Lower Driver Side Dash Trim Help

[Code808]

Anyone with an airbag E30 - what holds your lower driver side dash trim (piece #2 in the attached picture) in place? Pre airbag cars have a lock screw which is a flat on one side and then is rotated 90 degrees to lock the panel in place. The part number is 51451916579 and is shown on the attachment. This does not work for airbag cars as this part does not fit through the panel.

On my car the actual dash has slots that would work well with this part but since the part does not fit the screw holes in the trim piece I can't mount it this way. I have read that some use Phillips head screws - but there is nothing on my dashboard that would take accept a Phillips head screw as it is just a large slot. The previous owner changed the dash and used a plastic screw anchor like you would use in drywall.

So if you use a Phillips head screw - what is in the dash that changes that large slot to accept a screw? A picture would be worth a thousand words.
Thanks for your help!

[reelizmpro]

Airbag cars have an aluminum brace behind the knee bolster. The 2nd piece of the panel meets the front piece here and they are sandwiched together with 8mm bolts thru the aluminum brace using clip nuts. Top part uses screws on airbag cars because the dash uses clip nuts. The clip nuts are transferable.

[Code808]

Thanks for the quick reply. However, my dash has three slots cut into just like my son's non-airbag car. There is no place to put body nuts over the slots to accept a Phillips head screw. The soft plastic piece of the dash would have to be cut away below and above the slots to allow a body nut to be installed.

So is the dash modified for an airbag car to accept body nuts?

[reelizmpro]

Behind the foam the dash is reinforced with sheetmetal, the clip nuts or retaining nut slide under the foam onto the metal only. This is how the same dash is used on all models. This and riveting the additional bracket on the side if you have an airbag car.
I have an original airbag car and swapped in a dash from a non airbag car and vice versa so this is first hand experience.
Like this...



Had to search hard for this shot that shows the clip nuts installed so that phillips screws can be used. On mine, the clip nuts are not partially visible from the front though like in the picture. Mine are hidden behind the foam padding.

[Code808]

Thank you for the pictures yours are the first picture of what my car should look like. However the slots in my dashboard are only half the height of yours. Did you have to open the slots when you used a non airbag dash in your car?

[reelizmpro]

No...those aren't my pictures by the way. The screws are smaller than the slots. I didn't modify the slots at all.