Interior: How to remove dash overlay on 63 GT Hawk

[CampbelHawk]

Pros,
How do you go about removing the dash overlay around gauges on a 63 GT Hawk? It is scratched up so I want to remove and have refurbed. I see the 4 bolts but how do you get the chrome around the gauges off? Sorry for the newbie question. Lance

[blackhawk61]

The chrome around the gauges is part of the gauge. Gauges mus be removed.

[ivorydan]

The chrome bezels are separate, not part of the gauges, but will come off when you disconnect all the gauges. Then you take out the four screws and remove the overlay. Dan

[CampbelHawk]

Thank you very much

[JoeHall]

Now's a good time to re-do the turn signal indicators. I removed the OEM green material, that all but blocks the indicator light bulb, and substituted green plastic from a Sprite soda bottle. The light is much more noticeable now. Before that, I tried brighter bulbs, but made little difference. The Sprite lensed have been in place for about 10 years now, and no fading.

[bensherb]

I went a step further and made a removeable instrument cluster so I don't have to break my back fiddling around under the dash for hours removing the gauges one at a time. I made a 1/8" plate that matches the overlay and mounted the overlay and gauges in it, then install it all as a single unit, like a modern car. Believe it or not, with the 1/8" plate painted black like the dash you can't tell its there without getting really up close and personal.
While I was at it I moved the turn indicators up where you can see them and relpaced them with self contained LED units. The original lindicator locations are now less important redundant idiot lights. Gauges are digital LED, sans the analog GPS speedo. Gauges now all have Molex type connectors that simply plug into the harness.

[Bobcat]

Ben, when you made your dash reinforcement panel, how did you go about mounting the gauges to it? Did you include the stock shrouds that came with the dual gauges, etc? Thanks

[bensherb]

Bobcat, no, I didn't use any of the factory gauge mounting. The gauges I'm currently using are aftermarket digital units that each have their own mounts. The factory gauges can all be mounted as individuals too. The only thing that would require "special" attention would be the turn indicators. It's very easy to use simple individual "panel lights" to replace the factory ones ( like I used to move them to the top of the panel). To use the stock gauges in a panel, such as I made, you would need to make "U" shaped clamp brackets like most aftermarket gauges use (very simple and easy).

Just so you know; with a removeable panel such as mine, you still need to remove one of the end gauges ( I remove the right one as it's easiest to get to) in order to remove the panel, due to the angle and depth of the gauge. Given the angle of the outside gauges they keep the panel from being able to be removed otherwise.

I have since seen that a few other folks have also made removeable panels such as mine.

[Bobcat]

Bobcat, no, I didn't use any of the factory gauge mounting. The gauges I'm currently using are aftermarket digital units that each have their own mounts. The factory gauges can all be mounted as individuals too. The only thing that would require "special" attention would be the turn indicators. It's very easy to use simple individual "panel lights" to replace the factory ones ( like I used to move them to the top of the panel). To use the stock gauges in a panel, such as I made, you would need to make "U" shaped clamp brackets like most aftermarket gauges use (very simple and easy).

Just so you know; with a removeable panel such as mine, you still need to remove one of the end gauges ( I remove the right one as it's easiest to get to) in order to remove the panel, due to the angle and depth of the gauge. Given the angle of the outside gauges they keep the panel from being able to be removed otherwise.

I have since seen that a few other folks have also made removeable panels such as mine.

So did you cut out the fiberglass that was the backing for the original gauges? As I recall, don't the stock gauges (I just had mine refurbished) use those original buckets for the lighting supports? I am about to put mine back together, and so dreading the contortionist moves that it requires.

[Topper2011]

Take the driver's seat out, makes it so much easier.

[bensherb]

I could have cut away all of the "web" around the gauges as it's no longer needed, but I only trimmed it where it interfered with the mountings holding my gauges into my panel. I figured having as much still connecting the top of the fiberglass dash to its fiberglass bottom as possible might add to it's rigidity and keep things from rattling. I doubt it makes a difference, but a little peace of mind is always good.

Also notice I added four screws to the center portion of the panel for mounting it into the fiberglass dash. I bonded threaded inserts into the fiberglass to accept stainless oval head machine screws, I believe I used 6-32 screws. They had the same size head as the original sheet metal screws did.

[Bobcat]

That's all very helpful. I'm on it. Thanks Ben.