How do you remove the brushed aluminum dash panel above the stereo? I need to remove it to add a guage between the vents?!?

Probably simple, but this is my first Stang!

 

Its bolted in place. You have to 1st remove your center console, so you can remove the vertical panels that are on each side of the radio. When you take out these pieces, it gives you more room to work. Pull out the trim around the gauge cluster. When you do this, you will see the mounting screws on the driver side. For the screws on the passenger side, you have to slide out your airbag, to access these screws. I know this as we had a customer send his center dash section of his Shelby GT500 out to get signed. He dropped the car off and the shop foreman removed the panel. I saw what was involved. To be honest, I would just take it to your local dealer and have them do it. If you didn't have to mess with the passenger airbag, I would say do it yourself, but airbags are serious stuff.

BTW, have you thought of a gauge cluster ontop of the dash like Saleen?

 

When I did mine, I pulled it in the way that Jeff described above. It really is not that hard, just be patient. I will say though, that there is nothing behind that panel- I know guys that have drilled it and mounted their guages while it was still in place inside the car.

 

Tom are you for sure there is nothing behind it? I'm getting the Nexus gages( will be replaceing the Cobalt ones) I'll have three Nexus gages and the DPSS shift light ,so I need an extra place to put either the DPSS shift light or one of the Nexus gages.I just want to make sure before I start drilling that there is nothing behind there.

 

Usually there's nothing behind the panel, but for my money, I wouldnt take any chances, you could have some shifting or something. I'd take it apart and make sure. It'll probably be easier to center the guages as well.

 

The only thing remotely behind this panel is the plastic that joins the two vents together- which you have to drill if you're going to drill the main panel anyway. Seriously, I had mine out and all apart when doing my install last year:

 

Thanks Tom! I recieved my Nexus gages directly from Auto Meter yesterday! I noticed on the sensor module there is places to plug each gage directly to the sensor. So do I have to piggy back the gages or plug them in to the module in the labled places on the module? I have the following gages to install: Fuel Pressure, Boost /Vac , and a wideband Air/Fuel gage and I'm going to put back in the DPSS shift light.I just want to make sure not to mess anything up.Any help appreciated

 

Oh yea, out of the four gages,which one do you think I should put in between the vent area?