will it fit

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Nov 11, 2008 | 04:37 PM

79tunerkiller

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will it fit

will a dash from a 88 f-150 or bronco fit in my 79 f-150. i know that one from a 83-84 will fit but what about the later 80's? has anybody done it?

Nov 11, 2008 | 04:39 PM

straightsix4x4

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From: Northern Minnesota

well your going to have to make it fit, 80-97 is pretty much the same cab so if the 83-84 fits" then so should the 88.... but... why???????

Nov 11, 2008 | 05:57 PM

79tunerkiller

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because the dash in mine is pretty beat up, cracked, scratched, guages worn out, and because i have a new dash in excellent condition out of a 88 bronco. the new dash also has a tach and i just like the style of it better. i will keep my old one for if i ever want to restore the truck to original

Nov 11, 2008 | 06:20 PM

Dr. Dirt

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From: Goliad, Texas

well all you can do is try.

Nov 11, 2008 | 06:52 PM

81-F-150-Explorer

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From: Northern California

Quote:

Originally Posted by 79tunerkiller

because the dash in mine is pretty beat up, cracked, scratched, guages worn out,

All of that can be fixed relatively simply. Most of it in less than a day's work.

Quote:

and because i have a new dash in excellent condition out of a 88 bronco. the new dash also has a tach and i just like the style of it better.

Then with all due respect, I would get a 1988 truck in good working order. You are talking serious modifications, you would need to use the wiring harness out of the 1988, you will need to weld up holes and cut holes in the firewall, if not rebuild a whole firewall from scratch to get the a/c and heater ducts and cables to work out of a 88. You will need to change out the pedal assymblies. You are talking more than just a bolt on thing.

Quote:

i will keep my old one for if i ever want to restore the truck to original

If you do manage to put a 1988 dash in your 79, you might as well throw the old one away, or sell it, because after all the other mods you do to make a 1988 dash work, it will take the same amount of work to put it back.

Nov 11, 2008 | 07:50 PM

77FordDW

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If you do it, I wanna see some pics. :-)

Nov 11, 2008 | 09:19 PM

mando jake

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Joined: Dec 2003

Posts: 484

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From: Leitchfield, ky

I'm gonna do this in mine, I have done some research, but it's been a while. It seem like the 80- up dash is a little wider and deeper that the 70's, and the windshield arch is different, which actually may work to your advatage, you may be able to trim the vinyl/plastic top of the dash to match the arch in the 79 since there is excess material. I had thought of a couple of ways to do this. One being to transplant almost the whole firewall. Another idea was to screw in long bolts to all the 80-up dash bolt tabs/framework, then weld a piece of 1/4" plate across all the screws, basically making a fixture. Then cut all the tabs off of the fire wall leaving as much tab as possible. Then remove the whole thing on the fixture, and proceed to hack up the 79 dash as necessary to fit the tab/framework from the 80 in place to where the top of the dash is where it needs to be, and also the steering column,etc..
BIG JOB!!!
But I hate the 70's interior, so I gotta do something overkill cool.

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Nov 11, 2008 | 11:02 PM

mando jake

Senior User

Joined: Dec 2003

Posts: 484

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From: Leitchfield, ky

I cant wait to get that far on my crew. I'm doing buckets (or 60/40 if I can find em) up front, and a bench in the back for the kiddies.

Nov 16, 2008 | 08:37 AM

#10

crazedfox

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Joined: Aug 2008

Posts: 531

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From: LaGrange

This,
__is...SICK!
If anybody here manage's to git this done.
POST PICS!
I always had a intrist in this weird challnge,
of having a modern late-model truck with the body of early one.

Nov 16, 2008 | 07:25 PM

#11

427SOHC

Senior User

Joined: Aug 2004

Posts: 285

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From: Terre Haute, Indiana

I am doing a 93 Lincoln Mark 8 dash in my 79, so why not? I still have to fab some brackets but for the most part it's solid and the door panels will have to be custon built yet to transition the doors to the dash.