Hello again! I've got a '69.5 mav, and i absolutely hate that package tray. So, i picked up a lower dash with a glove box (and an e-brake cutout, thankfully). Now that i'm looking at it, i don't think it's just going to bolt-in. Or will it? I'm figuring that i'll have to get the upper dash as well, which is no problem, but i wanted to make sure everything was the same before i went out and spent more money. So...can i bolt a complete dash out of a '74 into a '69.5? Also, i was wondering if i could swap my current a/c and heat ducting over to the strictly heat ducting on the '74 i'm using. I don't think i'll ever get A/C on this thing, and i kinda like the way the two vents are set up on the '74 for cowl air. Any thoughts?
The upper dash is the same so the lower section should bolt on providing you also have the brackets. You might have to do some drilling cause none of the screws will line up but shouldnt be a big thing. You can convert from factory ac to non ac. You will need the entire heater box and control cables. I went the other way on my 77.
Ummm, actually the upper dash on the early cars with a package tray is rounded on the bottom whereas the upper dash on cars that came factory with a glovebox is squared off to accomodate the plastic housing. Adding the glovebox won't look right unless you change the upper dash too. I put a '77 dash in my '72 because it had the opening for factory air and realized the difference after I was all done. I thought all upper dashes were the same but they're not. Sam
If you change the upper dash won't you have to switch the VIN #'s out at the same time, the vin is mounted in the upper part of the dash isn't it:?:
I never noticed the bottom of the dashes had changed. I too learned something. Pays to read EVERY post. Dan
Thanks for all the replys. Yeah, i noticed the difference in the dashes with closer inspection, that's why i wanted to change the whole thing. Is there a source for "original"-style VIN rivets? Not like it really matters, but... Speaking of learning something every day, i noticed when making some custom slapper bars that the big-bumper cars have the shocks in front of the axle on the passenger and behind the axle on the driver side. My car has them both up front. Weird!
I believe that all 71 and up Mavs have the staggered shocks to help control wheel hop. We 69.5 and 70 people have them both on the same side. -Corbin
I remember seeing an ad for them once, but I believe they were for the olden days when metal tags were affixed to the door post. The rivits were hollow. I've switched dashes a couple of times and just pop rivited the plate. You cant really tell the difference.
also you guys might wanna note that just because a car is the same year as your don't mean stuff is going to fit. i have 2 '73's, both LDO's, both have differant upper and bottom dashes. i think its better to go off the VIN when it was made. i think one of my '73's is a left over '72... i guess that was the year they started changing the dash boards huh? then again... lots are differant on the cars, even though its the same year and same model thats a whole another subject! ok i'm getting all gitty...just one.... bet you guys didn't know the quarter window trim neaer the c piller on some cars are differant? cars that have only that trim and no other door trim have a slight 90 curved siding. and ones that have full window / door trim have it streight 90 curve to them. i learned the hard way!
