# mk1 rabbit dash swap cabby dash and kneebar



## 79burgbeauty (Nov 9, 2009)

need help with installing my cabby dash in my rabbit how to start?


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## alloutofdonuts (Nov 3, 2005)

*Re: mk1 rabbit dash swap cabby dash and kneebar (79burgbeauty)*

Aw! Dangit!
Here I thought I was gonna find the answer but nope, just more questions.
Not exactly easy. I thinkg the G60 swap I just did in it was easier than the dash swap. So far I've only put the upper cabby dash in my Rabbit. I ended up just chopping a couple of the mounting tabs off the cabby, carved up the exsisting Rabbit mount points and welded the cabby bits on. I messed about with it trying to do it without welding it for a long time before I admitted defeat and just did it that way. But the heater controls are different and I can't just swap the cab heater box because the opening under the cowl is smaller, and I really don't want to cut it but may end up that way if I can't figure out another solution. I did hook up the hot/cold cable, but not the rest. I cut a piece off the cabby wiring to splice into the exsisting Rabbit blower controls but haven't spent the time to figure out what does what. Also swapped in the entire Cabby harness/fusebox front-back so that made it more if a challenge.
On the kneebar I'm just going to cut the part off the cabby I want and weld it in, so I can bolt it in like stock. Otherwise I would have to use a couple of pieces(one each end) of 1 or 2" angle stock. The second option would be a much bigger pita. I believe the difference over all ia 2"(49" kneebar vs. 51" inside the Rabbit width).
Good luck and someone else post something on here to help us out!


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## cammisled (Mar 15, 2002)

*Re: mk1 rabbit dash swap cabby dash and kneebar (alloutofdonuts)*

Maybe I can help a bit. I'm going through the same hell you are - trying to fit the million pound kneebar. I've been avoiding that part, but I did get my heater and all the wiring up and running. It's still a bit half-baked, but it does the job. 
There's a different lower dash out there that I think might be a good alternative, but I don't know where to get them. Instead of having a protruding "shelf" they have 3 "pockets". They came stock with an upper dash that appears to be the same as the cabby. I think these might be something that was only available outside of the US? I have seen them on several cars in PVW and online here and there.
I swapped an 82 cabby dash (with A/C) into my 82 4door (without A/C).
Cars with factory A/C have vacuum controls, whereas the non-A/C cars use cables. For the heater controls, I ended up going to the junkyard and pulling a set of slider controls from a non-a/c pre-westmoreland mk1 and bolting them in, and then used the "faceplate" from the cabby. You have to rewire the fan knob, but that's pretty straightforward. Note- I am not using the cabby blower box, so I'm not really getting any air coming out of the center vents, but you can rig it up by taping a sheet of plastic or cardboard in there to direct the air where you want it.
Note, I also had to rewire the headlight switch from the push/pull type to the toggle switch type. I just did a search and someone did a write-up with diagrams.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you need any pics.


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## alloutofdonuts (Nov 3, 2005)

*Re: mk1 rabbit dash swap cabby dash and kneebar (cammisled)*


_Quote, originally posted by *cammisled* »_Maybe I can help a bit. I'm going through the same hell you are - trying to fit the million pound kneebar. I've been avoiding that part, but I did get my heater and all the wiring up and running. It's still a bit half-baked, but it does the job. 
There's a different lower dash out there that I think might be a good alternative, but I don't know where to get them. Instead of having a protruding "shelf" they have 3 "pockets". They came stock with an upper dash that appears to be the same as the cabby. I think these might be something that was only available outside of the US? I have seen them on several cars in PVW and online here and there.
I swapped an 82 cabby dash (with A/C) into my 82 4door (without A/C).
Cars with factory A/C have vacuum controls, whereas the non-A/C cars use cables. For the heater controls, I ended up going to the junkyard and pulling a set of slider controls from a non-a/c pre-westmoreland mk1 and bolting them in, and then used the "faceplate" from the cabby. You have to rewire the fan knob, but that's pretty straightforward. Note- I am not using the cabby blower box, so I'm not really getting any air coming out of the center vents, but you can rig it up by taping a sheet of plastic or cardboard in there to direct the air where you want it.
Note, I also had to rewire the headlight switch from the push/pull type to the toggle switch type. I just did a search and someone did a write-up with diagrams.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you need any pics.
So if I could find a non A/C cabby(or 1980 and older Rabbit???) I wouldn't have to change out the heater box and I could just swap the faceplate/controls and be done with it? Are those rare? I'll have to check around.
The problem I'm havng now is the heater controls and wiring up the blower motor.


_Modified by alloutofdonuts at 8:38 PM 3-13-2010_


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