Custom dash in progress - build thread
Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,067
Likes: 13
From: Kincardine, ON
With the 5" speedo and Tach (tach especially), they are pretty heavy. Make sure you have some supports in the back to take the weight. Love the ideas being thrown out, great bunch of creative people.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,067
Likes: 13
From: Kincardine, ON
While I admire a really nice CAD design I'm still old school in that I need to see and feel the piece to see what works best. Now that I've seen how nice sign foam is to work with when shaping I'm hooked. If I could work in one medium and transfer it to CAD it would be the best of both worlds. The machines I've seen that can do it are not within my reach 
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,203
Likes: 2
From: where the deer and antelo
Too bad your not a few hundred miles closer. I have a couple donor trucks wanting someone to love them.
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 595
Likes: 0
From: Chico, CA
Just so you know - the plastic gauge surround can be EASILY removed while leaving the gauges and switches in the dash in and fully functioning. Removing the plastic surround and messing with it should allow you to make more progress without loosing the driveability of the truck!
Mountain Pass
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 195
Likes: 3
From: In the Man Cave
Been away a couple of days and this thing has exploded.Just a few things
As far as i know they were the same as the US ones
The Aussie dashes were taken from the Cortina and were attached with external screws from factory. It is very difficult to change this design.
Aluminium is great to work with but is hard to keep polished. If you go this way use stainless. The 5" Auto Metre tach does not dash mount easily, mine took forever to get right and wont be coming out in a hurry.
ShamelessMT, those designs look great. When your finished might have to send you some pics of the Aussie dash and see what you can draw up
didn't the Australian trucks come with the center rib deleted on the dash pod?
Even when using stainless, button head fasteners in an application like this - face mounted, exposed fasteners look like someone got too "lazy" to do it right to me.
Aluminium is great to work with but is hard to keep polished. If you go this way use stainless. The 5" Auto Metre tach does not dash mount easily, mine took forever to get right and wont be coming out in a hurry.
ShamelessMT, those designs look great. When your finished might have to send you some pics of the Aussie dash and see what you can draw up
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,593
Likes: 2
From: Prairieville, La
Has anyone considered doing away with the speedometers. Most of the trucks here are not mileage correct or are thrown of by tire size. Why not go a little more modern and put a tom tom or some type of GPS as the center feature. The speedometer is on the GPS, plus you can not get lost.
I have one in my 83 f-150. There is a big dead spot were a factory tach would go and it is very useful. The GPS speed is very accurate. I am thinking of adding one to my 79 f-100
I think some of the better GPS's can give rpm's also.
I have one in my 83 f-150. There is a big dead spot were a factory tach would go and it is very useful. The GPS speed is very accurate. I am thinking of adding one to my 79 f-100
I think some of the better GPS's can give rpm's also.
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 595
Likes: 0
From: Chico, CA
If you go with a modern electronic speedometer you can then calibrate it any time you need to with the push of a button, so that means that GPS isn't necessary for mph. All you have to do is push the button, drive one mile and push the button again. The speedometer does all the calibrating it needs and you're done...
Having a Navigation system in the dash might be neat, but I don't find it necessary. I have GPS in my phone and can use it for navigation if I absolutely need to.
Having a Navigation system in the dash might be neat, but I don't find it necessary. I have GPS in my phone and can use it for navigation if I absolutely need to.
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More Turbo
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 572
Likes: 3
Just funnin yahYou can borrow my truck anytime, since I'm only a few hours away from you here in MT. Just maybe leave your creation in my dash....?
Last edited by 65f100_352; Jun 21, 2009 at 01:22 AM. Reason: spelling errors
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 595
Likes: 0
From: Chico, CA
Ok, got a bunch more worked out.
I discovered a ton while doing this, of course and it's helped me create a whole new CAD drawing.
Now I'm going to use my new drawing to build a new mock-up out of 1/16" material so that I can better figure out what the real thing will be like and to further dial in my drawing. Next week when my gauges get here I'll do a test fit in that.
Hey, ChaseTruck754. You see the screws in the top of the center portion? Those are factory locations. I think I can use all four stock holes along the top to hold the dash in with some nice button head screws. I haven't entirely figured out to hold the bottom in though. I'll make a tab to fit the slot that the factory bezel slips into, but that still leaves a lot of the bottom edge unsecured. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to face screw this along the bottom in a couple places, but I'm going to try and avoid that if I can.
I discovered a ton while doing this, of course and it's helped me create a whole new CAD drawing.
Now I'm going to use my new drawing to build a new mock-up out of 1/16" material so that I can better figure out what the real thing will be like and to further dial in my drawing. Next week when my gauges get here I'll do a test fit in that.
Hey, ChaseTruck754. You see the screws in the top of the center portion? Those are factory locations. I think I can use all four stock holes along the top to hold the dash in with some nice button head screws. I haven't entirely figured out to hold the bottom in though. I'll make a tab to fit the slot that the factory bezel slips into, but that still leaves a lot of the bottom edge unsecured. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to face screw this along the bottom in a couple places, but I'm going to try and avoid that if I can.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,067
Likes: 13
From: Kincardine, ON
"I haven't entirely figured out to hold the bottom in though. I'll make a tab to fit the slot that the factory bezel slips into, but that still leaves a lot of the bottom edge unsecured. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to face screw this along the bottom in a couple places, but I'm going to try and avoid that if I can."
You could add two additonal tabs to either end in addition to the stock center one. It would keep you lines clean.
You could add two additonal tabs to either end in addition to the stock center one. It would keep you lines clean.
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
Sorry guys - I was hanging with the old man for the weekend - so was away from the computer.
Looks like you've got a bit done since I left though
I'm not sure about others - but mine will be left as brushed aluminum - sort of like this
You can always use different gears in the cable driven speedo. I will most likely add a GPS at some point (want to make one go back and forth easily between the crew cab and supercab) because Race Promoters out here plot the desert race courses on them. Seems pretty much all the race cars now have them, and I will be getting hopefully a 5" screen color one. I still will have a standard speedo in both trucks though.
My plan was to use those holes, and the possibly make some new ones on the bottom - to use along with that tab.
Looking good - keep the pics coming!
Looks like you've got a bit done since I left though
Has anyone considered doing away with the speedometers. Most of the trucks here are not mileage correct or are thrown of by tire size. Why not go a little more modern and put a tom tom or some type of GPS as the center feature. The speedometer is on the GPS, plus you can not get lost.
I have one in my 83 f-150. There is a big dead spot were a factory tach would go and it is very useful. The GPS speed is very accurate. I am thinking of adding one to my 79 f-100
I think some of the better GPS's can give rpm's also.
I have one in my 83 f-150. There is a big dead spot were a factory tach would go and it is very useful. The GPS speed is very accurate. I am thinking of adding one to my 79 f-100
I think some of the better GPS's can give rpm's also.
...Hey, ChaseTruck754. You see the screws in the top of the center portion? Those are factory locations. I think I can use all four stock holes along the top to hold the dash in with some nice button head screws. I haven't entirely figured out to hold the bottom in though. I'll make a tab to fit the slot that the factory bezel slips into, but that still leaves a lot of the bottom edge unsecured. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to face screw this along the bottom in a couple places, but I'm going to try and avoid that if I can.
Looking good - keep the pics coming!