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Posted by: oakdalecurtis Apr 16 2018, 01:24 PM

I couldn't keep up covering the cracks with electrical tape in my original dash. I'd cover one crack and another just kept appearing. I finally broke down and ordered a 914Rubber replacement dash and I just finished installing it. It was about a half a day job. Yes, it was a PIA and my big hands are scraped up to prove it.
If I could give Mark one tip on his dashes (like he needs my help), it would be to make the dash studs out of metal and the nuts out of nylon. The replacement dash comes with nylon studs molded in and metal nuts supplied. If you are not ever so careful, with your hands in the dash upside down and backwards, you can easily cross thread these nylon studs. Ask me how I know.
Even inserting the new dash into initial position can scrape the threads on the studs as they pass through the sheet metal dash support slots. If the studs were made of metal and the nuts were nylon, then if you cross thread, at worst you would just mess up a nylon nut. It would also be a lot easier to start the nuts properly on metal stud threads too. Just my two cents......

Old Dash:


New Dash:

Posted by: mepstein Apr 16 2018, 01:30 PM

Can you remove the plastic studs or are they glued in.

Posted by: Tom_T Apr 16 2018, 01:47 PM

Curtis,

Well now you can use the tape for your scraped knuckles, & enjoy a purdy crackless dash!

I should've known that you'd have a yellow shifter, Yellow steering wheels & a friggin' YELLOW radio Curtis! LOL

You & Andy T./SoCalAndy are the Yellow Kings!
He even did the Yellow Optima battery - which is their deep cycle RV battery IIRC - in his 72 914/4 & IIRC in the -6 now too!

Did you do the yellow battery thing too!? .... or did you miss that one?

My question on the dash for Mark W/914Rubber is:
What is that line next to the instrument Pod on the right, looking like a belt of something?
... some sort of reinforcement under the skin??


Mark W -
I'd also agree on the SS studs on the dash.
.... unless there's some overriding reason to stick with nylon?

Mark E -
I'd think that the studs are "Tee-topped with a flat plate - so not removable
... just like Mark did on his 1st bumper topper design (before he went with the full length stiffeners).

Cheers!
Tom
///////

Posted by: mb911 Apr 16 2018, 02:22 PM

Looks great and wondering the same thing on the band to the right of the pod as Tom T

Posted by: mepstein Apr 16 2018, 02:38 PM

I don’t have it on my dash pad from 914rubber so I bet it is a shadow.

Posted by: windforfun Apr 16 2018, 03:11 PM

Very nice, but why does the back part dip down in the middle over the radio?

Posted by: Coondog Apr 16 2018, 04:31 PM

Looks great.
When 914 Rubber comes out with a Ash Tray delete version then I am a customer for sure.

Posted by: oakdalecurtis Apr 16 2018, 04:36 PM

Hey Tom,
The band on the dash is a shadow, here's a pic with a little better light. I couldn't find a yellow Optima battery configured the way I wanted, maybe I did miss it. But here's my engine compartment with yellow wires, cap and coil, does that count?
Btw, I thought the yellow shifter, radio and Momo wheel were rather tasteful!
When I changed out the dash I did not try to redo the vinyl behind it. It has shrunk a little around the vents.
And no, I think the studs in the dash are molded in.

Posted by: Joemo5 Apr 16 2018, 05:20 PM

That looks great! Its cool to see a company thats dedicated to 914's

Posted by: gothspeed Apr 16 2018, 07:14 PM

Amazing!!

Posted by: 76-914 Apr 17 2018, 08:35 AM

FWIW, you'll have the same problem with metal studs and plastic nuts. 6 of one, a half dozen of the other. I would like to see metal/metal AND taper the studs a bit. This would ensure an easy start when threading on the nut. As to imperfections on the 914rubber dash: there was only one which Mark pointed out to me. And judging from the pics, it looks as if that has been corrected. Nice job!

Posted by: mepstein Apr 17 2018, 08:48 AM

As Rory pointed out on another thread, factory installation had a mix of metal and plastic nuts. I wonder if the plastic was supposed to act like a locknut of sorts. If Mark confirms the studs are removable (I think they are) then I might look for a tapered metal stud to replace. I think it’s better to cross thread a plastic nut instead of the stud.

Posted by: Mikey914 Apr 18 2018, 09:26 AM

We use locktite to "secure" the studs. So yes they can be removed fairly easily. It might even be possible to thread the stud into the receiver in the part. There are a few places on the windshield side that the depth is minimal, so we didn't want to have the studs over tighten and press it up showing where the mount tabs are. So yes you can, but just be careful on the back side.

Posted by: mepstein Apr 18 2018, 09:38 AM

Patience is the most important tool to removing and installing a dash. Don’t be afraid to walk away for a break if you are frustrated.