Dispite having essentially zero sleep last night, I managed to be productive today and continue making the buck for the fiberglass console. Also had a little time to make the touchscreen surround, as well as the cluster surround. I still have to make dash ribs, the dash top, mounting stubs, and glue it all together.

Doesn't look like much yet, but essentially what I'm making are 'bucks', to put fiberglass (and resin) over, to make the final part. Essentially, the buck becomes part of the finished product, invisible unless you saw the thing lengthwise on a bandsaw. It will provide some structural function, but mostly it's to get the form and shape correct.

Touchscreen shell:


Cluster shell:


Partially constructed floor console buck:


All dry, measuring up some more bracing:


Test fitting in cab:


Upon verification that the length is perfect, I glued up the tail:


The pointy tail part will end up underneath the dash, so it's hidden and simply there to fill in a visual gap. I didn't want
to tie the dash to the console, so I can remove either piece, and leave the other if I want to. Most import guys make the
dash and the console one piece. I don't know how they'd replace a heater core in that case...

 

Maybe you could stick a light in the back of the console, that will illuminate the back of the cab, or at least the floor of the back cab.

 

is that item on theleft hand of the last pic, your "insperation"? lookin good.

 

I see you're drinkin the good import stuff. Man, how big is that screen gonna be???

 

924 - I like that idea a lot... I'm going to do that now. I'll pluck some flush-mount interior lights tomorrow when I'm at the junkyard. I think caddy's have in-door lights that would be useful for this. One on each side. Maybe I'll find a few sets and put one on each side of the console in the front too.

Chrono - The beverage was my lunch, at 8pm when i was doing the final gluing ;-)

Mem - the monitor is an 1024x746 3M touchscreen, 13" in size. It has a serial port as well as a VGA port on the back, facing down, which allows me to put it anywhere I want. It's only about 2-1/8" thick. Originally I was going to use a Xenarc or Lilliput 7" or 8" display, however after purchasing one, I found very quickly that in order to see the display clearly, I had to run in a low resolution. 640x480 is the real maximum for either monitor, but even then the icons an such are so darn small, I'd have to stare at it, and squint, to be able to operate the screen. Since I'm going to have the climate control, radio/music/dvd controls, etc on that screen, taking my eyes off the road for any length of time is not a good thing. So I hunted around, and found this 13" screen that fits the bill. I can run a higher resolution (1024x768) and still have large icons, buttons, and such in the programs running on it. So much so, that I can operate the screen wearing gloves, believe it or not. Also, using mapping software for Linux (gpsdrive, specifically), I can actually see the maps on the screen, at a glance. So that was my thinking at the time, and why I selected something so big.

This 3m touchscreen was designed mostly for kiosks, ATMs and the like, and is rated to operate indoor, or outdoor. Many NYC ATM's are outside for example, slammed into the side of buildings, exposed to rain, snow, and certainly extreme heat and cold. This LCD display is often part of those machines, and survives. So, I figure it was a good choice for a vehicle for that reason.

Was $399 too

 

Got any good ideas for a gauge cluster insert I could use to house my Autometer gauges? I'm not going to use any of the stock gauges and have already bought all my new gauges for the project. The only idea I have so far is to use the a-pillar mount from summit to mount three of my gauges (fuel level, air-fuel mix, boost), the monster tach goes on top of the dash, and oil pressure, water temp, voltage gauges go in place of the AC controls. All I have left to mount is the speedo. So basically, I have eight gauges and no homes for em yet. Ideas for something a little more "trick"?

Airborne...All the way!!!

 

Mounting VDO or other gauges into the 92-96 F series and Bronco is very easily actually. Take the surround of the dash off (the black plastic that the 4x4, and fuel tank selector switches are mounted on), then remove the four screws holding the cluster in. Gently pull out the cluster part way, then turn it so it's facing up, and disconnect the three connectors.

The back of the cluster is white, and this pieces is the important piece for this discussion:




Trace this white part onto thin steel, or aluminum, or "handyboard", or something reasonably stiff that you can drill for gauges. Like so:




Cut that out on a bandsaw, or using a saber saw. Bandsaw will be much easier. Drill the mounting holes, then test fit it into the area where the cluster was, using the original screws. You'll find that the top mounting ears are 3/8" deeper than the bottom mounting ears - get some spacers from a hardware store, and mount your plate! Now you can draw onto that plate where you want your gauges to go, and arrange them to your satisfaction. Then remove the plate, drill out the holes for the gauges, mount and wire them, then connect them to the factory harness.

I ended up dismantling a digital T-bird cluster, removing all the guts, then tearing those guts apart even further, to trim things down on teh table saw, then reassemble onto my aluminum mounting plate. Then I mounted the plate into the cluster opening in my truck, like so:




Tell me that's not purty? have fun!

 

Todays' progress was slow. I had to remake the cluster frame because it was undersized. Well, it would be once I wrapped it with several layers of fiberglass. And the touchscreen frame, while dandy in every way, fell off my workbench where I proceeded to step on it

So I made a new one, once piece, and test fitted everything. There is 1/8" on all sides of each device going in:



Here I'm making the dash top, out of two pieces of handyboard, and gluing them together at the seam. Believe it or not, I cut this freehand on my new bandsaw, following a pencil line I drew last night around 11pm, with just the interior lights on. Amazing it's this clean.


