Working under the dash is a pain in the ash

[studiog]

I have enjoyed just about every moment of my 3 year long restoration of my 61 but tonight I got heavily into getting the under dash put back together and it was a real pain. I made good progress but just had to stop after a short session. I am on the slim side so I probably have an easier time than any of you big guys. Can't imagine how you could do it. Does anyone have any special techniques they use?

I think I need another session with our Resident Corvette Restoration Psychologist and Motivator Z28 Canuck. Hey 67HEAVEN can't you give him that title under his user name? Everyone else here seems to have some kind of title. You could shorten it if you think you need to to make it fit.

 

[Duntov-097]

Take the seat out and lay down with your head by the gas pedals and your legs over the gas tank. You can see everything. just make sure you have everything you need with you so you don't have to keep getting in and out.


I'm not on the slim side and this works great for me.

 

[studiog]

Take the seat out and lay down with your head by the gas pedals and your legs over the gas tank. You can see everything. just make sure you have everything you need with you so you don't have to keep getting in and out.


I'm not on the slim side and this works great for me.

Yes of course, that is a great idea. Thanks! I forgot to mention I did take the steering wheel back off but that only helps so much.

 

[Z28Canuck]

Time to get that nephew back and start the serious training Master! He could fit in there just fine! Bob is not a professional contortionist either and I hurt just watching him get under the dash too but you do what you gotta do right? I know the back pain bothered him for a while but his pain theshhold must be high! Dang, 15 hour drives at 90 degrees plus in the cockpit with NO A/C!! I guess only the boss can answer that himself though.
Good luck and I hope everything goes smoothly.

 

[studiog]

Time to get that nephew back and start the serious training Master! He could fit in there just fine!

Yes you're right. Let the kid go under the dash, he'd probably love it.

 

[61 Silver]

Hi!



The bad news is that is very uncomfortable to work under the dash. The good news is; if you are working under the dash your restoration is very close to completion. Won't be long now!



Ray

 

[BarryK]

Everyone else here seems to have some kind of title.

hmmmmmm, I'm REAL afraid to know what mine would be than...... luckily though it's probably not allowed to be mentioned on this family oriented site......


you must be getting close Studiog. soon enough you will be pulling out of the driveway and going for those great cruises.

 

[Vette66AirCoupe]

Having just changed out my instrument clusters on both of my Vettes I feel your pain! Slow, tedious work is not a good mix with strained back and neck muscles! I left my seats in. I pulled the column on the '66 but I left it in on the '60. I put a folded up beach towel on the door sill and kept my feet on the garage floor. I laid kind of half on the seat and half on the towel. No matter how you do it you always wind up with your head on the gas pedal as previously mentioned. I was a little sore for a day or two after those projects! I know you are working on a C-1 but for anyone anticipating cluster removal on a C-2 there was a two part series of articles in Corvette Enthusiast Magazine.July '04 edition, p. 58 and Sept. '04 edition p. 48. They offered some great tips! I save all of my old Vette magazines and even if I don't need the information currently I keep a spreadsheet index of all of the tech articles that apply to C-1's and C-2's as I find them. I use Excel and utilize columns so I can later sort the articles by category, date, publisher, whatever I want.

Corvette Magazines Index
Magazine Publisher
Category
Topic
Date
Page

I tried to paste the spreadsheet in here but it became garbled. I'm sure you can picture it. The category column I use to narrow the hunt a bit. I use engine, suspension, body, interior, Lights, Heater, Ignition, Fuel System, Instruments, etc.....whatever suits you will work. Since I have 2 Vettes I also have a "Car" column and if an article applies to both I list it twice as the first thing I do after any revisions is a data sort that puts all of the '60 topics together and all of the '66 topics together.

I didn't think of doing this right away but utilizing each of my old magazine indicies it was little trouble assembling the master index. You just have to be diligent from then on. I don't put them away until they've been scanned for tech articles I might want to add to my list of references for that someday when I might need them! Oh, and by the way, you can do this with a pencil too but it's more difficult

 

[paul67]

I still haven't lubed my squeaky speedo cable yet. I strained my back thinking about the job.

 

[maxphunn]

If you take the seats out but leave the frames in, you might want to stuff a rolled up towel under the seat adjuster handle for reinforcement. Snap that sucker off and watch how the air would turn blue!

This winter I pulled the guages and replaced the wiring in my '59. Since I was going to be under the dash a lot, I also took the pedals out. Painted and re-bushed them while they were out.

 

[Vette66AirCoupe]

Leave the gas pedal on while your under there. Those ball studs hurt like hell if happen to shift your position and land your coconut on one!:cry

 

[JohnZ]

I know you are working on a C-1 but for anyone anticipating cluster removal on a C-2 there was a two part series of articles in Corvette Enthusiast Magazine.July '04 edition, p. 58 and Sept. '04 edition p. 48. They offered some great tips!

Glad you found the articles useful - I wrote them

 

[Vette66AirCoupe]

Glad you found the articles useful - I wrote them

Absolutely Invaluable!:BOW