Dash install/removal

[Wyley87]

Yea Bernie it is. I know first hand. Luckily i don't drive it everyday to work anymore so i can in a sense take my time with it.


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[Wyley87]

Hey Bernie, since you essentialy have the same truck as me. Is there anything I should do while I have the dash out? Ac blower resister has been replaced already and I found a bad ground for the blower fan I need to fix. What else should I do?

 

[That Crazy Squirrel]

Hey Bernie, since you essentialy have the same truck as me. Is there anything I should do while I have the dash out? Ac blower resister has been replaced already and I found a bad ground for the blower fan I need to fix. What else should I do?

That depends... How much money you willing to spend?

While you have the column down would be the perfect time to replace the multi-function stalk (turn signals, wipers, high beams, etc.) because those things are a mother to replace and a very common part to fail. They're pricey though. Expect to pay $150 & up for a decent one, depending on if you have cruise control or not. If you do, bump the price up about $50.00

Fixing that bad ground is a good idea, and so would be adding a couple of plugged holes to the firewall, in case you want to upgrade the stereo later, or do anything else that involves running wires through the firewall. Much easier to drill the holes now and just plug 'em for the time being.

Upgrading all your dash lights and under dash floor lights to LED would be a good idea now. I did most of the lights on my truck with LEDs and it made a big improvement in the quality of the light.

A/C controls on these trucks are also notorious for fWONking up. On mine the recirculation control does nothing, doesn't even light up, so the next time I pull the dash I'll be looking at that. I forgot to do it the first three times.

On another forum I belong to a fellow was rebuilding an older Blazer, and while he had the dash out he took the time to do a little fiberglass refabrication, adding a nice area for his radios and a police scanner. You could use the same area for a flat screen display and DVD player, or a backup camera display, GPS, etc. Let me see if I can link a picture:

You might even want to consider repainting the dash while you have it out.

 

[BHB]

May as well change the brakelight switch as well. Not sure for your year, but on the wifes 2000 Tahoe (OBS) it was a royal pain to change out.

Off topic but...Bernie, did that guy glass over that whole dash pad in the end?

 

[That Crazy Squirrel]

Off topic but...Bernie, did that guy glass over that whole dash pad in the end?

I don't believe so. I know from following his thread that this was his first attempt at fiberglass modding. He's done 3 other Blazer restorations before starting on his current one, and this one looks to be the best yet but he's still working on it.

LINK: http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=73336

 

[OldCracker29]

I loved the dash in my '99 C2500. It didn't have air bags.

 

[Wyley87]

Well my original plan was to paint the new dash anyway since it has some black showing were the dye rubbed off.

I was worried about the prep work messing up the textured surface which i want to keep. What would the best way to do that be?


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[That Crazy Squirrel]

Well my original plan was to paint the new dash anyway since it has some black showing were the dye rubbed off.

I was worried about the prep work messing up the textured surface which i want to keep. What would the best way to do that be?


Sent from my iPhone 4s

Just wash it down good, using a good soap/degreaser, rinse it two more times than you think is "good enough", let it air dry in the sun, then, just before you shoot it with paint give it a wipe down with some alcohol.

Spray 9 works excellent for the cleaning, but use it outdoors and try not to breathe the fumes.

For the paint, use one of the new formulas made to adhere to plastics like the Krylon Fusion sprays.

 

[Wyley87]

Do they have a krylon that will match the original grey?


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[That Crazy Squirrel]

Do they have a krylon that will match the original grey?


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Probably not. You might get close but you'll almost never get an exact match on something that old that's been exposed to sunlight and who knows what else. Better to plan on not being able to match it and pick a color that works well with your interior.