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Expert: Paul Wilczynski - 6/6/2009


Question
How do I remove and then replace the light switch on the dash of my 56 chevy in  order to replace the dash trim I have bought.  I can unscrerw the nut on the front of the dash but it won;t release the switch so I can remove the bezel and the switch.  I tried to reach under the dash but I did,t feel anything.  Thanks a lot for your help

Answer
Hi, Jerry.

You'll need to remove the knob, too. Pull it out all the way so it turns the lights on. You'll have to reach under the dash and feel for a small button on the switch body at the top, roughly in the center. Push this button in while pulling on the knob, and the knob and its shaft will then pull completely out of the switch housing. Next, undo the escutcheon nut and remove the trim washer, if present. The switch will drop down and hang from its wire leads. No need to disconnect it if you're only replacing the dash trim. Reverse the procedure to reinstall.

Good luck!

--Paul

Classic/Antique Car Repair

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Paul Wilczynski

Expertise

Most questions involving vintage car restoration, mechanical and body, paint and upholstery. Parts sourcing. Extensive experience in wood-bodied station wagons, British and French cars of the '40s through '70s. Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger, Citroen Maserati, VW Beetle, 1955-65 Chevrolet (especially Nomad station wagons), Corvair.

Experience

Wide-ranging and long-term. I owned a restoration shop in the 1970s, continue to dabble in vintage exotics. At one time, had a seven-car collection of contemporary exotics which I had restored and maintained myself. When I was 18 years old, I designed a woodie kit for the VW Beetle, which I developed into a product which was featured on television and in over 100 magazines and 25 books at last count. I still own and drive one of my creations. I owned a design and fabrication consultancy from 1982-2002, specializing in show car fabrication for manufacturers including Ford, Mazda, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, etc. Since 2003, I have been a department manager in Industrial Design, and a full-time instructor in automotive design and fabrication at the university level. My students go on to design automobiles as staff designers for major auto manufacturers worldwide.

Organizations
Western Automotive Journalists, Industrial Design Society of America.

Publications
Long list of magazines and books, including Playboy, VW Trends, VW Greats, Hot VWs, and European automotive magazines.

Education/Credentials
I teach design and fabrication at university level. My education is in Industrial Design, University of Illinois (1966-1970).

Awards and Honors
Many awards for restorations in local concours and shows.

Past/Present Clients
Mazda, Ford, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, Mercedes, Porsche.

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