Beretta.net

Just bought a 1989 beretta for 300 bucks. First time i've really paid attention to them. 4 cylinder, 5 speed. She runs and drives great. Mostley cosmetic stuff is what's wrong. Was missing the drivers side door panel, went down to the junk yard and picked up a black one. Striped it down to the particle board and recovered the sucker in new vinyl. Came out pretty nice. Need to do the passenger side now to match it up. I want to get a new dash board but haven't been able to find one. Any suggestions?

Hi Greg. A good dash for a early car is hard to find. You can get dash covers, but there are no new dashes out there. Your best bet is to find a used one in good shape. I never did find one in the same color for my 90GT though. A newer year dash can be much more easy to find, but you would have to change the door panels to make it fit. Also they don't look the same as your old ones. They are stronger and built better.

The covers cost close to the same price as a used dash and your not realy getting rid of the problem that you have. After all it's just a cover.
We are all big on photos here, so post some when you can.

Money pit Beretta wrote:Hi Greg. A good dash for a early car is hard to find. You can get dash covers, but there are no new dashes out there. Your best bet is to find a used one in good shape. I never did find one in the same color for my 90GT though. A newer year dash can be much more easy to find, but you would have to change the door panels to make it fit. Also they don't look the same as your old ones. They are stronger and built better.

The covers cost close to the same price as a used dash and your not realy getting rid of the problem that you have. After all it's just a cover.
We are all big on photos here, so post some when you can.

Yeah, I noticed. I've got a tan interior and can't find anything. I just picked up a black door panel and recovered it in tan vinyl. Installed a new tan headliner as well. I'll get some pictures up soon.

Tan? I've never seen that before. Didn't know they came in that color. Man, that is going to be very hard to find! I'll keep an eye out for the photo's.

OMG. Seriously? You destroyed a black door panel? Those are as rare if not RARER than the tan!!

SuzukiGhostRider wrote:OMG. Seriously? You destroyed a black door panel? Those are as rare if not RARER than the tan!!

Well the car at the junk yard is all black interior. If anyone needs something i'll run down and pull it out.

The new dash fits without changing your door panels. What you can't do is install new door panels with the older dash.

Also worth noting is that a dash from a Corsica or Achieva also fits and bolts in. But on the Achieva dash the wiring up to you to figure out.

Dang I had it bassackwards! Sorry Greg! Your headlight and wiper switches will change with the new dash. I do like the old ones better and I've had both.

Money pit Beretta wrote:Dang I had it bassackwards! Sorry Greg! Your headlight and wiper switches will change with the new dash. I do like the old ones better and I've had both.

Yeah, I dig the old style dash much more. That's why I want the old style. I'll figure something out.

So, how bad is it? Small cracks can be repaired. Where are those photos?

New door panel I made.

Great job on the door panel! Was the tray and arm rest is bad shape? What engine does it have?

Money pit Beretta wrote:Great job on the door panel! Was the tray and arm rest is bad shape? What engine does it have?

The arm rest was just fine, the tray on the other hand had to be fiberglassed, as well as the particle board panel itself. I'm happy with how it came out though. I honestly like the black for the tray and arm rest, If you'll notice the in the other picture that the original panel had the tan arm rest and tray. I need to go back to the junk yard and pick up the other panel and do the other door.

It's got the 2.2 stock 4 in it.

I saw that the other side was tan. The tray on the drivers side was in that photo and I saw that it was black. I see that you don't have it hooked up yet. A 2.2? Well, you will get great MPG.

That's solid work on the door panel. One thing to note, in 89 Chevy was using the 2.0 liter engine in these cars. It is essentially just like the 2.2, just less displacement. There are other small ways of telling too. The 2.2s had more an individual runner exhaust manifold, and a round air filter housing and filter, very much old school carb style.

The 2.0s will have more of a rectangular filter housing, or they will have a very small cover over the throttle body and the filter is near the headlight. Also - the 2.0 exhaust manifold is very reminiscent of a vacuum cleaner head attachment.

One thing I've been wondering that's kind of bothering me - is your name Greg The Skin, or is that you're actual name like Greg Theskin - pronounced like Tess-kin? Just wondering... haha.