I'm putting a black '97 dash in my '94. I've run across a few little oddities like the cable brackets on the glove box lock being positioned different and the cable being longer and its latch mounting differently, requiring swapping of parts to the other lock/button.

I have everything mostly put back together and ran into another unexpected one. The '97 glove box has two mounting holes in the upper left corner, whereas the '94 glove box has only one. (They're what the little black squares clip in to cover up.) The '97 dash has its mounting hole in a different spot, corresponding to the extra hole on the black glove box.



I assume I'm not the only person who's run across this. What has been other people's solution for black/tan dashes? Drill a hole in the glove box to line up with the dash's hole and ignore that it can't be covered with the square plug, drill an extra hole in the dash to line up with the glove box hole and put some sort of plastic rivet back there to thread into, or use just use the right mount up top instead of two?

Looking at the back side of the glove box, there are several screws along the bottom edge. I was thinking it might be possible to disconnect the inner box (which has the inconsistent mounting holes) and swap it over, but all the plastic seems to be a continuous piece. I can't figure out what those screws/clips are holding together, and knowing SC plastic, most of them will break from exploratory surgery.

 

I once bought a 1998 SC dashboard in great condition to replace my faded 1993 dash. Sadly while it did fit I found that many things would not bolt onto/into it on the passenger side: mainly the passenger airbag, entire glove box and door assembly and the center vents were a no-go. I actually had it installed when I realized this. I took everything out and put the old one back in.

I couldn't even give that perfect 1998 dash away for free. It was eventually binned.

What's curious about your post is that you're noticing these differences on a 1997 dash. I had thought 1992, 1993-1997 and 1998-2000 represented the only dash changes.

It sounds more like it's 1993-1996 that are the same while 1997 changed and 1998-2000 changed yet again. And the later changes undoubtedly will be by the build month of the car if a late 1997 or early 1998.

I haven't encountered your specific differences... and it's been a few years since I tried swapping dash boards... but I do recall at least some things on the right side not lining up correctly. Enough such that the dash would fit the chassis OK but everything else on the passenger side would have had to be updated too.

 

Well, I've got a '94 dash in good condition for you.

I wasn't worried about the passenger airbag, since I don't run a passenger seat. I could definitely see the different airbag mounts presenting a problem, though. The '97+ airbag is nicer than the '92-96 version, in that respect, because the cover can be removed from the airbag and clipped directly to the dash, as opposed to the sloppy surgery required to separate/mount the earlier airbag's cover.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...ml#post9097923

With the airbag concern eliminated, there aren't really any other incompatibilities that I can see ... assuming you put in all the matching pieces that line up with each other! I hadn't planned on converting the lower dash to black, so that's an unexpected roadblock with the glove box.

Ugh. I've pulled two dashes and installed one in the past week. I would cry if I had to undo all that work. (I twist tied the harness to the dash instead of the idiotic factory tape job or almost-as-hard-to-remove zip ties.) My hands are shredded.

'92 has the 1-piece dash wood with no pass. airbag, '93-96 went to the 3-piece dash wood with the middle piece connected to the airbag, and '97-00 went back to the '92 design but with an airbag separate from the wood. If something additional changed in '98, I haven't run across those details yet. On the other hand, it's always possible the car I'm basing the assumptions on is a split-year oddity.

 

the interior "inside" kept changing because the older lexus was more of a trial and error. things were falling apart and they had to fix it. that is why the 1997 and up interior was so much more better for aging

 

That's the first I've heard (other than gauge needle burnout) of the later years' interiors being more durable, but it makes perfect sense. The '97 pieces I'm putting in are in way better shape than any of the early year equivalents I've gotten my hands on, although I attributed it to being a pampered car not a design change, since they all looked identical other than this glove box thing. Door panels, A- and B-pillars, dash panels, center console, etc.

p.s. I know where someone can get a black driver's seat in excellent condition... (There was virtually no wear to the leather on the car, just damage done by people pulling parts improperly.) How it'll clean up after soaking up rain with no door or moon roof is anyone's guess, though, and hauling it out would be a back breaker. So weird that someone took the passenger seat but not the driver's seat.

 

Here's the semi-finished product, with a gaping hole where the glove box uncertainty should go:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/bui...ml#post9253398

 

Well, I decided to go with Plan A.5 and transfer the tan glove box cover over to the black housing so it would mount up properly to the '97 dash. (I may still put up a WTT ad to swap the black glove box for a tan '97+ one, since people are more likely to be searching for a black one.) Then I had another idea to complement the unplanned look...



Too bad black window trim is so hard to come by. I might try painting it black with SEM, although it sounds iffy whether that'll hold up on the vinyl.

Also, here's a close-up of the mystery screws/clips on the back of the glove box, with the screws removed in the pic:



It looks like the top and bottom pieces should come apart, but everything appears to be a solid piece of plastic... I've yet to figure out what the screws are holding in place. There must be some sort of insert within the glove box itself.

 

The two tone does look good, the SEM paint will hold up very well on the window trim. Mine is as fresh as the day I painted it 5 years ago. Just prep it real good and it should last. In addition paint the center console black for a more complete look.

 

Thanks. Yeah, I realized after I posted that I mixed the two up ... it's plastic that SEM's durability is iffy on. The vinyl should hold up well. So, I think I'll get some SEM and try it out on the three window trims I don't have black ones of. Especially on the passenger door where it'll get very little contact, being as there's no seat there.

Yep, that's on my to-do/to-try list. I have a spare center console I'll try painting, as well. That's the part I don't have high hopes for it sticking well to, but maybe it's a soft enough material to soak the SEM in? If I do that, I've got the black center arm rest to go in. I figured that would stand out too much with the tan console.

 

92 is different than 93 94 95 and 96 if yours came without an airbag its just one compartment, and a tiny little compartment in glove box to the right in the ones with airbags.

 

Specifics? I've got a '94 and '95 and haven't noticed any differences.

 

Oops my bad i meant 92 and 95-96 but if yours came without an airbag then its different obviously

 

I updated the original post with specifics

 

Ah, that makes more sense. '92 was the only year without an airbag, but it had the same wood trim as used later on the '97-00 dashes with the 1-piece trim.

 

I realized today in looking at my old dash, there may have been a simpler solution. The metal bracket that the glove box attaches to up top is removable from the dash. So, assuming the newer dash connects the bracket in the same manner, which I imagine it does, the brackets could be swapped to allow either style glove box to mate up.