Dash Quandry

[Gippetto]

I need some suggestions. I've almost completed all the panel replacement to get beyond the rust on my '47 GMC. The dash has me stumped. What I have been looking for is someone with a donor dash that might cut a patch, say up through the lip into the glove box then across to the left coming back down to the left of the steering column. With that piece I could fit it nice to eliminate the heavy rust through along the lip and ignition switch.
The metal fab is a bit more that I can handle and I'd rather not replace the whole dash.
I know I haven't exhausted all possible sources but I though a shout out to you guys might help. Let me know, I'm all ears.

[mr48chev]

I've got one with surface rust but otherwise it's solid. You can have what you need for the cost of shipping.
Remember we can't buy or sell without being premium members or offer to buy but this will be free.

Take a photo of your dash and mark out what you need. I used to have a dash that I had cut out of cab with a sawzall but I think it went to the scrap drive a few years ago.

[Gippetto]

That's great news. Thank you. I will reply via e-mail.

[Gippetto]

I sent a personal message and found that I don't know how to insert a picture via a URL. Possibly you could give me your email using pm?

[Gippetto]

Took a while but here it is.
Like it says that would give me plenty of leeway.


My address is 80 Locust Street in Woburn, Massachusetts 01801. Let me know shipping charge and I will send you a US Postal Service money order. OK?

[mr48chev]

I'll have to get the dash out and get the gauges out. That's coming out of the cab that is the front half of my stretched cab and I am using the old dash out of my old 51 Mercury coupe with some serious modifications to it in the stretch cab. To have a little bit of my first car from when I was 16 in the truck with me.

Time to go see how long the battery lasts in that cordless sawzall I bought at Habitat a while back.

[mr48chev]

The one I have has a crack in it that I thought was a scratch.


I don't think it will be much trouble to fix but it's there. This is the dash


It's coming out because the plan has always been to modify and use this 51 Mercury dash that was in the Mercury I bought when I was 16 and I screwed up trying to build a custom dash when I was 19. It will take some serious mods before I am done.

[OrrieG]

I would think it would be less work to just replace the whole dash than weld, grind, fill, etc. and piece and get it looking good. I know the time I have in mine just to fix the radio knob area and think I could have put in a replacement in less time.

[mr48chev]

It probably would but that would cost him about 50 bucks to ship a free dash. As it stands I think I can ship what he wants for under 20.00

[Gippetto]

Looks like it will work for me. The crack is not a problem and in response to OrrieG, the time spend at my skill level is probably a wash. The seam, if I do it right will be an accomplishment and if not, a conversation piece.

[mr48chev]

I'll try to get it out tomorrow and figure out the best way to ship it. I think I am going to cut the whole dash out leaving myself a lip to fasten the other dash to and take it in the garage to take apart and trim down. After taking the windshield out yesterday I might only use the top off that cab anyhow as I'm finding more to repair in it than I want to deal with and I have a really nice cowl in the shed that already had the roof cut off that another friend gave me years ago.

[Gippetto]

Good luck taking it out.

By the way, your not alone still paying for mistakes made when 19 years old.

[mr48chev]

It came down to "hold my beer and watch this"


It didn't come out without a fight though.


In the garage hanging on the step ladder. It's going to take some work around where the column mount and bracket bolt to the dash.


That's how far I got today. Along with the requisite sunset photo. My other claim to fame.

[Gippetto]

Beautiful sunset. Glad to see progress on the dash. Keep me informed.

By the way, was that a scull on the can of beer?

[mr48chev]

Yep it was. From Iron Horse brewery in Ellensberg Wa. Finger guns IPA that is seriously loaded with hops. Not for the people who think Coors light is real beer.

[Gippetto]

My beer of choice is also an IPA. Brooklyn Brewery Defender IPA. Hops galore and just the right bitterness and a 6.7% bite.

[Tomb23]

Just saw this, Pretty trick ?

[mr48chev]

That's the way a lot of guys hide their air bag controls and sound.

Actually I'm not usually a fan of IPAs and usually go dark beers. Iron Horse has beer called Irish Death that is one of my favorites .

[mr48chev]

Cleaned it up a bit and got all the stuff off it.


Evidently the cab was loose on the frame for a long time as it pretty well beat up the holes where the column bolts up and they will take some work.






My sand blaster didn't like the sand I bought at home depot or I'd have it cleaned up. Test run for the yard sale Craftsman sand blaster I bought last summer.

I can cut the dash where you wanted it cut or send the whole thing and then you can cut it how you want it.

[Gippetto]

Why not send the whole thing if it's not to difficult for you. The steering column mount doesn't bother me. Let me know the ship cost. Thanks a million.

[mr48chev]

I'll hunt down a box and get it boxed up and figure out what it costs.

[G&R's57GMC]

Ship it Grayhound.

I sent 2 TF Cabover doors via the dog to Penn. in 65" flat screen tv boxes.

Be sure to include the receivers phone # on the box.

[ETraugott]

have the same issue with my dash. let me know how it turns out. still undecided if I want to buy a new dash, try my hand in sheet metal work and build a new one or what you are doing and section a good piece in.

[58CameoAZ]

I can tell you that i changed out the dash in my 58 Cameo (complete dash)
and it was a piece of Cake compared to the radio replacement panel that i changed out in my 59 stepside. I have more work in the 59 grinding the welds and sanding the round
radio knob holes to get them to look right. in a heart beat i would change the complete
dash out instead of the patch panels if i had it all over to do again.
fwiw,
Allen

[mr48chev]

This one was rusted up by the windshield and woudn't have worked to cut the welds out on. That cab isn't going to work for what I wanted either and I'll only use the top.

I was playing with the sand blaster over the weekend.


Now I have to find a bigger box as it didn't fit in the last one I found.