Whats your wildest dash augmentation idea. I was to thinking that since my truck will be no where near stock (yes it is for all intents and purposes still a Ford truck), maybe I should consider a little cosmetic surgery on the interior, the dash in particular. I really am not a huge fan of the stock 48-50 gauge cluster (although some have done a great job of modernizing them) and I don't think that the billet aluminum ones are all that appealing either.....

There was a thread a little while back that used an impala gauge cluster but I can't seem to locate it at the moment...I will consider all ideas as some of you may have seen a few more of the 1940's to 1960's dashes than I have so just let me know and I will see what sort of combination we can create. I am also planning on loosing the radio location that will likely be filled with a gauge set as well. If I can I will try and post any ideas that I can photo chop as well.

Thanks in advance.

 

Kusto,

I put a dash from a 57 F100 in my 54 because I wanted a much wider area for guages and I wanted the traditional eyebrow over the guage area. I'm not totally pleased with how it turned out because the slope down from the top of the eybrow to where it becomes level with the rest of the top of the dash is about 6 or 8 inches which forces you to mount the entire dash back further into the cab (i.e. back past the door front pillars) {A pllars?} This forced me to mold the top of the doors to flow into the ends of the dash. It looks o.k. when the doors are closed but not somethin I'm proud of with the doors open.
(I mention all this so that A - you learn from my efforts and B - you factor those issues into your considerations)

As far as dashs with character and interesting lines, it's pretty much limited to the 1953 to 1959/1960 time frame.

I think that Impala dash adaptation was a recent article in one of the popular truck magazines. (They ended up spiltting it in the center to narrow it for whatever it was going into.

There is a website on which the guy has thousands of pictures of cars from virtually every make, model and year from at least the forties through the sxties - INCLUDING pics of the dashes. I'll try to find it and post a link. I have seen it referenced in this forum by someone else in the past as well.

One final suggestion -

If you go this route, cut the old dash out leaving about one to two inches of the old dash in place to graft the new dash to. This will also let you keep your stock defrost vents and use your stock inside trim around the windsheild. (Bet you never though about that, eh)

Regards,

 

Kusto,

I Found it;

http://carnut.com/photo/list/

This is the website that has all the pictures......

Good luck!

 

Fergy the bed in you gallery looks great!

 

Kusto; I bought a 6 gauge set of ele auto meter gauges for my 50f1. I don't like the round on one side and square on the other side dash pod. My step son works at a machine shop and is cuting me a new pod that is round on both ends to put my gauges in. The two larger ones on both sides and the four smaller ones in the middle, and a plate to cover the speaker and radio hole as well.

 

Rusty - Can't wait to see it when its done.

Fergusson - you bet I did consider that. It will also help retain the strength and shape of the cab during the surgery process...

 

Walston,

Thankyou, thankyou verymuch!

 

When I first started fixing the dash, I thought it a good time to put a second hump in before puttin the wirefeed away.It now has the matching clock from Autometer. Tick Tock, Tick Tock.


More of same in gallery

Jon

 

Kusto,

Here is what I want to morph into my dash eventually (once my metal working skills come up a bit). This is a cluster out of a 58 Pontiac and will stretch all the way from the original location over to the glove box. My plan is to have it sticking out of the dash approx 1"


In the mean time I needed gauges to work with. I adapted some guages from a late model GM van into my original housing. Here's a couple of shot of it.

Here's a shot in the truck (kinda)


Bobby

 

Jon - the dash looks great, nice work.

bobby - you gauge cluster conversion is the one I was referring to in my previous post, but your future gauge cluster looks interesting as well.

 

Bobby I think the 58 Pontiac gauges would look killer in the dash of your truck.

 

Hey Jon, have you painted that dash yet? It looks very COOL I'd love to see more pics of your dash. I'm goin to install a 1956 Fairlane dash in my 56 F100 when I get back to workin on it. I'm goin to make it to bolt in, so I can paint it outside of the truck. That way I can run my wires neater and all my a/c stuff.


again very cool, I LOVE symetry.

 

Kusto, Rusty,

Yeah, I've had the Poncho cluster for years figuring that I could make it fit something. I have even taken a flat piece of sheetmetal and cut out the gauge openings. I'm just hesitant about cutting up my dash.
Here's some pics from back in 03 when I was really thinkinghard about it;
this first one shows how much of the cluster would be visible, It took me hours with a small cut-off wheel in a dremel tool to cut out the openings


It will take quite a bit of molding to make this piece fit into place


This give a bit of an idea



It would be interesting and definately unique

.............................someday.............. ......

Bobby


...edit...the two small openings on the right are for the ashtray and the cigar lighter....

 

The interior of your truck looks to be at the same stage as mine. I may copy your column drop. I had to pilfer the picture and zoom to see just what you had going on there. Do you find that it will be strong enough?

If I follow you around on here long enough I should be able to complete my truck vicariously through you, letting you work out all the problems....LOL

Have fun with the photochopping and you will need to have a rubber hammer handy for those frustrating moments when you cant get the program to think the way you want it to....

 

Kusto,

the column drop is definately strong enough.....lol.... Its one of those things I will "redo" eventually. It basically a chunk of 1/8 plate that I broke one end at a 90 degree angle (to bol to the dash) and the other end at a "who knows" angle to match up with the steering column.
My long term plan (...someday...) is to design and fabricate a lower dash extension that would cover up the column drop. I also want to replace my steering column with one I have out of a 63 Buick Riviera.

Here's another shot of the bracket, heck it might even be 3/16 material,


Bobby