What is this called (Dash seal???) and do I really need it?

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Needswork

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I'm working on a '67 Dart and I took a picture of this "dash seal" before doing paint. I'm not sure of the actual name for these. I took them off before painting and now I can't find them. Do I need them? Should I look harder to find them? I'm guessing they serve a purpose but it's not obvious to me.

Any comments/suggestions are appreciated.

Here is a pic of the driver side.
IMG_3968.JPG
 
Those probably help quiet up those creeks and rattles you annoyingly hear as you drive down the road.
 
Needswork said:
I'm working on a '67 Dart and I took a picture of this "dash seal" before doing paint. I'm not sure of the actual name for these. I took them off before painting and now I can't find them. Do I need them? Should I look harder to find them? I'm guessing they serve a purpose but it's not obvious to me.

Any comments/suggestions are appreciated.

Here is a pic of the driver side.
View attachment 1715792232
Click to expand...


Fish do not have those! Least not my undisturbed 69, and we are cousins!

One thing for sure is other than some light primer, they look pretty good and solid, the clips are spartan! Pull them and save in any case!
 
Needswork said:
I'm working on a '67 Dart and I took a picture of this "dash seal" before doing paint. I'm not sure of the actual name for these. I took them off before painting and now I can't find them. Do I need them? Should I look harder to find them? I'm guessing they serve a purpose but it's not obvious to me.

Any comments/suggestions are appreciated.

Here is a pic of the driver side.
View attachment 1715792232
Click to expand...

You may even want to share that with DMT and help others down the road!
 
Well, the factory put them on there for a reason, they wouldn't have gone to the bother and expense otherwise.
My thought is that they installed them to prevent squeaks and rattles like mentioned earlier.
It won't be the end of the world if you leave them off, but I would find a pair and install them.
There should be lots around that you could get for cheap or even free, just start a parts wanted thread on here.
 
On the assembly line, the dash is placed on the lower 2 bolts and rotated up into place. Earliest builds could have had a filler to close end gaps that was later deemed unnecesary and deleted. The extra little ground wire found on very few rally instrument panels is similar. They were penny pinchers.
 
4spdragtop said:
Those look easily made yourself if need be. Or you could always wedge a pack of matches like the old days.
Click to expand...

Damn your dating yourself sir! Back in the 80’s we would do PDI (pre delivery inspections) when I was a dealer tech on the new cars. We would find everything from matches to newspaper to cardboard. Heck I even found a tool blocking a hole then body puddy over. Back when if a sheet metal part was punched wrong they still used the part and filled in the gap with what ever the line boss had at his bench.
 
Syleng1 said:
Damn your dating yourself sir! Back in the 80’s we would do PDI (pre delivery inspections) when I was a dealer tech on the new cars. We would find everything from matches to newspaper to cardboard. Heck I even found a tool blocking a hole then body puddy over. Back when if a sheet metal part was punched wrong they still used the part and filled in the gap with what ever the line boss had at his bench.
Click to expand...
I remember stuffing a pack of matches under an 8 track to make it play better.
Am I getting old or what?
lol
 
Went back to look at some old pics. They were not in my 69 Fish. The clip holes are there though!

IMGP1290.JPG


DSC03258.JPG
 
Last edited:
1969383S said:
Fish do not have those! Least not my undisturbed 69, and we are cousins!

One thing for sure is other than some light primer, they look pretty good and solid, the clips are spartan! Pull them and save in any case!
Click to expand...
Must be a year thing, my 67 Barracuda has them
Image1.jpg



Alan
 
I wouldn’t doubt that DMT already produces them.
If not I’m sure they would do it if there was enough interest. As Steve posted I think you could easily cut some out of splash shield rubber.
 
Thanks to everyone for all the great feedback!!! I was out of town for a couple of days and wasn't able to reply earlier. I'm going to make a bigger effort to find them.
 
We have had the dash out of my son's '67 Dart convertible, my old '67 Dart hardtop, my '67 Barracuda convertible, and the '68 GTS convertible. Can't say that I have ever seen those. I would have removed them from the two '67 convertibles for paint and neither car had them. The Barracuda is a fairly late build, but the Dart convertible was Oct 27, 1966 SPD. The '67 Dart hardtop was a Nov 14, 1966 SPD. Yes, I have both fender tags on my desk...
 
all my 70 Darts have them - I agree they are there to prevent rattles that the customer would complain to the dealer about.
 
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