You get rid of it! Here's some pics of what i did on my new year's eve.. I started this around 11:00 this morning.. The stock dash had been modified, and not too well.. Everything had been smoothed over, the defroster duct's had been welded shut and three gauges had been installed right in the center of it.. It was FULL of gl***, about a 1/4" around the gauges alone, and even though it didn't look bad, it wasn't something i wanted to look at everytime i drive the truck..and that will be a lot.. At first, I had planned on just restoring it, in fact, I had a fellow HAMBer, Rochlow, send me the glove box door and speaker grill for free!! THANK YOU again...i will be sending them back to ya but sure do appreciate what you did... Anyway, after evaluating the work it was going to take to fix the stocker, i chose to go a different route.. I went to the junk yard a few day's ago and cut the dash from a 56 Nomad..Before everyone has a heart attack, it was nothing more than a firewall and front clip at this point...no sheet metal from the dash back. Onwards..I bought all the dash part's for a 55 chevy belair because i like the small emblem's in the dash insert. I swayed away from the belair p*** side insert though and went with the 210 model that has the Chevrolet script. So, after measuring it all out, figuring out how much the 56 dash had to be narrowed i went to work. Cut the stock dash out leaving a few inches attached to the cab to graft the 56 dash to, then found the defrost vent's and opened them back up too.. I cut the whole center of the 56 dash out to keep the radio, and glove box/ashtray centered and sectioned the dash to both side's of it to make it fit, then grafted the center back in. The wrap around portion of the dash will be welded to the door's so when they are closed it look's like it should. As you can see, i have the driver's side olmost done.. The door's on the truck are suicide beside's, so i had to make sure the dash didn't stick out too far or i'd have it in my chest everytime i got out of it.. Alright, enough of all that ****..Here's some pics. (sorry for the ****py quality, cel phone cam) Oh yeah, that HUGE damn floor tunnel is next on the chopping block!!!! Actually, this is getting a COMPLETE rebuild this winter which is why i havn't posted too much. I'm already a month into it and have this about done, and already have a new trans mount built with a new T400, all new body mount's fab'd etc....Hopefully be ready by spring. HAPPY NEW YEAR!! As it started.. What was to come.. Tony
very cool!!! about the best dash ever made! i came very close to swapping one into my ex- daily driver 94 chevy step side(oops,did i say that out loud?)
Thanks Sam.. I've alway's liked the 55-56 dash design myself. It's very clean and simple without a lot of **** to clutter thing's up.. The swap in the 94 would have been quite the conversation piece..
Nice! I was looking at this yesterday with a '54 Bel Air dash I have here from an old parts car. All the chrome and stuff looks good. I'll follow along here and see what I can learn!
"Nice! I was looking at this yesterday with a '54 Bel Air dash I have here from an old parts car." You mean you haven't done it yet? Me niether!!
OK, so maybe yesterday wasn't the FIRST time I looked at it...but I did look at it yesterday. Again...
Nice job, should look great. Was considering a swap my self for the Project 54 currently in a stand still. Definitely gives me some motivation. Look forward to better pic's and progress shots.
Thanks.. The wheel will either be the vintage Covico i put on last year ( in the pic) or a similar one with slot's and hole's in the spokes. I thought about a 55 wheel, but being this will be a daily driver for me, i just like the way the smaller wheel feel's.. Just got back aftyer finishing up both side's of the dash..I need to build a support brace for the column and set that all up, but it's basically ready for me to do the body work on it.. There's a ton of work in doing these, so i've just learned. First one.. Not sure i'd jump at doing another right away....ok, maybe i would if i was getting paid for it Thanks again. Tony
This is funny as hell!! I bought it complete..running and driving. I was a ***** and tore it to pieces. Anyway, the seat they used is the back seat from an early/mid 70 Caddilac! Full leather, armrest and that cl***y Cady crest on the top of both sides.... It was super comfortable and fit perfectly.. It's goin back in so i can be pimpin' in style!
I got a couple pm's asking for better pics..Not sure how much better these are..but i took a few more with my digital camera before the battery died.. I have all the tin work done now and just need to 'dress' it to make it ready for body work.. Unfortunately the batt died before i got a pic of it finished. I filled the area where the heater control's were..I used that are as one of the places i removed tin from to narrow it, plus i'll be using a different style heater all together and wont need the control's. I also filled the factory seam's at each end of the dash. Maybe when i have it prepped for body work i'll grab another pic. Thanks. Tony
Bad ***! look forward to seein it in person. You are getting me inspired to tear apart my old mans coupe! talk to ya soon.
Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead.. the very dead.. but do you have any pics of the finished product? I am in the middle of this swap myself and am running into the issue of the wrap around parts of the dash being in the way of the door windows. I want to fab them into the doors so when you shut them you still get the wrap around effect. Having trouble getting the location of the dash squared away to make everything happy, already shortened it. Thanks for any help!
I have pics but not available on this so i'll have to either upload them to my phone (which is pretty much my only way to get on here) or take some new ones. The ends were the hardest part to make "work" and look right. They do interfere with the window moldings about a 1/4" or so, so i modified them to fit over the dash ends. The overall swap was time consuming but well worth it and still my favorite part of the truck. Lol I'll try and get some pics up later for you. Tony
This is the best i could do on short notice lol The door isnt closed all the way in the one pic but i think youcan get an idea of placement. If not let me know and i'll take more. Hopefully these uploaded. Tony
Thanks for the pics Tony! Mine looks almost identical to yours as far as placement is concerned. I see how you tucked the dash arms right up to the vent window opening. I'll try and post some pics once I get some worth posting. Thanks again!
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