Here I'm mounting the solid oak "mounts" onto the underside of the dash top. Because the F-series have angled mounts for the top of the dash on the firewall, I had to make mounts that match that. And, make them so that the bolt heads are below the dash top, and has to make the holes in the dash top surface oblong, since the bolts are at an angle. These were a pain. I couldn't find my big heavy vice, so I turned the drill press table around and used a big "C" clamp.



here is the driver side of the dashboard's side, with an oddly shaped thing towards the bottom that once fiberglassed over, will be the mount to the steering column support bracket.



And finally, the new cluster/touchscreen surround, and yes, I test fitted both items before gluing it together. And no, I won't step on this one ;-)



I have to admit this is a lot of fun... but it's incredibly tedious. Some of the parts that have complex curves like the dash sides, have to be glued to the dash top, and some complex ribs in between, but because of the curves, you can't use clamps without destroying the edge of the handyboard. So I clamp some of the edges and sides, and hold the rest for 20 minutes by hand. And while you're holding this stuff, you can stare at your beer that you forgot to move closer before you applied the glue!

 

Been there too... sadly
Not to worry though, the kid will grow quickly and become your lifesaver!
Popa Tim

 

I've said it many times before, but I say it again; that digi-cluster kicks ***! I sure wish I could have one of those or at least had enuff brains to make my own. I cant wait to see the final product of your dash...oh and I cant forget about the twin-turbo .

 

PapaTim - Yeah, I can't wait until he can "fetch". Actually, I'm looking forward to the days where he can actually participate, and we can do projects together. With my luck he'll hate cars lmao. I know, blasphemy!

Memorex - You could make a unique layout of display bits (LED's? LCD's? VFD'?), but it's an awful lot of work and certainly a lot more expensive. A junkyard, digital cluster is the way to go. I've played with various clusters and I've gotten most or all of the functionality working in my truck, including the older t-bird one obviously, an Aerostar digital cluster, and a Probe digital cluster.

All three clusters require "data" from the EEC, which the EEC in the ford trucks that are not ODBII will not provide. So the miles per gallon display and other such things, either blink or display zero, depending on the cluster. I put a 94 Van EEC into my truck, as an experiment, and got a little data, I could see it in the oscilloscope, but the clusters weren't interested in whatever data was being sent. The t-bird cluster does like the mustang EEC, the A9P and A9L and their sisters. So, there is opportunity to experiment further. Since I'll be running the 500cid twin turbo stroker on a A9P, I'll have serial data for the t-bird cluster. I'll get to see what 2 miles per gallon looks like on a digital display ;-)

 

Keep up the good work, this is what FTE is all about!!
I'll bet those T-bird parts were 1989 vintage.
Hijack a little bit...
I had an idea for those of us with less inspiration....
If you wanted one or two extra gauges (2 and 1/16inch) near the cluster and you have a 2WD, there is room in the instrument cluster cover to mount 2 gauges side by side where the 4x4 controls would have been. If your panel doesn't have the 4x4 controls and buttons, there should be an intact knockout with no markings on the right side of the cluster cover. Behind the cover is a large empty area for the 4x4 connectors and wiring.Check it out peoples.

 

89 t-bird cluster, yes. I see I stated 93. My crewcab is a 93, with a 94 van EEC, and an 89 t-bird cluster, a 93 chrysler minivan overhead console, a 92 chrysler minivan trans computer (Which I extract data from), a floating MAF that hasn't been hooked up to the new 91 mustang mass air A9P computer yet, a homemade bumper, chryser minivan seats in the front, a 90 town car tilt-wheel steering column, an extra GM map sensor (which I do logging from, it gives 0-5V), and various other parts I don't specifically recall what they are from.

See why I'm confused?

The 4x4 switch area is a wonderful place to put a round gauge or two, assuming they are kinda small. There is plenty of depth behind there for say, VDO gauges to hang back a bit. Nothing to interfere.

Also, a noritake 128x64 VFD (Vacuum Flourescent Display) fits perfectly, in case you want to shove one in there, attach it to a serial port of a small PC, and have winamp display things. Ask me how I know this That was my first iteration of fancy dashboard.

Well, made more ribs today. Was slow going, since the ribs I'm making now have a rounded front surface, therefore I couldn't clamp them easily. So, I'd cut one out, apply glue, and hold it for 20 minutes, then pray it sticks while cutting out the next piece. I just did a test fit, and the large mess of handyboard scraps and glue, actually fits the dash area in my cab. I also reworked the cluster area so that the cluster mounts from in front of the supports, so I won't have to remove the entire dash just to replace bulbs in the cluster.

After a while I got really bored cutting and gluing, so I spent some time with an oldsmobile-style headlight switch, and managed to integrate it in place of the ford switch. It has one button on the unit, and a slider. Push half way and release, the parking lights go on. Push it all the way, and the headlights go on. Push it again and it turns everything off. Adjust the slider, and adjust the dash, ashtray, and radio light brightness.

