Started a new project on the Aquamist car. Im going to redye and restore my kick panels. Ordered new carpeting, new cables and vent knobs. What a pain in the.... Passenger side is off. I cant believe how much sealer they put on! Now In trying to remove the drivers side. The E brake pedal assembly is giving me a problem and I just want a sanity check. I removed the two nuts holding the assembly to the firewall and removed the small screw attaching it to the dash. Still not coming out. Seems to me stuck at the top firewall stud. Is there something Im missing here or it is just tuck to the firewall pad? Is there another bolt or screw I forgot?
Put your purse down and grab a hold of it. It comes out at a funny angle causing the studs to grab onto the firewall. That and there is some sealer on the studs too.
Those holes are the same size if the studs,..gotta wiggle it and pull straight out as much as you can
That was the problem! Not my purse, the top stud was grabbing on the hole. The E brake cable was pushing it down. The trick was to lift up on the assembly. Came right out. The kick panel is out too. And just a side note, whoever put these panels in at the factory, must of used a whole tube of sealer on these damn things. What an absolute mess cleaning all this crap off. Its literally the worst part of the job
These things looked like hell. And there was no chrome left on the knobs. They should really pop when they're done!
Did the panels come out with just force or did you have to somehow cut away at the dealer? I have been wanting to do this job for a while and haven't got to it. I got as far as the screws behind the grate and couldn't move the panel. Also, what kind of sealer is going back on?
Whats funny is I had always heard how difficult these panels were to remove, so I avioded doing this job for years. But they relly arent that bad. The cables unhooked pretty easily. Once all the screws are out, I just gut my hand behind the panel at the top and it broke the seal. The sealer itself has almost the consistency of plumbers putty. Its soft and pliable so they arent glued in place. My neighbor who is the Jay Cook of VW Rabbits, gave me a roll of sealer tape that looks exactly like what Im removing. Ill take a pic pf it later and ask him where he got it from.
Cleaned up the drivers side of sealer. The sealer in my hand is only half of it. There is just as much on the metal. Another pic of a little before and after. The kick panels almost looked grey. The Sem landau black gives them the perfect sheen. One word of caution, do not use Duplicolor black vinyl dye. Waaay too glossy. And the new roll of sealer that's going in. I'll use a tad less
I ended up using the Duplicolor Flat Black ...and it actually had a tinge of gloss...perfect for the dash pad I hosed down. I had to kind of mist it on in several coats since it wanted to load up quickly.
Ok, both kick panels are refinished. I gave the backside a coat of dye also. They literally look brand new. Ita honestly hard to believe its the same part! As far as the grills, I wound up using the duplicolor gloss finish dye. Makes them pop against the satin sheen of the kick panels. Cables should be here Monday.
Look into "duct seal" used by electricians. Its similar to plumbers putty but firmer and stickier, Charcoal gray and made for the weather.
I've also been putting off this upgrade because of the troubles you mentioned. The passenger side on mine has a small crack and both need to be refinished. This thread just might get me motivated. Jason, are you going to refinish the knobs or replace them? Your progress on those would be appreciated.
@BYoung , the original knobs and cables are just wasted. There was no sense in just replacing the knobs. Inline tube sells the cables and knobs as a complete unit. They aren't cheap though. All 4 cables with knobs were $160 shipped. Between the cables, carpet, dye and sealer, its going to be almost a $300 endeavor by the time the smoke clears. But well worth it. They were such an eyesore on an otherwise nice interior.