Hot Rods 33 / 34 Dash Panel Ideas ?

Looking at your dash and thinking about the one in mine, I guess the mess I am cleaning up is not as bad, Mine had a LOT of extra holes in the middle and the glove box lid was compromised for the addition of some toggles and a tach. On my 3rd week getting it back to normal. Looks like you are not going to save your stamped reveal on your gauge area. I would buy an insert and see how much damage it covers up, then you can piece the metal back in a spot or two at a time that isn't hidden.. I found a piece of metal shelving at work that was about the same thickness. I used it to rebuild my glove box opening.

 

Not finished, but this is the basic idea.



-Abone.

 

I don't have the picture handy, but I saw one in a 32 Ford that had a 33/34 Ford dash adapted and then he put a second 33/34 dash below and behind the first one. It looked pretty neat. There was a space between them, not mounted against the front one. It provided a mount for the steering column so you didn't have a real long column drop...... Also it provided a place for A/C vents other than the face of the dash. It really looked nice.

 

I made a wooden buck & made both sides & the glove box. For the glove box I used poster board & a 35 MPH aluminum sign for both dash panel & glove box door. I insulated the door with foam & covered the foam with metal, then covered the dash with a black leather skirt. Put a gauge panel underneath for the oil pressure & water temperature.

 

Mine. 32 style dash, added glove box, mirrored drivers side, SoCal insert, SW gauges, switch panel from Crafty B, insert painted firewall color, tach on the column. I like looking at it.

 

Pretty hard to argue with perfection BB!

 

@Bandit Billy , I love the contrasting colors, even though I can't tell what they are. I have waded through countless rust pits, toggle switch holes, reshaping the glove box area and fixing the entire p***enger side lower reveal where they cobbled a ****py gauge panel on it for who knows what. I am almost there.

 

In my opinion, you cant spend enough time on the dash. You have to stare at it every time you drive the car. It should never make you regret not making it nicer, using better gauges, or "just making do". I spent a stupid amount of hours on that dash welding, grinding, changing ****, reshaping, polishing...that stupid glove box has more hours in it than most cars paint jobs. But an open car especially should have a beautiful and well thought out dash.

@cheepsk8 You will not regret the hours to make that dash gorgeous, and it looks gorgeous from the pics.