Switch removal??

Would someone please let me in on the secret? How do you get the switches out of the dash?

I have a 71 and all the switch bezels with the former chrome "dust" on them are all a very ugly shade of "aged plastic yellow". I bought some chrome foil from my local hobby shop and want to try to spruce them up a bit: brake pressure light, headlight swithch. blower switch, and the flasher switch in the console. Looks from Moss catolog like there may be more than one answer for the different switches. Seems like a pair of needle nose pliers with a couple of 90 degree bends on each arm used by someone with a double jointed fibula would be perfect! Any other ideas?

By the way, I sure am having fun driving this car. It seems to bring smiles and enjoyment to everyone it encounters. What a treat to own one.

Thanks, Manning

Mid 70's with the illuminated switches have a plastic rectangle that holds the bulb and secures the switch. CAREFULLY use a small flat screwdriver to pull the retainer away from first one side, then the next, as you push the switch through.
Earlier switches are held by wire traps. It seems like you push the two sides down which frees the ends, and push the switch through.

Chris:

My switches are the earlier non-lighted rocker type. Do the switches come towards me when the trap is removed and does the switch therefore hold the bezel against the dash?

Manning, the switch and the bezel are seperate. You removed the switch. It is held in place by two ears, one top one bottom. Then the bezel. It's held in place with a wire type contraption.

Good, luck! You'll see what I mean when you get it out! Took me a little bit to figure it out too.

My bezels are have also lost their shine and are just ugly yellow plastic now. Let us know how you recondition them.

Thanks John & Chris:

I am going to try to burnish on an adhesive-backed foil that I bought in sheet form. Product is "Bare-Metal" and I bought the "ultra bright chrome" version at my local hobby shop. I didn't think that I would have luck with painting. I'll let you know if it works (or not).

Manning

I never have been able to remove one ot those switches without destroying them. That damned wire holding them in place must have been designed by the same sob that designed the tranny mount. Seems like the factory manual shows a special tool that slides in place from the side to allow the removal of the switch. If you mess with them, be prepared to replace them, if they are not broken already, they will be soon. Bee super careful. BTW, I tried covering some bezels with the foil stuff and found the surface needed to be perfectly smooth for the foil to look it's best, and even then it's silver, instead of chrome. But even silver is better than yellow!

You don't think paint would work? Even black paint would look better than yellow.

I know that the foil won't look like chrome, but I think that I can get it closer with foil than paint. As for black paint, a matter of taste I guess, but I personally think that the bit of "brightness" between the black switch and the black dash looks better. The one place I do think that black would be fine is down on my console (1971 style) where the black would suit pretty well with the black blank-out fillers where I have no fog light or rear window defroster switches.

The foil does work. I use it all the time to restore dashes. Getting the switches out with the dash in the car is a real pain. I don't have a clue why they put those damn wire hold down on them. They were totally not needed. It's not that big a job to take the dash out. I take the center console, glove box, and steering column out first. Then the dash is relitively easy to remove.

The bezels that Moss has will fit your car. They aren't expensive. I just sent 3 back though, because they are listed for 74 also, but don't have the teeth the original 74s had (so the switch won't stay where it belongs) and something else was different too.