Pig Debate

[scrapdaddy]

While I'm waiting for my headers, I started on the dash. You all know, mine is not a restoration, but a lightly modified dirt road cruiser. So, with that in mind, what to do with the dash. I'm useing none of the middle dash holes and slots. Aftermarket heat and ac have their own controls and the vacuum shift is gone.

The radio opening has been butchered and all my dash pads are junk, I'll need new gauges to make the chevy happy, so I'm thinking of redoing the whole dash. Get rid of the pads and fill in all the holes, even cut the top seam off and smooth it all out.

I'm thinking, get rid of the glove box and brace it up for a grab handle and radio. It would wind up looking more like a 40's dash.

What's everybody opinion, bad idea, look like , or will it look ok. I don't want the cruiser gods, hitting me with lightning bolts. here's some pictures.

 

[Fitzgerald]

DO IT!!!

I'm thinking the same thing with mine.

I especially like the idea of cutting down the seam (probably going to need to weld it all, correct?) and all the other little holes up there. I'm probably going to try to save the glove box though.

I say give it a shot! (and it it dosen't work out, I'll change my plans )

 

[scrapdaddy]

Ok, that's one for it. The seam will be cut down and then welded with all the holes, etc., then all smoothed out. I won't need the glove box, because I'll have some kind of center console ( tuffy box ). I could then build a grab bar, for me, when my Wife drives.

 

[Pighead]

Do it.
Make it purposeful and functional and you have nothing to fear from the 'Cruiser Goddesses...

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

there's a thread for pics of modded dash boards called modded dash, er something-whatever I called it- back a couple few years ago. In my overly zealous effort to simonize my pig back when I fist got it-knowing nothing about it or of this cult-NO religion called Land Cruiser, and not having any numb chuck or video game or computer skills, I cut out the dashboard of my 77 iron maiden.....and installed a piece of 1/4 aluminum with holes for lights gauges and switches. totally rewired a good deal of the old gal just to be able to use universal switches....ended up using factory gauges because that would have been too much wiring/sender/etc etc. long story longer, I have since then spent time and money to have someone else spend time and hack up another truck in order to sell me a dash frame, in the hopes that I may patch it back in to my 77 and then fit the pieces I have and find and buy the ones I don't-IF they're not unobtainium by then, so that my beloved truck can once again be somewhat more whole.


have a look in that thread to see some other options-and what I have confessed to above.

think carefully about the things you want to see in/on your rig. I understand the conversion stuff doesn't always translate to what we have to work with, but I would say that maybe less is more....it's all about how you want it, but maybe try to figure out a way that doesn't require welding, grinding and painting in order to put things back, should you ever decide to......I hope this helps



oh, and don't get rid of your old dash stuff, it deserves a small box in the garage, at the least

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj55-iron-pig-preservation-society/351431-dash-mods.html


https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj55-iron-...1-fj55-dash-ideas-show-me-what-youve-got.html

 

[Gonzo55]

Having done this on other trucks , the work and time modifying the current dash is never ending and usually there's a section that you don't really like. I have had the best success buy cutting the whole face off and bending up a new one one the the brake. It's pretty quick and gives you a blank slate with no holes to fill. You also can choose you medium, stainless , aluminum or if your a real hillbilly Wood, burned and varnished of coarse.

 

[AzPiggy]

I'm keeping my current dash but building a fiberglass/wood cap for it. It'll continue down into a custom center for goodies that I want. Using felt you can shape and build just about anything. I learned doing speaker boxes. You can keep it simple and then wrap it in whatever fabric you want. If you fail your original dash is hiding underneath.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Lambcrusher,

Thanks for the links, that's what I was looking for. I want it simple and do it, in good taste. It doesn't need to look like an airplane, but like you said, might not want to change it forever. I have to do something, it can't stay the way it is now. The center is really a big mess, right now and trying to fix all the padding, would just look like a patch job.

I need more beer!

 

[scrapdaddy]

Gonzo,

I'm thinking on something like you were talking about, I don't like the added on look. Gauges hanging everywhere and two dozen switches. I have a 1951 M37, military truck and it's got a plain old metal dash, with just what you need. That's how I want it, simple.

 

[PabloCruise]

think carefully about the things you want to see in/on your rig. I understand the conversion stuff doesn't always translate to what we have to work with, but I would say that maybe less is more....it's all about how you want it, but maybe try to figure out a way that doesn't require welding, grinding and painting in order to put things back, should you ever decide to......I hope this helps

oh, and don't get rid of your old dash stuff, it deserves a small box in the garage, at the least

I like this wisdom. I would have serious pangs about cutting my dash, but I have a '74, so I have some different functionality than you do...

I think HTownFire (or something like that, haven't seen him around here for a while) molded a 40 dash into his Pig?

 

[scrapdaddy]

Pablo,

Yeah, that's how I feel sometimes. I don't want to burn all my bridges. I've got some time yet, so I'll keep staring at it and as Lambcrusher says, let it tell me, how it wants to look.