replace entire metal dash

[dablack00]

Ok, I'm looking at a 78 bronco and I'm thinking about making it a 67-72 bump side bronco. I know all the front end sheet metal will swap over and so will the front suspension (2WD) but what about the dash.

Has anyone removed the metal dash from a 67-72?

thanks
Austin

[seattle67]

Keith has. I have seen a post with pictures about it. Lots of spot welds that had to be drilled out. Messed the dash up pretty bad. I believe he did it just to see if it could be done, and though it was possible, it wasn't very practical.

[fordman]

i was cutting up some cabs this last early spring. and when i got to cutting the firewall and dash part away from the roof and floor the dash spot welds on the pasenger side popped loose. so i could have had the whole dash out of that truck if i hadn't already cut out the center of the dash for the radio ears part. also on ebay there was a dentside that someone had took the bumpside dash out and put it in that dentside. i emailed the guy and he said it wasnt to hard to do. the dentsides havethe main part of the dash bolted in. so it just mostly unbolts fromt he cab. you would have to do very little grinding to get the rest of the old dash out of the bronco. if its bolted int he way the dentside dash is bolted in.

[two-bit]

Before removing the dash from a bumpside cab. Check out the bumpside dash assemblies that were used in the BIG dentside trucks (F-500 and larger). Maybe they bolted those in like they bolted in the dentside dashes in the smaller cabs????

Two-bit

[dablack00]

TB,

That is a great idea, but I think I'm just going to leave the 78 bronco looking like a 78. I thought my 67-72 doors and fenders would bolt on, but they do NOT!

thanks
Austin

[flyboy71]

Not to hijack the thread but to remove the dash is it the spot welds all along the lower part of the windshield or are there others? Only reason is I have two cabs and also wanna try a transplant.

[fordman]

yes mainly the winshield hides the spot welds for the dash. but hte sidesare sometimes glued in or spot welded in a place or two. the last two or so that i cut up didnt have anything on the sides. they just kind of poped aprt liek the paint was the only thing holding them in place.

[flyboy71]

Well after a day with the fam enjoying the great outdoors I was anxious to get home and try removing my dash. After drilling all the spot welds from the front of the windshield flange and some gentle use of a putty knife I was able to seperate the metal. I did have to get inside and work the dash up and down to finish breaking a few welds but you need to be careful not to bend the daylights out of the flange. The flange is a 3 piece sandwich of metal so you need to drill through two layers to get to the dash. In two places its 4 sheets thick where the stiffener is above the column. I would have removed it completely but my wire harness is still connected so I need to mark and unplug everything then Im good to go.

[flyboy71]

Disconnected wire harness and its completely off.

[fordman]

so is that your parts cab?

[flyboy71]

Yeah thats the cab thats all but perfect on the upper half and rusted out underneath. The dash and cowl and a few other pieces will go into the other cab thats rust free but has some things that are dinged and dented. Now that the dash is out Im slowly drilling and prying the cowl off. If its worth using Ill move it over but theres a fair ammount of rust on the inside so well see. If I cant use it, its good practice to maybe remove the other cabs cowl so I can repair and straighten it and give it a good coating of paint or rustproof while its apart.

[69rangerf100]

Flyboy thanks for posting this. i want to keep the dash out of my original cab but had no idea on what it would take to get it out. thanks a bunch

[thebannister8]

one more reason why ...

[Bullitt390]

Most guys who want a Bumpside dash in their dentside look for an F600+ truck and pilfer the dash out of that.

Josh