FB dashboard removal

[DKWW2000]

I thought I could live with it but as you say, it is starting to really gnaw away at me so I think the time is approaching
I must source a decent replacement first
I was secretly hoping someone would come up with a magic solution

At last managed to get another Dash



Lickily I f ound it locally with a few other bits, now comes the hard part.

[ian65]

Lickily I f ound it locally with a few other bits, now comes the hard part.

lickily?.................. what did you have to do for it?

[DKWW2000]

A chance phone call to the ex owner of a scrapped wreck from which the dash had been removed

[ian65]

A chance phone call to the ex owner of a scrapped wreck from which the dash had been removed

that's a right touch Pete, these aren't easy to get hold of these days with the very low number of parts cars available....... let us know how many new swear words you invent installing this

[DKWW2000]

that's a right touch Pete, these aren't easy to get hold of these days with the very low number of parts cars available....... let us know how many new swear words you invent installing this

I am probably going to wait until the Autumn as the show season is upon us (1st at Dawlish this Sun) & its pretty much right through to Sep.

[KiwiDave]

let us know how many new swear words you invent installing this

I very much doubt that one of them will be lickily (although one never knows)

[DKWW2000]

I have only just realised DOH! It is not Devon slang (I was going to say it was) but a Typo - My bad

[DKWW2000]

Pete,
I'd change it if I were you..... it's not too difficult.... I changed the whole interior on my current silver car ( including the dash top) in a weekend because I didn't like the wine red interior that came as standard on sunbeam silver cars.
If you were to remove the whole dash, ie. steel frame and everything then that's a right nightmare but just swapping the dash top is easily achievable in a day even if you haven't done it before..... it's just a case of being methodical and remembering how you removed the damaged one.
As your car is so nice it's a shame to have this damaged top and even if you cover it up, you'll still know the damage is there...... If you can live with it fine but if it was me, I'd have to replace it.
The biggest problem is dropping on another dash top to replace yours with..... maybe that black parts car on ebay might be able to provide one if you can track down the buyer.

Well I "Bit the Bullet" & took the dash out, Lickily it was not as bad as I thought it would be, probably because I had the luxury of the replacement & I could see where all the fixings were located
Having said that there were 5x8mm nuts & 2 x screws that Mazda must have trained small mice to install

So it went from this...............


to this.............


to this (the marks are just dried blood)....................

[DB RX63]

Nice job Pete.

[ian65]

great job mate.... it's a sod of a job to do but very satisfying once you've done it to know you've taken on the challenge and beaten it.
That's made all the difference to your car..... time well spent I reckon