Does anyone on here know where I can find instructions on how to get the dash pad out of my car. Or is there a write up on here somewhere on how to do it? Mine cracked really badly yesterday with it being 110 heat index with the windows up all day in the driveway. So I figured I'd take it out and superglue the cracks. Then reinforce it by applying fiberglass to the entire underside of it. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

 

No one has any insight for me?

 

you need to pull the pillar covers off first. other than that good luck. seems like heat would have made it soft and not so easy to crack. must have been the uv rays. once the things get brittle it dosnt take much to break em.

 

So the pillar covers come off, then? Does it just pop off after that? Or? And yeah I assume the uv rays took their tole on it. It's very very brittle. I cracked it worse trying to get it out earlier today. Hence why I asked for the proper removal steps here lol. Thanks

 

Well I have never taken the pad off with out removing the whole dash.

Remove the piller covers,
lift up on the "tray" that is behind the dash cover and be careful about the security light and the auto light sensor if you have them. (they are in the grille for the defrost). remove them if you have them.
You should see the screws for the top of the dash now remove these last.
Remove the heater controls (from the heater box and the dash)
Under the dash you will need to remove the grounds that are behind the kick pannels.
unbolt the steering column from under the dash (you dont have to remove it from the firewall)
Free up any wiring from the rest of the car so that it will come out with the dash.
unbolt dash from the cowl (near the grounds)
last unbolt from the top and remove as a whole unit.

Once the whole dash is out then you can remove the cover from the frame and replace or repair it. If things are cracking in the sun then it is brittle and not going to repair easy, you may just need to replace it.

Massey

 

Yeah except they cost more than its worth to me to fix the problem... So salvage yards here I come lol.

 

Dash pad? Which part exactly are you talking about? A 94 doesn't have a real dash "pad" since, well, there's not any padding. Everything is hard plastic except for the airbag covers.
Do you mean the huge, flat, black plastic piece directly under the windshield? If so, GM calls that part the instrument panel upper trim panel. It's the same for 1993 to 1996 Camaros but every one I've come across in a junkyard is either gone or broken worse than mine. And mine is pretty bad; it's in about 6 pieces.
From what I can tell looking at junkyard cars the whole thing is attached to the i/p frame top with a bunch of velcro-like patches. It's like the stuff that holds the fuse panel cover on. You just pry and the patches release.
I'm determined to replace mine since the ugly condition is hard to miss from both outside and inside the car. I called a GM dealer just yesterday and the list price for a new panel is about $220. That's a lot of cash for a piece of plastic but, the way I figure it, if I buy a new one it's good for as long as I own the car. If I buy a good used junkyard part it will be sun-baked and 1) may not survive transportation home 2) may not survive installation, 3) may crack apart in 6 months.

 

Does anyone know what causes them to crack? Heat? Sun rays? Also does anyone know if it would be worth patching mine and then covering it in soft vinyl of the came color?

 

they make dash pad covers that dont cost the much. they go over the existing dash pad.

 

The cracks can be caused by a number of things. Smoking inside the car, sun, cold, improper removal, silicone based "protectants" like ArmorAll, abuse in any number of ways, wrecks. You all get the idea. Covering it will hide the issue for a while but if you want to and have the skills to recover the pad then pull off all the old vinyl, repair the foam and recover with new vinyl. I have restored other dashes this way but never a 4th gen camaro dash, and a 2nd gen dash is much simpler.

Massey