Fit of 1973 dash cap

[SteveInOakland]

Wondering if anyone else has found these problems with the '73 cap (not the same as those for the earlier Zs):

1. Glovebox opening narrower than door across the top couple of inches. I measured, and it's about 1/4 inch. No way you can close the door without mods to the opening.

2. Hazard light switch hole too close to the lighter hole above. Hole needs to be enlarged, most likely eliminating the left wall of the hole, where it wraps around the inset in the dash. Measured with caliper, there's about 3/16" difference, centers on cap vs. dash.

3. Driver side air vent (round) opening too close to tach. For this, it may be possible to heat and warp the 3/8" wall of the opening in the cap. As is, with the cap fitted perfectly into tach and speedo openings, the hole for the vent opening won't reach the inset in the dash.

Also wondering how anyone has solved these problems, especially first and third. What happens to the material when you use a heatgun set on low or medium? What's the tolerance between workable and ruined?

MSA says they've had no reports of these fit issues and that everyone is happy with the '73 cap. Hmm.

I can't say that I like the idea of having to rework a product just to make it do the job it's meant for -- rework it enough to make the thing impossible to return, if I fail....

So looking for help from veterans. The half cap is starting to look a little better. Thanks in advance.

[hls30.com]

Are you sure you don't have an earlier dash... I had the same problem several years ago-endedup ordering the early cover-still have the late cover I ordered originally...Nissan used parts they had as they located them, between that and POs, you never can tell what you may have without checking.

Will

Edited August 20, 2012 by hls30.com

[hls30.com]

This might help you narrow it down-courtesy of Carl Beck and the IZCC!

http://zhome.com/Classic/Restore/dash.htm

[SteveInOakland]

Thanks for those thoughts. That looked promising, but my dash does seem to be a '73. It doesn't have the indent for the hazard-light decal, and the hazard light itself is the push-pull version. It does raise the question, what's the difference between a '73 dash cap and the one for the earlier cars. A bigger hole for the hazard light switch? That would help. Maybe I got the early cap with the wrong label.

Re: the glovebox, my door measures a shade over 12-7/8 wide; like, 12-29/32. The opening in the cap is 12-3/4. Anyone feel like measuring the door width of the earlier glovebox?

Edited August 20, 2012 by SteveInOakland

[SteveJ]

When I ordered my cap about 16 years ago, Sal from MSA warned me there were two different dash caps for the 73. I had to return the first to get one that fit.

[SteveInOakland]

Thanks, SteveJ, very interesting. Palco (aka Dashtop, MSA's supplier) currently lists only one cap for the 1973.

Meanwhile, looking over the parts microfiche, it seems the glove box door is the same part on all 240Zs. Will be talking to Palco in morning about my cap....

[tlorber]

Steve, if you can't find the "correct" dash cover, I would imagine that most of the fitment issues could be cured by some patient work with a heat gun, since the initial shape was formed with heat. However, the plastic will go from solid to liquid very quickly. You might want to bend some pieces of sheet metal in the appropriate radii to use as forms until the plastic cool and hardens.

I've had to do similar work on my roadster with decent results. Keep in mind that if the plastic gets too soft and you press on it, you run the risk of smoothing out the texturing.

[cbuczesk]

I've installed several. I currently have them on my '72, '74 and '75. I've never had much of a problem. The most I've had to do is ahve the glove box door a bit and adjust it. Can you try it on another car? Maybe your dash is warped?

Chuck

[SteveInOakland]

Thanks guys for the thoughts, and glad to learn more about using heat. I spoke with Dennis of Palco this morning, and he says he runs into problems like mine from time to time. He wants me to try the cover for the earlier model, even though mine is a '73 dash and lacks the indent next to hazard switch. Dennis says that in conversations with Nissan some years ago, he learned that they used two different vendors to make the dashes, and there are slight differences here and there. I imagine this is behind what SteveJ mentions up above in Post #5. (Chuck, I don't have another car handy to try the cap on.) Will get the other cap from MSA and go from there.

[SteveInOakland]

Well, the 1970-72 dash cap arrived today, and lo and behold, it fits really, really well. So Dennis of Palco was 100% right. Of course, I now have the indent for the toggle hazard switch, and my switch is the pull type. Frankly this doesn't bother me in the least. I am so, so pleased to have this resolved. A good thing for others to be prepared for, too.

In sum -- a 1973 dash, without the off-on decal indent next to the hazard switch -- and the early dash cap fits, the 1973 does not. Acccording to Dennis, because multiple vendors were used to build the dashes. My car btw is January 1973 production.