dash pad cover?

[JBR]

I beleive my 73 450sl has had a dash pad cover installed. It does not fit the window pillar corners very well. Also the cover does not go into the round vent holes far enough towards the ball vents, which leaves about 3/8"of the original dash foam expossed in front of the balls. It just looks cheap. If I was to purchase another one will I have the same problem. And if not how do you remove the previously installed one, it seems to be glued in place?

[230/8]

JBR:

A dash cover will be hard plastic. If it is glued on then you must hope it was done per the instructions, a small dab at the corners and a couple of other spots along the edges. If done properly you should be able to carefully and slowly work a plastic windshield gasket tool along the front edge of the cover. Some place there will be a gap to fit the tool under. Just work it around the edges and try to break the bond. You will probably tear the surface off the old original pad, don't worry about that. If you cannot find a proper windshield gasket tool, go to a craft store and ask for a "bone" which is used for folding and creasing paper. It will not be the perfect tool, but is an acceptable substitute. If all else fails, try a plastic putty knife.

You can get a new dash cover here:

http://www.capitolwest.com/

Mine is real nice and for an extra $10 they dyed it to match the original red. The colors available are the standard SEM products; something will be close to your original color if that is what you are looking for.

Here is a helpful site for installing a new cover.

http://www.slack.net/~thundt/mercedes/dashtop_installation.htm

Good luck,

230/8