In need of a dash

[LumenAl]

... What's wrong with wood? Look for pictures of antique boat dash board for ideas. Chris Crafts, Gar Woods, Hacker Crafts have some beautiful instrument panels... HTWOODS

Nothing wrong with wood... mine was seriously a plank of wood... Still had the bark on it... look along the top of the dash... that's not dirt... it's bark that was varnished... guess I wanted something a little more finished...

Before shot:

After shot:

 

[RocknT]

AL
I was surfing and seen the same picture but just a tad wider shot ,,it shows the mounting bracket for top on the side ? how well does this work ?

 

[Hot Rod Todd]

I saw a clever one on the HAMB recently. Was an early 50s Buick? straight 8 rocker cover.

Perfect for an old time kind of look.

 

[LumenAl]

AL
I was surfing and seen the same picture but just a tad wider shot ,,it shows the mounting bracket for top on the side ? how well does this work ?

Man I'm getting old... I'm looking at the dash trying to figure out what top bracket on the side? Then after about a minute, it hit me... oh... the TOP of the Car!

I think you might be talking about this shot:

What I like about doing it this way is the top material doesn't have to go around the frame like the more typical side mounts... Works very well...

 

[RocknT]

That's it, So is that bracket from a marine boat top ?

 

[LumenAl]

That's it, So is that bracket from a marine boat top ?

Yes it is... sorry forgot to say it is available at just about any marine shop...

OK, this thread is offically :lol:... :sorry:

 

[Youngster]

i saw that buick valve cover too....neat trick and in a bucket too! have also seen an in-line lifter cover used as a gauge cluster...also trick looking!

Ron

 

[RocknT]

OK thanks AL ..I got the top from Skullman and was looking at options on the mounting ,,

Got a link to those dash's ?

 

[LumenAl]

OK thanks AL ..I got the top from Skullman and was looking at options on the mounting ,,

Got a link to those dash's ?

here ya go: Spirit Industries - 32 Fiberglass Spirit Style Dash

 

[rooster57]

Spirits glass is very good quality i purchased my rad shell from them and it was quite thick and very ridgid.

 

[Brucer]

dbl clicked on accident

 

[Brucer]

made my dash a few years ago... seems to be a tad different from the others....

 

[LumenAl]

Very nicely executed!

 

[rooster57]

Yes verrry Nice

 

[Youngster]

great work brucer....nice to see the individualism on these dashes. they are one of the few things that can really set your car apart from all the others.

Ron

 

[RocknT]

Man that is a nice !

 

[dovehunter79]

great work brucer....nice to see the individualism on these dashes. they are one of the few things that can really set your car apart from all the others.

Ron

I totally agree... I am super digging that dash, I lurv the Aluminum look!!!!:sofnny:

 

[Ted Brown]

You have the start with the wood dash you have now, if you want a different shape, take it out and reshape that one, then cut out where you want your gages to go, (one big hole) then cut yourself a piece of alum, to the shape (you like) to hold the cluster of gages, and maybe the few switches needed also.. then bolt that to your wood dash with two small bolts, now all the gages are mounted to Alum, easy to ground that one plate, which grounds all the gages also.. Now you have the best of both Worlds, Wood and Alum, plain, turned, polished, brushed, painted?? what ever floats your Boat, so they say..

 

[Rick]

You have the start with the wood dash you have now, if you want a different shape, take it out and reshape that one, then cut out where you want your gages to go, (one big hole) then cut yourself a piece of alum, to the shape (you like) to hold the cluster of gages, and maybe the few switches needed also.. then bolt that to your wood dash with two small bolts, now all the gages are mounted to Alum, easy to ground that one plate, which grounds all the gages also.. Now you have the best of both Worlds, Wood and Alum, plain, turned, polished, brushed, painted?? what ever floats your Boat, so they say..

Except now most gauges are plastic.

 

[Ted Brown]

They may be plastic, but it is soooo much easier to mount everything to that one panel, then install it in one easy movement and just plug in the gage wiring and switch harness into the main harness, no more bending under a dash, not for my back.. hehe and besides I am lazy, no more work than is really needed, I say this is the way Semi trucks do a lot of their dash panels, flop out the whole thing to work on it... That;s where I got the idea years ago...