in with other cautionary tales, words of encouragement, and past experiences.

Thanks.

 

[Nicad]

Here is an Instrument cluster that reads in KM.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gauge-BMW-3...BMW&hash=item1c24ea4aa9&vxp=mtr#ht_500wt_1269

 

[DaveG]

FYI... The trim CANNOT be installed with the windshield in place. It has to be installed in the rubber before installing the windshield. I struggled for a whole day with this before finally I read the manual....
You'll need to pull the windshield out anyway so do the dashboard while it's out...
DaveG

 

[jmackro]

I had my dash out when I restored my coupe a few years ago. The windshield was out so I can't comment on the feasibility of doing it with the glass in place.

I wouldn't call disassembling/reassembling the dash a fun job, but it isn't particularly difficult. Many of the fasteners are difficult to access. How small/agile are your hands?

Keep in mind that you don't simply "remove the dash" - you have to take it apart piece by piece, and then assemble the new one in situ. It would be nice to assemble the whole thing on the bench and then plop it in, but it doesn't work that way.

Your neighbor there in the Boston area, Rob Siegel, has written a great step-by-step procedure on e9 dash removal. You can find a copy at http://www.nydesmo.com/e9_dash_Removal.html

Are you saying that your windshield installer put in the glass + seal without the aluminum trim surround? That seems like poor workmanship. Yes the surround does need to be shaped to fit properly, but that isn't particularly difficult. You might try finding a more conscientious installer next time around.

 

[shanon]

Dash replacement with windshield installed is 'do-able'...... but I am sure I would have drank and cursed alot less with the windshield out.

tiny skilled hands and contortionists abilities do well for this project. But there's nothing like a fresh dash to look at....miles of smiles!

Good Luck!

 

[John Buchtenkirch]

From what I’m gathering removing & replacing the dash isn’t a walk in the park. I’m going to have to pull mine to rebuild the speedometer & clock maybe next winter and I was wondering what other things I should be replacing while I’m in there ? The heater core, all the dash bulbs and maybe even the heater blower motor are things that come immediately to my mind but I would like to hear the thoughts of some people “that have been there & done that”.
Sorry to sort of steal this thread but I feel it’s something that anyone that is going to embark on this dash job should be giving some thought to. ~ John Buchtenkirch

 

[rsporsche]

John,

you do NOT have to remove the dash to take the speedo + clock out. i removed the steering wheel, the lower dash panels, the console and the dash "back panel". once under, you should loosen the nuts on the instrument cover. then you can pull the wood panel with the gauges forward. there is a good write-up in the forum on this.

then you can replace all the bulbs in the gauges. with the console out, you can replace the bulbs under the heater controls.

scott

From what I’m gathering removing & replacing the dash isn’t a walk in the park. I’m going to have to pull mine to rebuild the speedometer & clock maybe next winter and I was wondering what other things I should be replacing while I’m in there ? The heater core, all the dash bulbs and maybe even the heater blower motor are things that come immediately to my mind but I would like to hear the thoughts of some people “that have been there & done that”.
Sorry to sort of steal this thread but I feel it’s something that anyone that is going to embark on this dash job should be giving some thought to. ~ John Buchtenkirch

 

[jmackro]

you do NOT have to remove the dash to take the speedo + clock out. i removed the steering wheel, the lower dash panels, the console and the dash "back panel". once under, you should loosen the nuts on the instrument cover. then you can pull the wood panel with the gauges forward. there is a good write-up in the forum on this.

Agreed. In fact, you don't even need to mess with the console in order to remove the gauges. Just work L --> R, removing the temp/gas gauge 1st, Speedometer 2nd, etc.

 

[rsporsche]

Agreed. In fact, you don't even need to mess with the console in order to remove the gauges. Just work L --> R, removing the temp/gas gauge 1st, Speedometer 2nd, etc.

two reasons to remove the console are - to replace the light bulbs in the heater controls and to remove the nut off of the back right side of the wood gauge panel that is above the heater controls. maybe if you have tiny hands you can do it without ... i could not.

 

[John Buchtenkirch]

THANKS ----- you guys are the best. Does anyone know what number the dash bulbs are, maybe if I start looking soon I can find some that aren’t Chinese or maybe even German. ~ John Buchtenkirch

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

Has anyone..

Repaired a cracked dash? Mine has about 5 cracks in it. Not horrible, but I will need it fixed before I reassemble the interior. I'll be pulling it all apart in a few weeks but a guy I spoke with in CA said it would cost about 1500 bucks to have them repair it- and that did not include the wood.

Suggestions please

 

[paul corcoran]

New dashboard

Been following this thread, note especially to peter!

We are making new dashboard pieces, that's all cores new on our CNC machine

I'll be offering these and all wood door trim with any veneer/finish combo or as bare cores in both left and right HD

Send me a PM peter with your requirements

I'll start a new thread with this info in the parts section very soon

Thanks paul

below is an image of new! pieces made by us (the light coloured pieces) this is a picture of some tests we did a few weeks ago we are nearly there with a full dashboard and they will be available for sale soon with any veneer/finish original and non-original

 

[jmackro]

Repaired a cracked dash? Mine has about 5 cracks in it. Not horrible, but I will need it fixed before I reassemble the interior. I'll be pulling it all apart in a few weeks but a guy I spoke with in CA said it would cost about 1500 bucks to have them repair it

I had a local upholstery shop cover my dash pieces with vinyl - the cost seemed high at the time, but it was well under $1,500. They used a type of vinyl that didn't have a cloth backing - so it was thinner, and more stretchable. I believe they filled the cracks with some sort of putty so that the new covering wouldn't shrink into the cracks, leaving them visible. So in thinking about it, the job probably did take some hours - hence the cost.

So I'd shop around some more before accepting that $1,500 deal. Look for a local upholstery shop who does a lot of restoration work.

 

[Sven]

Peter

Yes, the place in CA is pricey (JustDashes I assume?), but they replace both the foam and vinyl covering that covers the metal frame. They did a very nice job on my three dash pieces, just like the original, and no seams along any edges as you might get using an upholstery shop. The new material is more flexible and less likely to crack when reinstalling.

 

[BMW Pete]

Dash refit

Ok, this seemed like as good a place as any to put this little observation on refitting the dash.

I found the links in the technical pages to be very helpful, although I struggled with the description of four pop-up clips. For anybody as dumb as I am, these are four metal U shaped clips, which are seated in the dash facing down, they work like good old fashioned door panel clips just a bit more robust being metal, so a good push with a blunt instrument from below and they pop back through the hole they sit in.

Now to the reason for this note.

In re-seating the dash i could not get the clip on the far right hand side to go back in its receptor (hole) and after removing the whole dash again and doing the well rehearsed - walk away and come back to it after doing something less frustrating - I had a Eureka moment, and thought if I put long pieces of wire through the clips, put the wire through the holes first and then just give a little tug/guidance to the clip by pulling on the wire while pushing down on the dash it would answer my problem.........worked beautifully.

I am sure many others have been through this and may well have come up with the same solution, but for anybody putting a dash back together, this is not a bad "safety measure" to actually run the wire (or string) through and if you dont need it, just pull it out of the way after you are done.

Pete

 

[oldcoupe]

Dash Install

My dash had a 'set' from earlier poor fitment and plenty of hot sun, so wouldn't stay in place and the clips just kept popping out. I used hooks in the clip holes with a threaded length through the metal below. Tightening nuts from below pulled the dash down firmly.

In another life, I will use long spacers - plastic tube maybe - on the hooks so that the nuts can be accessed easily for tightening.

There was a thread about this problem a couple (5?) years ago.