How do you remove the vent plates at base of windshield?

To do it properly, Dash has to be removed. :-(

 

If still in original condition, the plastic bits have some poles that protrude down and on the underside some gripping washers slide on and lock.

So the bodge, is that people try to remove them from the top and brake the the plastic poles.

Sadly the correct way is remove the top dash.

 

Dash has to be removed. Big job. I wound up trading my 360 in when those vents warped lol.

 

I had the same issue and was able to clean them in place. I protected the dash and used the same process you used for the other parts. Lots of paper towels and had to clean the windshield afterwards. You can do them in place


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99% works better

But, bare plastic does not look anywhere as good as a proper refinished part. That said, I don't advocate removing the dash to refinish those parts unless you are looking for pristine. I would definitely start with cleaning in place but try to do something (painter's tape) to protect the leather.

Out of all the refinishing we do, I think we have only done those parts a few times.

 

There's a guy here who sells the aluminum equivalent replacements for not much money.

So if you do take out the dash to fix consider putting in something that will last for a long time.

One of mine is cracked and all are warped and sticky...not sure what to do, maybe will try doing them in place.

 

We welcome the entire vent assembly and if you send the entire vent, we handle the disassembly and reassembly and we clean the vent body and slats real well. You may also just send the rings. The cost is the same so I recommend letting us do the full service for you

 

Why cant you take the windshield out to replace them.. seems cheaper/ easier than removing the whole dash.

 

Not sure about the easiness of the windshield but I guess it comes out with a non-replaceable gasket/assembly so you need a new part plus re-sealing it/etc.

Try pricing out a 360 windshield and let me know what you think [disclaimer: I had to get mine replaced due to a crack about 2 years ago]

 

It isn't the top access, it is the clips on the bottom. If you pry out the vents the stems that hold them in will snap off with the slips on the bottom still there. Then you have broken vents and you take apart the dash anyway.

My solution is wait until I redo the dash, then put in some metal ones.

 

Just did mine on the Stradale: yup had to remove the dash but fitted new ones from ferrari and now looks ace again.

 

Cheap crap like most other fittings in the car. Personally, I don't think it's worth removing the dash for these. If you have other jobs to do then fair enough, but otherwise I would be tempted to use three drywall anchors per vent and three countersunk socket heads and countersunk washers to suit - after all, a lot of other interior parts are secured with external fastenings.
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In Arizona we have windshield replacement with no out of pocket cost. Its a mandatory insurance on full coverage vehicles

 

Same here but the insurance company ended up paying $4.5K for the windshield, gaskets, etc. + labor to install it...

So it can't be a free cost to remove/replace windshield.

 

Eventually the vents will warp and that's when you really want to address this. I was able to clean mine in the beginning, but when they started to lift out of the dash and warp I was done.

 

I will be doing the leather dash this winter...who is selling the metal vents here...anyone?

 

PM Rizzo308 - I bought a set from him and quality looks very good

 

I saw pix of the metal vent 'plates' on this forum. They are just thin flat sheet metal. there are no channels that direct the air flow as with the OEM vents.

Removing/replacing the windshield will not get you to removing/replacing the vents!!!

I had a bubble in the dash leather that had to be fixed. I removed the dash myself... take lots of pix, parts pix from Ricambi, and other posted threads. A couple of years ago I had earlier used black silicone sealer (six or eight dabs) to glue the vents back in. Now with the dash out and recovered, I removed the small posts and drilled c'sink holes for Allen socket black oxide flat head screws. Ace Hardware had them. The vents were reinstalled (only use light pressure to tighten screws) and dash replaced. You would never know the screws are there.

Good luck no matter how you go about this repair.

 

Can anyone confirm if the metal ones can be installed with windshield out? Can they just be fastened from above, or does it need to be tightened from bottom? My current vent is already out, so no need to remove old vent.

 

I was supplied some screws with the metal vents, but I haven't fitted anything yet.
I just bought them to have handy for when I eventually pull my dash out to have the stretched leather sorted

 

So you can screw it in from the top?