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Let's chat about possible dash swaps.
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a2wolfsburggli
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 9:21 am    Post subject: Let's chat about possible dash swaps. Reply with quote

Searched, didn't find anything complete on dash swaps. So...lets have a conversation.

It was pretty well known swap to put a Corrado dash into a Mk2 GTI, a Mk2 dash into a Mk1 Golf/Rabbit.

Given the wider girth on the Vanagon I doubt one of those would match up right.

Has anyone seen a fairly VW stock dash swap from something else into the Vanagons? Anyone try a Eurovan dash? Maybe a Passat? I'm thinking about trying to get updated looks and switches to the Mk2 or Mk3 VW's.

Would prob. have to retain the heater controls and gauge cluster. Vent routing would be interesting.

Search Results:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=429205
https://shufti.blog/2011/06/14/vanagon-frank-g-s-instrument-cluster-mod/
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Last edited by a2wolfsburggli on Tue Apr 02, 2019 9:26 am; edited 1 time in total
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djkeev
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 9:26 am    Post subject: Re: Lets chat about possible Dash Swaps. Reply with quote

Yeah.... a year or two back there was a thread with photos of a highly modified Vanagon interior.
It was almost older American car like, center console poofy seats, etc.

Didn't like it but it was interesting......

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 9:32 am    Post subject: Re: Lets chat about possible Dash Swaps. Reply with quote

I recall a similar thread where they grafted in an Audi interior I believe. It was nice looking, but not my taste. I like the more utilitarian look of the early non padded dash.

Here you go. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8551422#8551422
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a2wolfsburggli
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 10:06 am    Post subject: Re: Lets chat about possible Dash Swaps. Reply with quote

MarkWard wrote:
I recall a similar thread where they grafted in an Audi interior I believe. It was nice looking, but not my taste. I like the more utilitarian look of the early non padded dash.

Here you go. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8551422&highlight=#8551422


Wow...ya. That's quite a bit further than a dash swap. I'm thinking far more along the Mk2 Golf/Jetta or Passat dash.
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leecat
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 11:03 am    Post subject: Re: Lets chat about possible Dash Swaps. Reply with quote

I have a MK3 Jetta dash from a '99 in my '69 TDI Westy and it was an astonishingly good fit, perfect width and fit the windshield curve very nicely. Just needed 'side caps' as when the doors open you could see into the 'ends' of the dash. I would think Vanagon would be similar? Away from home for the winter so sorry I have no pics Sad

I cut down and smallened the stock heater box (hits the interior nose of the van otherwise) and use a Jetta heater core - all the climate controls work as factory.

Edit - if I remember right, I did have to trim a tiny bit off the leading edge of the dash here and there to get a 'best fit' - but no more than a quarter inch or so. I also used the stock Jetta steering column (gives me a tiny pretend bit of VW tilt steering) and wheel coupled with Saturn Vue electric power steering. Power steering was the best thing ever - I can steer it with one finger even at a dead stop.

My Vanagon dash is minty perfect, otherwise I would certainly try swapping a spare '97 Jetta dash I have into it.

Yet another edit - found one pic of it going in (because the dash tapers inward at the sides as it leaves the firewall/door pillar, there IS enough room to use the window cranks - that would certainly be something to check before doing a full-on Vanagon swap. 30 hours later..."Ooops! No windows!"):

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a2wolfsburggli
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 12:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Lets chat about possible Dash Swaps. Reply with quote

leecat wrote:
I have a MK3 Jetta dash from a '99 in my '69 TDI Westy and it was an astonishingly good fit, perfect width and fit the windshield curve very nicely. Just needed 'side caps' as when the doors open you could see into the 'ends' of the dash. I would think Vanagon would be similar? Away from home for the winter so sorry I have no pics Sad

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That's fantastic.

So you used the Jetta HVAC?
What about the controls to the rear heater?
What did you do for the brake fluid reservoir?
Which gauge cluster did you use? The Mk3 or the Vanagon?
I'm sure I have 100 more questions.
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leecat
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 12:36 pm    Post subject: Re: Lets chat about possible Dash Swaps. Reply with quote

Yes, all the Jetta controls are stock - the heater lines run from the engine under the van, snake through the lower nose and up to the heater core. There is no rear heater in the earlier vans. I have a pull-knob under the dash that opens the front left van-nose vent - the front right is sealed shut as the heater box blocks it.

Under the cluster I have built-in GPS and a switch that adjusts power to the steering unit so you can 'firm it up' a little on the highway - full power is too sensitive for highway but best around town.

The brake reservoir is the '69 van one, mounted low on the firewall above the pedals - a bit of a pain to fill but I live with it until I get motivated to change it. I have 1974 front van disc brakes and newer Audi electric-e-brake rear calipers hooked to Jetta discs and hubs (so four-wheel disc brakes), and it all runs just fine from the (brand-new, of course) '69 master. Rockauto's service rebuilt my brake booster and I'm super happy with it - stops on a dime. The rear Audi e-brake works on a momentary Jaguar switch on the dash so that I can flick it for light stopping or jam it on for instant stopping. The 'on' side is coated with glow-in-the-dark paint so that you can see it super easy at night - would hate to be fumbling around the dash in the dark in an emergency stop!

Bleeding new Audi electric calipers is a total pain, btw. I originally had the TDI brake equalizer valve installed but found the system works better without it, and I eliminated it.

The gauge cluster is the MK3 diesel - because it's coupled to the original AHU TDI it was super easy to do, except for all the wiring that had to be extended from the engine bay to the front of the van - that was the most work on the whole swap.

I think a Vanagon would be much easier, especially if you had a dash-matching VW engine (my Vanagon has the ABA) because you could use the cluster 'as factory' - although I don't think it would be a great issue to shoehorn the Vanagon cluster into a Jetta dash if you had a WBX.

Anyway, perfectly do-able with enough time and patience, I think. My diesel gets 40 mpg and I can run it on biodiesel, which is great. Only real drawback is that for some reason I painted it brown. I must have been suffering from temporary insanity, and I still regret it.

If you did this, do NOT extend the full wiring harness and run the computer under the dash - instead extend the dash harness forward from the engine bay and keep the computer in the rear. That was my number-one lesson - I have a new TDI wiring harness waiting, and now I just need to summon the bottomless courage to strip the wiring out of the ENTIRE van and rewire it to make it a cleaner install. :/

Anyway, I would love to see someone do it in a Vanagon too!
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 8:01 pm    Post subject: Re: Lets chat about possible Dash Swaps. Reply with quote

I have "considered" taking two dash and cutting them both long in the middle and welding them back together. Then doing basically the same idea with the dash pads and recovering the dash pads.
The only benefit would be getting the radio higher and allowing for a 2xdin radio/navigation and a couple of additional gauges with a near factory look. A lot of work.
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 8:31 pm    Post subject: Re: Lets chat about possible Dash Swaps. Reply with quote

Shit I would be happy with an old non vinyl dash like I had in my 81. SOlid as a rock. No cracks on that dash. My current 85 dash looks like a dry lake bed.
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 9:25 pm    Post subject: Re: Lets chat about possible Dash Swaps. Reply with quote

but a black padded dash in it, i have that to do for a customer in a couple of weeks, all the brown stuff goes in the trash, i have sourced everything to replace it in black.

AZ Landshaper wrote:
Shit I would be happy with an old non vinyl dash like I had in my 81. SOlid as a rock. No cracks on that dash. My current 85 dash looks like a dry lake bed.

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 9:58 pm    Post subject: Re: Lets chat about possible Dash Swaps. Reply with quote

Dash swap? Isn’t the stock dash one of the reasons we love Vanagon’s? WTF?
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 10:07 pm    Post subject: Re: Lets chat about possible Dash Swaps. Reply with quote

No.
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 10:45 pm    Post subject: Re: Lets chat about possible Dash Swaps. Reply with quote

Front dash swap just for fashion doesn't interest me but a swap that included a real front heater and A/C unit with decent vents, controls, and recirc... Hot Damn! I'd happily do a swap if I knew it fit decently.
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 10:46 pm    Post subject: Re: Lets chat about possible Dash Swaps. Reply with quote

Bingo
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a2wolfsburggli
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 4:48 am    Post subject: Re: Lets chat about possible Dash Swaps. Reply with quote

?Waldo? wrote:
Front dash swap just for fashion doesn't interest me but a swap that included a real front heater and A/C unit with decent vents, controls, and recirc... Hot Damn! I'd happily do a swap if I knew it fit decently.


I hear ya. I'm interested for a couple reasons.

1. The Vanagon was treated like a Cabriolet. It was niche and kitchy enough that they didn't bother to update the dash design, switches controls etc from the early 80's designs. We're using Mk1 / Rabbit design on what should be a Mk2 interior.

2. Functional and sane heater controls with real working center vents.

3. A little better layout and cubby's / storage if you use a Mk2 dash. (I'm thinking of an 88/89 Jetta GLI layout.)

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PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 8:31 am    Post subject: Re: Let's chat about possible dash swaps. Reply with quote

What is under the vinyl of the stock Vanagon dash? Is it metal like a Bay dash? Can it be stripped and painted?
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 8:39 am    Post subject: Re: Let's chat about possible dash swaps. Reply with quote

YES
and cut
and welded
and painted

Bulli Klinik wrote:
What is under the vinyl of the stock Vanagon dash? Is it metal like a Bay dash? Can it be stripped and painted?

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PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 10:19 am    Post subject: Re: Let's chat about possible dash swaps. Reply with quote

Man, I loves me some Mk2. I still miss my old '86 Jetta.

Just good solid giter-don-ery
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 10:24 am    Post subject: Re: Let's chat about possible dash swaps. Reply with quote

Not sure I actually want to swap out my dash or anything, but I do think that Jetta dash in the Bus is pretty neat!
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 10:46 am    Post subject: Re: Let's chat about possible dash swaps. Reply with quote

vwwestyman wrote:
but I do think that Jetta dash in the Bus is pretty neat!

It gives me ideas. Evil, evil ideas...

Not for my current Bus, but there's a carcass/project candidate I've been eyeballing at a buddy's place that's missing the dash. If the Mk3 dash fits into a Bay that nicely, the Mk2 should also fit pretty well.
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