How Would You Finish This?

I am making a flip down panel for the dash of my 51. The size is good, and its nice and straight, but because of the contour of the dash behind it, it looks off. I measured the gap and its all even, but as you can tell it looks bad. I need to figure out the best way of either making a filler piece, or adding something behind it to make it look right.

Plus I am looking for some sort of latch. Maybe magnets...

 

round the corners to match the rest of the dash.

 

What about welding a piece of small diameter round bar or brake line all the way around bend to fit the contours so it creates a lip?

 

I think the unbalanced look is from the panel behind your cover. A bit of chrome trim along the edge to fill the gap up to where the dash bulges out would look okay to me

Flatman

 

I think when you start over and match the glove box line on the right and notch for the hinge so it sets flush. you will be happy. you have a good template to start with now.

 

I agree. It needs to match the lines of the glove box better. That'll also fix the visual problem with the hole on the right side behind the panel.

 

yeah it isn't very flush

 

I used a magnetic catch on a similar piece on a dash. I think i found it at a big box store. It works like a ball point pen; when you close it it sticks, push on the cover again and it pops open.

 

A) It looks great just like it is. Just match the new plate to the glove box i.e. - height, thickness. Round the corners the same.

B) A completely alternative idea - maybe down the road as you've put so much work into this - would be to use a section of chrome grille. Something with very narrow teeth or a very small pattern. Even some dash grille work. There were some Buicks (and tons of other cars) with chrome dash grilles that looked pretty cool. Have no idea what there function was - looked like a combo of speaker cover, heater duct cover and simply decorative. Might break up the flat expanse running the length between what you've done and the glove box. ANd if you hinged it it wouldn't immediately be seen as a "door". Could be cool stash place i.e. - functional.

Either that or weld in your panel so the dash has a clean expanse between the guages and glove box.

If you could find a really cool old metal sign or license plate that was the right size it would be cool to just use that too. Not sure what the overall theme of your ride is though.

If these ideas **** I hope the price was right! lol!

 

I think the first thing I may try is to jsut raise it up a bit. I wont have as much metal to moung the hinge too, but it would at lease line up with the glove box.

I also have the original grille that went here, but i hate to chop up a perfectly good piece of original chrome that someone else may need...

 

whats supposed to be there?

 

Piano hinges can be deceivingly tricky to use. Lots of times the knuckles of the hinge stick out too much or the thickness of the closed hinge pushes the door out from where it should be sitting.

Maybe locate the hinges back inside the big openings and then use small dog leg type arms between the hinge and the panel you made. trunk hinges have a very similar concept.

 

I did something similar with the radio speaker grille on the 40 last winter. I hinged mine at the top so I wouldn't have to worry about the catch and run the hinge bolts a little tight to create enough drag to hold the grille up.

I agree with the glovebox comments. Match the glovebox door exactly, including the hinge style. I made mine out of 14ga sheet and mounted them with studs welded to the inside of the dash.

Chris

 

I agree, it's the largest part of the problem. It would be a challenge to create an offset all the way across the bottom that would allow the bottom edge to go flush. If that can be accomplished, the rest is cake. especially if you have some of those flanging pliers that create an offset to lap panels flush. Barring that, making or using traditional glovebox hinges is the alternative.

 

"80's full size Dodge vans had small hinges on the glove box that bolted on (easy to remove at the yard) also had a small spring setup that helped hold it up , reverse mount than yours

 

There is supposed to be a speaker grille there, but I want to put a stereo behind it, and I dont want to go messing with the original grille.

 

Couldn't you get another gloce box door and hack it up to fit the space needed to cover? at least with the glove box door you would have all the correct contours and lips already made for you. You could alway make the old grille fit into it too to make it look a little more like a stock dash. If the grille was actually open, a cd players remote would probaly work through the grille without even opening the door.....that's how I would TRY to do it anyway.

 

Can you find another glove box door to use, and just widen it if you have to?

You'll have to do more work to your dash of course, to fit the bottom of the panel and it's hinge flush like the existing glove box door.

Gary

 

Great idea, but I would put a speaker grill or something chrome in that space as well to help break it up and flow into the dash. Mount an old speaker grill on top from a Buick or something...from a Cad, buick....that had a 'goddy' type chrome all over it.

The 40 dash Idea is an excellent idea. Put a modern radio behind w/ gauges or switches maybe?

A good start, but I would elaborate on it a bit....rounded corners, fill the dash to flow w/ the new panel.

Maybe shorten it and use the small slot near the speedo for an ashtray.

 

Nice work. What did you use to cutout those dogleg hinge arms?

 

I agree with matching it to the glove box but, what about the ignition switch and choke? I think you're on to something here but I don't know what.

 

I think it would be worth looking at welding a filler piece in. Close the whole area up matching the raised shape and top and bottom detail. Then cut a new door out of that. Or use a piece of chrome grill of some kind.

I mention this because the area above your ignition switch and other controls looks really tight.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VW-Z...hZ019QQitemZ8077197027QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

A quick search on ebay. Its a nice simple clean grill back it with something and convert to a door?

 

Nice work 40Tudor. That hinge is impressive.

I like the idea of closing it all up and placing your grille or door into a "fresh" clean space in the dash. Rather than trying to m***age one into place to cover the existing open spots. That grille evltwin posted is exactly what I was thinking. Even mounting it on a smooth dash with offsets so it's elevated would look good and fill the blank space decoratively.

Junkyard hinges could add the functionality. But it might even be cooler to mount the stereo (if that's truly your goal here) under the dash with a drop down or swing down mount/tray. Then the dash looks simply stock with the grille just decoration. And the stereo or whatever is hidden and SECURE under the dash.

And your less likely to get a ticket from the traditional police. But heh....I always say f the man so...! lol!

I say seal the dash in with a new flush plate. Then search for a nice grille piece.

49Lincoln

 

Thanks for all the imput. I have always had a wierd thing about modifing a dash, I am not sure why. These Ideas really help.

 

Thanks for the compliments. I don't and will never have a radio so it seemed like a natural place for the fuse panel.

How did I make the hinges? Bolt two pieces of sheet together and...





....Drill, jigsaw and file until it's done...

The bolt holes are the same ones used to mount the arms to the grille. The shape of the grille really worked in my favor. I wouldn't be surprised if most do not have a flange suitable to mount something like this to.

I did a mockup in cardboard first, which I highly recommend. With the tools I have available, there's some time invested in making those hinges. I didn't want to mess it up by being sloppy with the layout.

 

wow thats nice.

 

just curious...why don't you like having a radio? i wouldn't have a cd player. but i kinda like the feel of an old mono am.

just curious.

49Lincoln

 

No need. I barely use the radios in my daily drivers.

Besides - it's a hot rod, not a custom.

 

your hinges are the problem,you need to make them flush and the rest should be easy

 

I have decided that I am going to use the factory grille, I am going to cut out the area in the dash behind it and make some nice glovebox style hinges for it.