I got out this dash panel/gauge cluster that I pulled at a junkyard years ago. I thought I would post a few pictures of the back so folks could get an idea what is there and where, like the bulbs. I find that when I am reaching up behind the dash laying upside down I get lost feeling for fasteners etc. So I hope this helps someone:
Mine had a non AC vent above the left knee. No on/off damper, so that got scheduled for a change out last winter. I did discover something else in that the dash panels were in fact A.C. specific, for what ever reason. Another fine point to look for. Back side dash panel work is by far the worst job on the '72. I actually unbolt the seat (4 bolts) and lay on the floor with a pillow and blanky to be in my comfort zone... Oh, and BTW, the elusive ash tray light in print. ws
If I do that I end up with a "fat cramp" usually right along the ribs or south of that. They are real, but I asked my doctor and he laughed. He'd never heard of such a thing. Getting old sucks. Pulling the seat does however keep the mounting bolts from rusting solid! ws http://www.ourhealth.com/conditions/muscle-conditions/acute-torso-muscle-spasms-cramps
"Gotta show pics or it didn't happen..." Ive always been big time into photography and now with the digital evolution, film is like really cheap LOL. Pics can often times tell a better story than even the book shows. Looking at those non dampered vents, I wonder if there is a 3rd model for the pull knob type versus the "power-flo" option for the 70-72s? I can say for sure that the hose routing is wayyy different for A.C. ws
All too familiar with that view! On a related note, the pins on those printed circuit boards get loose and in some cases break off. I devised a perfect repair for fixing that issue
I'm hearing you about getting under the dash, when I was still a mechanic we'd sometimes recline the back rest to get under the dash. Can't do that on the 'lark. I usually wedge myself between the seat and the base of the A pillar. Then the cursing starts. Getting up I then have my knees sounding like a goat chewing on a tin can full of celery.
Cell phone camera is a real boon when trying to see what's what under the dash but eventually you need to crawl under there somehow. I don't bend so much any more so what works for me is to lie on my back on the front seat and then swing my legs up and out the window then pivot until my head is under the dash. Helps to have a 4-door Hard Top so no post in the way Getting in that position is one thing - getting out again... Bob
Pull the front seat! Unless it's a simple fuse replacement or such, four bolts and its out. Grab a light, a blankey and a pillow and work at your' leisure. Youll discover a Brave New Horizon... You might actually enjoy working in there without regretting having to contort for a halfast job. ws
I get those sumbitches too, also in my legs, my hands, my arm. told my doc about it, he said its from the Atorvastatin for my cholesterol, I told him these cramps are pissin me off, he said the Atorvastatin is keeping you perfect number wise, so he aint changing nothing
Yer supposed to take that A-statin in the evening. I take mine in the A.M. and no more cramps... numbers are good too. Try it for a week and let me know; Im at the Holiday Inn in Shaker Heights, Cleveland tho... ws
Here you go. I made it a sticky for future reference! http://www.v8buick.com/index.php?threads/rally-gauge-cluster-repair.341857/