<VV> Changing interior color

[N. Joseph Potts]

I've wrecked several generations of my fuzzies, too, but with the passage of
time and the growth of experience (and patience - this, too, increases with
age, or Prozac, in my case), I've gotten to where I can take them off and
put them back in. LOTS of skill, there.
     While you CAN remove the dash pad with the windshield in, you're likely
to break a stud or two on the way out. Again, that patience. They go back in
more easily, if only for the reason that you can see better to do it.
Meantime, if a stud or two breaks, it isn't going to hurt anything. My pad
is retained by its (remaining) studs ONLY - I never bothered to put the nuts
back.
     In situations like this, I often SUSPECT they put them together with
the windshield out, or the engine out, or the seat out, and so on and so on.
How would YOU build a million of them, if you had your druthers?

Joe Potts
Miami, Florida USA
1966 Corsa coupe 140hp 4-speed with A/C

-----Original Message-----
From: virtualvairs-admin@corvair.org
[mailto:virtualvairs-admin@corvair.org]On Behalf Of Marc Sheridan
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2004 9:04 PM
To: virtualvairs
Subject: <VV> Changing interior color


It's finally looking like I may be getting some fresh paint for my '66
Monza 'vert. I plan on keeping the outside white, but I'm thinking real
seriously about changing the interior from black to red. If I do that,
it will be done in stages, to spread the cost, but the red paint has to
go on now while the car is apart. Eventually everything will be
replaced, and I think the red and black can live together tastefully
during the process.

One thing I don't want to replace is the dash pad. Mine is the original
in very good shape and the replacements are a little pricey. My question
is, has anyone successfully changed their black dash pad into a red one?
If so, what type of prep needs to be done before the paint is applied
and what brand of vinyl paint is best? Anybody want to trade a red dash
pad for a black one? Would it look bad if I left the black pad on a red
dash?

One other thing, can the pad be removed from the dash with the
windshield in? I've got all the nuts off of it, but the windshield gets
in the way when I try to remove it and I don't want to force it. The
windshield will be coming out at the body shop, but I was just curious
if there is a way to get it off with the windshield in.

Thanks for your help and hopefully patience isn't required. That was the
advice I got for salvaging my fuzzies and they didn't survive my lack of
patience :o). But I do appreciate the advice.

Marc Sheridan
'66 Monza 'vert