I'm trying to put new kick panels with the speakers built in in my '68 convertible. In attempting to take out the factory passenger side kick panel, I checked my assembly manual and dutifully took off the grate to find the 5 or 6 screws underneath, took them off, took the sill plate off, got it (the kick panel) loose, but can't get the ductwork attached to the kick panel out of the body of the car. I doesn't want to clear the heater box. Man, I just replaced the heater core, and had that heater box out and all apart and don't want to do that again. It looks like that ductwork is molded into the kick panel. If I could separate it, it would come out with no problem, but I think it's one piece. Any comments/suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Mike.

 

The duct work is part of the kick panel. It has a flange on the inner end and there is a lot of medium body filler in there to stop leaks. You just have to wiggle and jiggle carefully to get it out. The flange is what is giving you a hard time. It can be done without removing the heater box, but it would have been easier. Try that.

 

Just wait until you do the drivers side and have to remove the emergency brake (I've only done non-A/C, I assume yours will be similar)

 

Well, of course you were right; it took me a minute to find the flange, and when I pried the bottom of it out, I got the rest to come out without removing the heater box. Many thanks for the info. Now I've got to figure out how to remove the parking brake pedal. Any suggestions?

 

It's bolted through the firewall. The nuts are on the engine bay side. Look at your assembly manual.

 

OK, thanks, got them both out. Weird: the passenger kickpanel was still flexible and I was able to bend it at will, but the driver's side one was real brittle, and the finish cracked off of the outside of the kickpanel, but was able to get it out. Question: do I need to put another bead of that plumber's putty that was on the original kickpanels when I replace them with the new ones? It doesn't look like the new ones fit tight enough to make a difference, and the vents on the replacement panels don't line up with the holes in the fenders like the factory ones did.