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More Dic Talk.

Eagle-1

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BigBlueLB756 Senior Enthusiast

BigBlueLB756

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OK, this is from fellow member Belchfire:

"Official update:

 

I ordered from GMPartsDirect on 7/23 and the plate was on national backorder (as I figured it would be). I instructed then to cancel that item and ship the rest of the order. The switch alone ($28.04 shipped) went out on the 27th and arrived on my doorstep on the 29th. Not too bad.

 

I waited until this morning when I knew I had all day and just cut my existing dash. It's gorgeous! Especially when I think about having saved $45 in the process. My TOTAL cost for the DIC upgrade is $28.04 in cash and about 2 or 2 1/2 hours to remove the dash, cut the opening, and reinstall everything.

 

 

TIPS FOR THOSE WANTING TO CUT THEIR EXISTING DASH:

 

Remove the dash piece, then remove all the other parts from it; the headlight switch and the air conditioning vent both.

 

You'll need a Dremel (with an onion shaped bit; round, coming to a point), a triangular file about 3/8" to a side and a flat file about 3/4" or 1" wide. The wider the better for a straight, smooth cut.

 

Take your time; you've got all day. If you don't have all day, wait until you do.

 

Cut from the back with a Dremel and cut an opening smaller than you think it should be. Then finish up with sharp files. I only used the Dremel on the initial cut, then put it up. When you cut plastic with a Dremel, remember that speed only melts the plastic. I used speed setting 2 for the best cut without loading up on melted plastic.

 

Take your time; you have all day.

 

Make all cuts with a sharp file from the front to the back. This leaves the fuzzies on the back and easily trimmed with a sharp exact-o knife.

 

Take your time and be VERY careful with the finish on the face. Keep the files away from it and don't lay it face down to file on it!

 

Try to cut the opening with a slight bevel that leaves the front smaller than the back. This makes final fitting around the switch much easier.

 

Cut slowly and test fit OFTEN!

 

Take your time; you've got all day.

 

The short sides are easy to keep square, but the long sides are trickier. To make a nice straight edge on them, begin with an opening smaller than you'll need and work to get it square with nice straight sides even though it's too small. Take your time squaring it up at this stage. Then (here's the best trick yet) working with one edge of the opening at a time, use your triangular file to cut small notches all along the edge to the depth that you think you should be cutting. Make the notches a uniform depth and start/ finish in the corners, dividing the edge up into several notches. Then, with your wide flat file, cut until all the notches are gone. This way, your cuts will remain smooth and the edges straight. Be careful in the corners that you're only cutting the edge you're working on and not cutting with the side of the file.

 

TAKE YOUR TIME; you've got all day.

 

On FINAL fitting, get the height (top and bottom) right first, and then gradually widen the hole until the switch fits in without rubbing. A slight gap all the way around is better than tight so the buttons don't bind.

 

All in all, an easy upgrade. Cutting the hole takes some time, but at 2 hours and $45, your time is worth $22.50 an hour, so go for it. If you flub up, there are a ton of members here who still have their old plates; you should be able to find another one cheap."

 

Those are Belchfire's instructions; he done it first, I just done it later.

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Eagle-1 Enthusiast

Eagle-1

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(snippage occured).......but I'm trying to be nice for some reason today. ......(snippage ended)

 

In the immortal words of Ms. Tina Turner.......You BETTER be good to me! (Or was that Bette Midler? I'll check CD's.....note to self.) I'll take an oxygen/acetylene rig to that friggin' panel so fast it'll make......your head..........spin?

 

HOLD UP A TICK! Scratch that, this is MY panel! :cheers:

 

LOL!

 

Thank you very much for that link BigBlue! That sir is another fantastic mod!!! I'm afraid it's now official though. You boys are NOT very good people to be hanging around with. It's getting to the point.....after just TWO friggin' days....I wanna cut/hack/wire/remove/shim/tape/raise AND lower all kinda crap on my truck and day before yesterday I WAS PERFECTLY CONTENT WITH THE WAY IT WAS!!!!!

 

Now, I can't look at the damn thing without wanting to add these things y'all have.

 

Shit.

 

Y'all have turned my truck into a stock hunk of junk that I now won't be satisfied until some of this is added. :sigh:

BigBlueLB756 Senior Enthusiast

BigBlueLB756

Posted
Posted

Oh, did I fail to mention adding an oil vapor catch can in your PCV line? That will have to wait until another day. Or, how to get rid of that ugly-*ss radio antenna. Or, how to remove some/all of that Cheap-*ss plasticchrome lettering that GovernmentMotors stuck all over your truck (and that dealer-pimp sticker).

You've only just begun.

 

I like the little subtle things that make people say, "Wait a minute....what the heck did he do? Is that stock?"

Eagle-1 Enthusiast

Eagle-1

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:sigh:

 

Allright. That's just about enough outta you.

 

Ok, what's that about getting rid of my antenna. That sounds like something I would like to.....

 

NOPE! DON'T TELL ME! Let me catch up with this other stuff first.

 

Damn, I can't believe I almost got sucked into MORE mods. I have really got to learn to just say "No".

Eagle-1 Enthusiast

Eagle-1

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You're WEAK and already hooked on ModTruck Crack!

 

WEAK!!!!!! You talkin' to me? I'll come across this keyboard and......Ouchy!! Dang, See that, you made me chip my durn fingernail trying to type mad like that. That'll take weeks before I'm able to use it for what I normally use it for, thanks pal.

 

Oh, boy; youve got a lot of work to do. Or you just want to talk about it somemore?

 

Well, I have to admit that you are fairly close to a bullseye on that one. I can talk a good game, but then again, I haven't gotten any of the things in the mail y'all talked me into ordering yet, BUT when I do the talking stops! I'll tell y'all all about it. Oh snap! I mean....uh....? :uhoh:

 

All good mods, that's for sure, but I'm still kinda at the point where I don't understand where y'all get the nerve to tear into some of the things y'all do on BRAND NEW VEHICLES! I will admit freely I'm weak on THAT little point! KUDOS to everyone who's done some of this, that's a fact!

 

 

haha! You guys are really havin fun aren't you? I know I am!

 

Allright now, I thought the forum rules said we was SUPPOSE to have fun??? I swear I read that somewhere in the rules and now you've made me have to go back and read the dang things AGAIN.

 

That's it. I'm printin' some of that.

BigBlueLB756 Senior Enthusiast

BigBlueLB756

Posted
Posted

These mods are to rectify things that GM should have done in the first place; we're just making the truck better. Fun's just a by-product of enjoying what you're doing and the results of your work. And if you're careful, it will look like it came from the factory like that. Most of the stuff can be reversed to original. Just don't get blood on the upholstery.

Mckenzie Senior Enthusiast

Mckenzie

Posted
Posted

dumb question,BUT where can i get a Dic and for how much and will they fit on my 01 Z71? also,they tell me my gas milegae,right?

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