Neat.

I prefer this unit over the Ford truck headlight switch because I can mount it on a small flat area from behind the dashboard, rather than have to drill a hole and have a **** sticking out. Just a matter of cutting a rectangular hole with a dremel, and soldering the wires. I tested it using alligator clips, because I don't want to hack up any of the factory wiring until I'm absolutely sure I'm not putting the factory dash back in.

Also added a circuit and two relays for the superbumper lights, so they get their own power from the under-hood fuse box. I have four open fuse slots that are powered, with no fuse or wires on the other end. So I shoved in a Ford fusebox spade and some thick gauge wire and ran them to the relays. Since the superbumper lights are isuzu trooper headlights, they are high beam and low beam, and the factory wiring controls both the headlights and the superbumper lights, as far as high/low beams. I replaced one of the lighted rocker switches in the overhead console with a center off rocker, so "forward" is superbumper lights *and* factory headlights, with hi/low for both following the high beam switch on the steering column, center is "off, i.e. no superbumper lights at all", and "back" is superbumper lights only, no factory headlights.

I probably will never use the last option, but it's wired on the odd chance I want to run the super bright lights in the bumper without the factory lights on. Maybe in a horrible hailstorm or something like that.

I put in off-road halogen bulbs that arrived last friday from JC Whitney, they are 80W lowbeams, and 120W high beams.

I can't wait until the 500cid stroker is done, I've already made the bracketry for dual alternators, both GM one wire style, and both put out 120 amps.

This little 63A alternator I have now probably will melt if I keep superbumper lit up for any length of time

Okay, enough babbling, the glue is probably dry and I should go cut some more ribs

 

omg, imagine trying to sell that truck. youd have to write out your own manual for it. it be bout as thick as a dictionary. sounds like your having fun.

 

Sell? Yeah right.

More progress today. I had to remake the cluster surround because it was too small, and I accidentally knocked the touchscreen surround on the ground, and proceeded to step on it (yesterday). Okay, I'm a klutz.

So, I made a combined touchscreen/cluster surround, bradded and glued it together, and we're good to go:



Then, just because I already mismeasured and ruined a fair amount of material making an incorrectly sized surround, I test fitted the components into the new surround:



Not bad. The other thing I did which I think is pretty smart is to mount both units from the *front*. This means, unlike the original design, I don't have to remove the entire #@&$@# dashboard to replace one bulb in the cluster, or connect something to the touchscreen. Yay, smart move for a change!

Next, is the fun part - aligning the angled cluster/touchscreen surround thing, with the dashtop, while lying on your back, balancing the dash top with the bottom of your left heel. One has to do this since there are no supports, and the two pieces weren't connected other than with a long strip of duct tape. Once the three small levels I used indicated things were consistant on both sides of the steering column, I traced on the underside of the dash top the cutting points, allowing the cluster/touchscreen surround to stick up slightly through the dashtop. I triple checked this because if I screw this up, I have to make another dashtop. And, once the cuts were made, and small pieces of oak scrap were used as braces, and some glue applied, here is the end result, upside down:



yay, the hard part of the structure has been completed. Now it's a matter of making and gluing on ribs, and bracing them so when wrapped in fabric, they don't flop or wobble, making the structure "pinched". Wouldn't that suck after all this work? heh-heh. Anyway, five hours and 20 interruptions later, here is the nearly completed dash structure. Again, upside down for the time being:



A lot of the bracing has to dry, so since it's after 10pm EST and my brain no longer functions I'm packing it in for the night, and hopefully tomorrow I'll have some more time to complete the bracing of the ribs. Then I can start the fun process of stretching the fabric over this structure, then apply resin.

In case it's not obvious, most of the handyboard (the brown stuff) will be hacked up once there are 5-6 layers of fiberglass wrapped on top, so the inside is fairly open. I'll be using a rotozip blade (which is kinda like a side-cutting drill bit) in a 4' long dremel extension, so I can cut it very close to the fiberglass. The whitish/yellowish wood is poplar, used mostly in the cluster/touchscreen area, will stay and become part of the structure. Once the handyboard is rotozipped out, I'll be adding two or so layers of fiberglass on the back, to make the stucture nice and strong.

Then, I have to mark out the defroster vents, zip them out with my router, then make a structure underneath those vents to pass air from the heater core assembly to those vents. And I have to do the same thing for the AC cents, though I'm only going to have four such vents. Two on the front dash, and two on the back of the center console.

The easiest way of making defroster vents, considering how the 92-96 F-series heater core assembly is shaped, is to make a thin-wall wooden box out of handyboard that will rest on the rectangular opening on top, with a rubber gasket, and fiberglass over that, and fiberglass it to the underside of the dash, then extend that box along the defroster vents using 1" PVC tubing, sliced in half lengthwise, then epoxy that to the underside, and cover that with fiberglass and resin as well.

Though anything not completed as of this writing is subject to change. I have a tendency to have great ideas, then change them on the fly. Maybe that's why this takes so long