Dash woes pt. 2

[Nas Escobar]

Well, I'll be honest, it's not really a dash woe or anything of the sort, but I've made a thread or 2 trying to find a better top dash for my Cutlass Supreme since buying it and I am tired of looking at my beat up 1994 Cutlass Supreme convertible dash. The more I think about it too, the more I want to find a donor car and get the whole interior.

 

With that being said, has anyone done any dash swaps between W bodies? I personally would love to have a 2000-2005 Monte Carlo dash, but I have a better chance of fixing the Obamacare website. With that being said, I like the Regal dash a bit more, but my main concern is keeping the electronic hvac system. I'd love to retrofit the dualzone feature, but not important (its a convertible) and I'd also like to mount my seat belts on the pillar instead of the door. With those things being said, am I stuck with the 95-97 Cutlass Dash, or what can be done? I've searched some threads on here where people go the dual airbag dash on the older W's but no one posted pictures or even bothered to update the thread with a finished product... so with that being said, am I stuck with the dash? I wouldn't mind the DESIGN of it if I could find a 88-94 top dash piece without it being destroyed. Mine has numerous screws in it, and the hole for the HUD has warped out of shape. I'm already considering a HUD delete since I can't get the adjuster to work on it.

 

All help is appreciated.

[intern8tion9l]

I think the Grand Prix dash will swap in, but it will look stupid with the door panels

[l67ss]

I think the Grand Prix dash will swap in, but it will look stupid with the door panels

 

he does need door panels anyway

[Crazy K]

As you command:

 

95 Cs dash into a 94 CS.

http://s28.photobucket.com/user/Crazy_Ken/library/Dash%20Swap%2095%20CS%20into%2094%20Cs?sort=4&page=1

not shown are I stuck the 95 donor doors onto the 94

 

BONUS!

95 GP dash swap into a 95 CS with HUD project!

http://s28.photobucket.com/user/Crazy_Ken/library/1995%20CS%20sedan%20dohc%20conversion?sort=3&page=1

 

 

However... let me suggest you start and just find a 88-94 dash that does not have a HUD hole and cut a new hole??? You can repair any deflection that occurs at the front of the dash with screws that will be hidden under the vent. seen that done several times with very good looking results.

Edited November 14, 2013 by Crazy K

[GOT2B GM]

Keep in mind that in 1994 the seatbelts were door mounted and in 1995 the seatbelts were B pillar mounted.

 

So in order to put 95 door panels on , you'd need to install 95 seatbelts onto the B-pillar , if your 94 convertible has the structural provisions to do so.

[Crazy K]

with regards to that... the 94 CS sedan had partial provision. a 93- CS sedan did not. teh 94 CS coupe/vert might be similar.

 

In fact, the 94 actually had the bottom seat belt bolts installed but unused for the loose end of the 3 point belt. WTF GM? The retractor and the upper loop holes exist in 94 (again, not in 93) but lack the welded nuts within the pillar that the seatbelt bolts go to. For mine, I cut the donor 95 pillar apart and reduced to "flaps" the holes with the welded nuts, which I riveted and/or bolted in place (I did not have a welder yet) such that they work fine. Should I ever do a complete interior gut again, i will weld them up.

Edited November 16, 2013 by Crazy K

[Nas Escobar]

I think the Grand Prix dash will swap in, but it will look stupid with the door panels

 

If I swap the dash, the door panels go too... and if the Grand Prix happens to have door speaker inserts then.... 2 birds, one stone!

 

However... let me suggest you start and just find a 88-94 dash that does not have a HUD hole and cut a new hole??? You can repair any deflection that occurs at the front of the dash with screws that will be hidden under the vent. seen that done several times with very good looking results.

 

If I find one without the hole, I'm just going to delete the HUD. The adjuster never worked in my car anyways, so it's pointless.

 

As far as the screws thing, my dash actually SHRUNK. I couldn't get all of the pad back to where it belonged, it's almost as if the P.O. cut it or something. The dash is so messed up that I've already contemplated fiberglassing it just so it will look like a normal dash.

 

Keep in mind that in 1994 the seatbelts were door mounted and in 1995 the seatbelts were B pillar mounted.

 

So in order to put 95 door panels on , you'd need to install 95 seatbelts onto the B-pillar , if your 94 convertible has the structural provisions to do so.

 

 

Well, another project I want to do (and have posted questions about in the past) is a seat swap. I personally don't like the front seats. I like the back seats (but I may have to swap to a bench for those days with 5 people... maybe), but the front seats feel like cardboard. I more or less have the candidates for donors, but deep down inside, I really want to get seats with the seat belts in them, like how the Chrysler Sebring convertible had them. I really want to keep the seats GM unless the Sebrings would be a direct bolt on (which I doubt). Nothing is set in stone YET, as the car still needs an alignment so this is all plans as of right now. I don't make these type of threads because I don't want to seem like I'm blowing smoke for no reason.

 

Anyways, so if I find good seats with the seat belt in the seat, the door belts go away the same day. Otherwise, I thought about having the belts custom mounted onto the B pillar so it's basically a 1995. What I DON'T want to do is use the 1995 gauges since I'd lose the volt gauge and the oil pressure gauge, so I'm really in a weird position. I'd love to slap an Eldorado dash and door panel in there, but there's no way that would work. Even if I got the dash to sit in, the door handle would ruin the door panels... if they're even identical in size. Then there's the A/C issue and the gauge issues... I'm stuck.