1955 Dashboard Removal Tips

[Jerry Blair]

Can anyone give me any pointers on removing the dash board from my 55 Bird. Can the dash be removed with the radio and all gauges in the dash is the wiring harness long enough to pull it out and is the harness plugged in at firewall to the engine compartment harness ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[dmsfrr]

Yes, and no.
The dashboard can be removed with the radio and gauges in place... and no, the wiring harness does not unplug at the firewall.
When the harness wires are disconnected under the hood it can be pulled back thru the firewall. The air, heater, tach, speedo & wiper cables get disconnected too.

What are you trying to fix? Removing the dash is a fair sized project, there might be an easier way?
To slide the dash back far enough to lift it out may also involve disconnecting and pulling out the steering column, it did on this '57.
.

 

[doug7740]

Can anyone give me any pointers on removing the dash board from my 55 Bird. Can the dash be removed with the radio and all gauges in the dash is the wiring harness long enough to pull it out and is the harness plugged in at firewall to the engine compartment harness ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Attached is an article from the September/October 2001 Early Bird magazine that has a step by step guide to removing the dash.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue