there are two bolts that point up towards the front glass, right behind teh sttering wheel. they dont go through a hole in the crash pad, but they do have a pretty good squeeze on it. only ones that came me trouble. the vin plate you can change by drilling out the old rivets, then putting in some new ones.

 

i just really like the 2nd gen switches+dials..
i was under the impression that you switch the crash pad, then find the 2nd gen switches and it was all plug and play.

why would cops care that you have a 2nd gen dash? nothing illegal about that...? it still IS a first gen.

 

Hes talking about the crashpad...
NOT the dash..


BTW.. i got the first gen crashpad and 2nd gen dash...

 

well how did you go about doing it jaws?
i really want to do this..but im sort of looking for a lazy way about it, don't want to take forever and it needs to be driveable most of the time. i have all the bolts to the dash off, it's only clipped together..
thx

 

Wow...after looking at that...that's a crapload of wires. Is the framework behind the plastic dash (meaning...the metal bars and the sheet metal plates) easily removable? Granted, it's not advisable for any n00bs to take it out to save weight (because it supports the dash), but fvck...we're talking about me. So, spare me the structural crap, because I'll reinforce with something lighter.

 

btw.. the 2nd gen upgrade IS SOOOO worth it..

I just remember something..

You might want to switch crashpads..

I dont have any electrical crap hooked up... except the AC controls..

I dont need cruise, cause i love having the control of the turbo,... i dont have fogs,... cause well.. my bumper looks better without then. I dont use the defrost,... cause well.. im in los angeles.. so the weather is always good enough for me to roll down the windows...

So if you dont mind living without the electrical controls.. by all means do it. If you need them.. get the crashpad..

I completely forgot about that sorry...

 

anyone want to write a basic diy? nothing that detailed im sure i can figure it out, not sure how to get started? who could supply me with 2nd gen switches+crashpad? smile.gif

 

arctic, i dont know. i was kinda in a rush, as i only had about 6 hours to do it all+ drive to autozone to get a steering wheel puller. im thinking they might be though. im gonna take it off again when i install my alarm, ill be sure to check for ya.

zoned, heres the thing.

you have the crashpad (main part of dashboard), the cluster surround (secondary crashboard i guess), and you have the wiring harness.

the wiring harness runs behind all the controls on the cluster surround, and is secured on the crashpad by some screws(like 10 actually.)

the wiring harness makes its big connection in the bottom left corner of the front of your car. there are three big connectors there. i think that the side of that connection that runs into the engine bay is the same between all RDs, but im pretty sure that the harness that runs up behind the cluster surround and connects to all the switches is different between RD1s and RD2s.

the crash pads themselves are the same between all RDs.

so this is what you would have to do:

1. buy a second gen cluster surround(and the radio surround if you want it to flow right)

2. buy a second gen interior wiring harness.

3. take out crash pad. replace the existing wiring harness. its easy as pie. just a bunch of screws.

4. put crash pad back in with new wiring harness.

5. stick 2nd gen cluster surround on, and connect all the connectors.

you're done.

now thats the easiest way, but not the cheapest. if you wanted to be really cheap, you could cut off the ends of the connectors on your first gen wiring harness, and crimp some female connectors on each wire. you would then have to make sure you get every wire correct, and you would be dealing with extra issues what with the slight differences between the features of the rd1s and 2s. i definately would not do this, because the wiring harness could prolly be had for cheap by a junkyard(or even from MADTIB....he has an extra one now. i gave it to him. might be a rd1 harness though.)

 

i think i might not understand..
isn't the crashpad the dash plate under the steering wheel by your legs? and on the right side on the bottom there's like a big wiring harness (it reminds me of an ENLARGED serial port from a pc?) is that what you are talking about? and all the wires coming from it go to the switches and need to be swapped? does the steering wheel need to come out

 

thats called the lower crashpad.

the port is not what im talking about. theres a big junction of wires behind the dash panel on the lower left side of the front.

yes you will need to take your steering wheel off. not hard at all.