OK, gang, the dash "filler" panel in my '99 was cracked when I bought it and I finally got around to replacing it!

I figured it'd be a good idea to take some pics of the process for you guys and gals so follow along below and let me show you just how easy it is!

Step 1:

Remove A pillar trim.

This is really easy, there are two screws at the top end of the trim, the rest is a simple body clip. (Keep in mind I have a t-top, not sure how it looks on a hardtop or convertible)





Once you have both sides off you will be able to pull the filler panel.



My panel was totally shot as you can see in the image below. Unfortunately I didn't get any good shots of it in the car but I can tell you that I didn't break it during removal. If you looks closely you can see where someone had tried to glue it back together.

Top:


Bottom:


Here is a shot of the "new" panel. A new GM piece will likey run about $300 or so with shipping, I was able to get this one on eBay for about $150 with shipping.

Top:


Bottom:


OK, now I can tell you why this process is soooooo easy!

This panel is held in place by VELCRO and 4 compression clips. And we wonder why these things sound like rattle cans. Oh, and the Velcro patches are held in place but two-sided foam tape so make sure you lift up at the Velcro points so you don't rip that off. If you do, don't worry it can be found at any hardware store.








OK, once you've pulled the old one out, time to put the new one in!

This is where things get tricky as the panel is wider than the windshield until you get to the bottom. A friend would be handy at this point to help guide one side but I was able to do it myself without too much trouble. Just be careful not to flex the panel too much!

After you get it inside the car it's easy again. Simply slide it into position and press down on all the Velcro contact points (gently!) and the 4 compression tabs at the back. Once the tabs go it it will be dificult to get the dash out without breaking them. Make sure you put the red security light back into the new panel before snapping it all in place!





Tada!





Don't forget to put the Apillar trim back in, just line it up and press in on the clip then put the screws back in and you're all set!





Ahhh! That looks so much better!

Good work, Raven! Thanks for documenting the process - it looks wonderful.