Thread: New Dash for The Hot Rod

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Almost finished with the new, 3rd, dash in my hot rod. The first never was finished and the second, well I just didn't like it. I used a dodge truck dash, sectioned it 2 inches and narrowed it. Fit an instrument cluster from a 56 Olds, and here we go. I think this is the one. I am mostly happy with it, although finish is a little rough. My hands were so bad I was having trouble with spot putty and sanding. Guess I'll live with it till one of my grandson's are old enough to sand.........

Before
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After
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I think I'll stripe the ribs on the dash with some one shot black. Also have a plan to use some lime green piping and vinyl inserts on door pannels and seat to kinda tie it all together. Next will be finish bed, and pull engine and repaint engine and trans and all the other green parts with the sublime pearl.

Wow that looks great. keep up the the work and thanks for sharing.Don

I like the bright colour,just remember your sunglasses on a real sunny day. Joking aside,that looks better and more unclutted and like what you did to the steering wheel. Did you get the engine sorted,you were having problems with something but I just can't remember with what?

Originally Posted by Whiplash23T

I like the bright colour,just remember your sunglasses on a real sunny day. Joking aside,that looks better and more unclutted and like what you did to the steering wheel. Did you get the engine sorted,you were having problems with something but I just can't remember with what?

Thanks, and yeah it's BRITE..... Got the engine sorted out. It was a fuse holder. It had one of the tangs that the plug in fuse contacts broken, and it would heat up and voltage would drop till ignition cut off. Finally found it by ataching my dig volt meter to coil leads and let it run and watched voltage drop then back tracked it. It was hard to find because when I checked voltage it would be correct. It would cool pretty quick and problem would dissapear quickly. Since I replaced it, it has run flawlessly even in 102 deg. weather. Thank Goodness.............................

Yeah that dash was just too busy. I saw a 56 Olds cluster, and just had to put one in somthing. I'll try to get a good pic at nite, looks really sweet lit up.

Wow! That's wild! I know you didn't ask but if it was mine, I would not paint the ribs on the dash black. They add some nice texture to the bright green dash but painting them a different color would make the dash look very busy and cluttered again, which is what I thought you were trying to get away from. With the upholstery, the diamond plate, and all the other eye-catching stuff going on there I think it would be too much. But, then again, it's not my car......have fun with it!

Originally Posted by Evolvo

That upholstery makes my eyeballs vibrate!! Me likey!!

Thanks. Material was free, just cost a can of glue and some hog rings. I grew to like it. It kinda fits the 68 to 72 era. Those wild custom rods, and of course the psychedelic era. Gonna throw some lime green vinyl to break it up a bit. But it is what it is..............

Originally Posted by randyr

Wow! That's wild! I know you didn't ask but if it was mine, I would not paint the ribs on the dash black. They add some nice texture to the bright green dash but painting them a different color would make the dash look very busy and cluttered again, which is what I thought you were trying to get away from. With the upholstery, the diamond plate, and all the other eye-catching stuff going on there I think it would be too much. But, then again, it's not my car......have fun with it!

You may be right. I have to stare at stuff awhile and ponder on it. Wild is what I was after, so I guess I nailed it.

Diamond plate glove box? Not my cup of T, but also, not my Hot Rod. If you like it, nothing else matters.

Originally Posted by MightOverMetal1

WoW,Im diggin both of them but the Black is more my style. Thanks for showing these, they gave me some ideas.

Yeah and now I have toned it down some. Found some diamond stitched black vinyl and re did the door pannels and head liner. All black. If I could manage to sew it might make a seat cover. Black with the diamond stitched as inserts. Also made a new console of sorts, same material and an old stop sigh for a face plate, polished.

I get bored easily and have to change somthing..... But I do like this dash. Oh and I repainted it the same green as the engine, and shot some clear metalic over it.

Oh and I changed the steering wheel, and rebuilt my old arvin heater and installed that too.....

Shoot..... I'll just run out and snap a couple of pics........

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Maybe more Ideas................. And yes I might be just a little Manic....

Originally Posted by moparjack44

Diamond plate glove box? Not my cup of T, but also, not my Hot Rod. If you like it, nothing else matters.

Well I cut down the original door, it fit flush, no overlap. And I didn't like the fit. So I grabed a scrap of diamond plate and made that. What can I say I like shiny stuff. No it wasn't my first choice, but it will do, for now till I can make somthing I like better. Besides the truck is "UGLY BETTY" so what else would you expect.

Originally Posted by dlotraf33

Well I cut down the original door, it fit flush, no overlap. And I didn't like the fit. So I grabed a scrap of diamond plate and made that. What can I say I like shiny stuff. No it wasn't my first choice, but it will do, for now till I can make somthing I like better. Besides the truck is "UGLY BETTY" so what else would you expect.

I never said it was ugly, just not my taste. Basically, I love everything you have done with the dash. I really love the Olds speedo cluster. I envy your talent. Also, the complete ride looks like you're not afraid to drive, which to me, is the number 1 mostest important thing hot rods are built for.

Heck stop getting bored will ya,take up chess or cards... I loved the door cards with the other material. But, tell me, are those heaters hard to get now and what is the history of them etc.,as I really like it and it appears period prefect in your truck. Wonder if one would work in my bucket??

Originally Posted by moparjack44

I never said it was ugly, just not my taste. Basically, I love everything you have done with the dash. I really love the Olds speedo cluster. I envy your talent. Also, the complete ride looks like you're not afraid to drive, which to me, is the number 1 mostest important thing hot rods are built for.

I know you didn't call it ugly. Thats what I call her. I didn't take your comment in a bad way. And I have some talent, but I call it get her close. I am just not good at details. I always thought if I could build it 20 times the size and shrink it then it would be close. I'm more of a fabricator. I try but body work and detail work are very hard for me. And yes it's a driver, no point otherwise. Also it's not a deuce so if I mess it up I'm not gonna stroke out.............

Originally Posted by Whiplash23T

Heck stop getting bored will ya,take up chess or cards... I loved the door cards with the other material. But, tell me, are those heaters hard to get now and what is the history of them etc.,as I really like it and it appears period prefect in your truck. Wonder if one would work in my bucket??

You can still find alot of the old art deco heaters on ebay. I wish the chrome front was better. I don't have the funds to rechrome it so I cleaned up the front, some was flaking and the louvers are only partially chromed, then clear coated it so it would look ok. It has a worn look to it. I also took a housing from a vent hood and the 4 inch squirl cage and a new 12 volt motor and put it in back so it would move some air. I get cold easy. It doesnt heat as well as I thought, but the core maybe half stopped up. Its only about 60 years old......

I like the new door panels and repaint on the dash. Looks nice