Dang, this car looks great!:biggthumpup:

I had been working on cleaning and repainting all the gauges, dash moldings, brackets, and the dash frame itself over the past week. The dash frame is painted in a unique suede black finish that takes some patience to apply properly - I.E., you really have to stand back and spray it dry, out of the can for it to come out right.

This morning, with the help of my son, we got the dash assembly installed. It took all of one minute. You just engage the lower forked bracket onto the two kick panel bolts, then hinge the whole assembly up toward the cowl, insert the four screws in the defroster duct area, and it's done.

I then started installing the carpet. It really has to be shoved up forward under the dash for the molded area to properly engage with the shifter hump and to get the cutout in the heal pad to properly aligned with sheet metal kick-out of the driver's side kick panel,where the dimmer switch goes. Now I am in search of original carpet photos to see how the factory trimmed the carpet up under the dash where it engages with the gas pedal, steering column, heater box, etc. Anyone got any E-body under-dash survivor photos?

Nice trick on how to install the dimmer switch thru the carpet:

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/1973...-installation/

This may help you Steve:

http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/in...topic=111538.0

Hi, Steve!

Yes! After, lo, these many years, ’tis I. Having been “RA” (Restoration Assistant) to ya back in the day on several of yer stellar vehicles, perhaps I can, on occasion, be yer “RAFA” (Restoration Assistant From Afar) on this here project! (No matter what, at least I can experience it vicariously through your exemplary photo & text documentation!) My perpetually busy schedule is a little less perpetually-busy, so I thought that I’d join y’all. Kudos to ya (and, of course, Dave) on the ‘cuda!

I scrolled through the last 20, or, so pages, and, perhaps I can render an assist about a coupla’ semi-recent inquiries which you posed.

#701 p. 71 Re: The ground straps for the Shaker air doors, I just checked both my early (Aug./Sept. ’70 Printing) -&- Late/Final (Dec. ’71/Jan. ’72) ’70’/’71 Parts Catalogs, hoping to glean some info, however, it appears that they are not serviced. Perhaps it’s the “Mad Scientist” in me, and, I hasten to point out, sheer speculation, however, considering it’s “arcane engineering Chrysler” here, I wonder of they’re to prevent the driver and/or the dash from getting zapped from a direct lighting strike to the bubble through the shaker cable?! Hmmm…

#707 p. 71 Re: Glass Codes
AS2 = Tempered Glass w/ 70% light passage; non windshield
M27.7 = Model # used by the glass manufacturer; in this case PPG (as mandated by US Law)
26.99 = *Sept. 1969
26.79 = *July 1969
DOT18 = PPG Industries / Pittsburgh, PA. USA
*Not sure of “26” That number appears on the original glass of both my right & left doors of my ‘71 Charger / All other info is complete & correct

#755 p. 76: …And, Re: The jute backing separator board direction of orientation, to be properly installed the jute faces the luggage compartment (aka “The Trunk"). The caveat here is that it “shouldn’t” be installed in a 340 ‘cuda, ‘cause that was “only” used on Gran Coupe models, however, as we often say, “It’s Chrysler,” and (almost) anything is possible. (As a note, that, also, would have been installed on any Challenger SE, or, R/T/SE. My previous ’71 Charger SE included factory-installed jute-backed package shelf -&- passenger/luggage compartment separator panel, and, carpet trunk mat & spare tire cover, as well as clip-in color-keyed cardboard panels to cover the wheelhouses & the inside quarter panels.)

I hope that this helps! MoPar to ya!

PS This is my first time on this Forum, so apologies if I didn’t post correctly!

Hey Bob! Welcome to the interwebs! Thanks for the sage advice.

(Bob and I go back about 40 years or so with our Mopars - he is an invaluable source of Mopar trivia and a terrible fastfood supplier - at the Mopar Nationals in 1986? I asked him to get bring me back a hamburger as I was working on the Cuda in the Brice Road hotel parking lot. An hour later he shows up with a single White Castle hamburger the size of postage stamp.)

Hey, Steve! Thanks for the welcome, and, the compliments! …And, you’re welcome!

…And, re: “terrible fast-food supplier,” guilty as charged! Yup! ’Twas the ’86 MoPar Nats in Columbus. Our friend Rodney & I set out on foot in search of sustenance, and, the only place we found that was open was a White Castle! (Home of the tiny slider.) In my defense it was actually a DOUBLE Cheeseburger (so, it contained not 1, but 2 postage stamps). We did, however, “compensate” by gettin’ ya a large economy size Pepsi… I do, indeed, recall your look of dismay to this day… Sorry…

On the happy news side, this feels good! Having been a member of national Chrysler Corp Car Clubs during their heyday (including CPPA, MMCI, NHOA, RTS, SIAC, Winged Warriors), this feels nice. My time is quite limited, however, if I can help with a question (or, something of that nature), I’ll be happy to do so!

Welcome Bob! :biggthumpup:

Well the shipping gremlins have struck again. I ordered a new AMD windshield from Jegs...and the shipping depot "lost" it for 6 days.

They attempted to deliver it today.

Flimsy carboard box.

Box was open completely on one side, with four pieces of broken tape that had been placed over the flaps.

Forklift tire tread marks on the open side flap.

Three pieces of styrofoam for padding.

Loose in the open box.

Chips all along the edges where it had been dragged on the ground.

I refused the shipment.

The problem is that this is how AMD ships glass. (and sheetmetal, as you may recall from our previous episode with the trunk lid(s) shipped from AMD)

Jegs customer service has been great. They refunded me my truck shipping charges and ordered me a new one with instructions to AMD to actually package the glass as if it was made of...

...wait for it...

...GLASS!

It really irritates me that some people/companies don't know how to pack. :no::bs: :thumbsdown: Idiots...

Thank you so much! Greatly appreciated!