I have an 03 cavalier 2 dr 5 speed i need help on how to remove these panels so i can sand prime and paint them:
1. Back panels next to back seat
2. Dash
3. Door panels on both sides
4. Pillar Panels where a pillar pod goes on both sides
Pretty much all the panels in my car i need to know how to take them off without breaking them
The back panels I would say are the hardest, not that they are hard. To remove back panels:
Fold down rear seat. Find the pivot point of the seat and take a flat blade screw driver and insert where the rod for the pivot goes into the wall. Keep moving the screw driver around on the rod until you see a little black clip pop off. Do the same to other side. Now put the seat at a 45 degree and pull up on one side the other. Back of the seat should be out now. Now you have to get the seat bottom up. Just pull like there ain't no tomorrow, but pull where the seat is connected to the floor. Not on the sides, If you pull up on the sides, you will bend the frame inside the seat cushion. Now that that is up. Take the flat bade and remove the coat hooks in the roof. Now get a giant torx bit and undo the seat belt on the floor and in the panel. Pull on the panel and it should pop off. Reverse install execpt for the clips. Don't worry about them, won't hurt to leave them out.
Dash:
I'm assuming you are talking about the top pad. Go along the bottom of the dash. Pop the dash side covers off. There is on bolt in each. Open glove box. There are about 4-5 bolts in there (a few along the top inside edge, then look at the ceiling of the glove box. you will see a hole in it and two brass bolts) Undo all and pull straight up at the instrument cluster and slide dash top out of car. Reverse install.
Door panels:
Remove screw in mirror cover panel (you will know it when you see it). Three screws on bottom of door, one on the far rear of the panel, two in the grab handle. Pull. There will be a little resistance from plasitc grabbers that hold the panel in place but is normal.
Pillars:
Pull from top.
You can check out www.teamforwardmotion.com for everything, but a short writeup on the door panels is as follows:
Look around the panel and remove all screws.
Gently pry up around the corners to release those little PPP(pointless plastic pieces) that GM uses. They look like screws with ridges that fit into holes on the door. Start from the bottom up worked for me.
Remove the panel. Sand, paint or prime or all three however you want.
Reverse steps, just make sure that the clips on the top of the panel line up with the indentations on the door. Otherwise, you will have problems with the windows.
As for the A-pillars (not on the website):
Pry off. They are held in by 3 clips on the underside. Work from the top down. I just stuck a screwdriver in there and pried them off.
Hope that helps.
Sam
atroxaranea@hotmail.com if you have any problems!
Ban low-performance cars, not high-performance ones.
Oh yeah, take that little mirror cover thingy off like STLWACO said. I knew I forgot something!
Sam
Ban low-performance cars, not high-performance ones.
Thingy? It ain't no thingy! LOL
Thingy, cover, its all the same to me. It's all plastic, just different sizes and different places.
Sam
Ban low-performance cars, not high-performance ones.
I couldn't remember. I'm sooooo stupid.
