47-55.1 speaker/ashtray delete, need hard ware ideas

[leegreen]

I used the skin off a bent glove box door to make new speaker / ashtray cover the for dash without the ashtray or speaker grill.....


Eventually I want to mount a double DIN head unit in the factory speaker opening. I could just have a hole in the new cover, but I would rather have a door that hides it when closed, and when opened can slide away.

Like a pivot pocket door in a kitchen or entertainment unit. But smaller.
Can anyone point me at hardware small enough for this? Or a design to DIY that is either relatively easy to fabricate or can be 3D printed?

[mr48chev]

Why not just use the glove box door hinge setup that came with it? That and a couple of just strong enough magnets to act as a latch.

This is just for show and tell as you may already have a donor.

[nvrdone]

On my '49 I filled the stock radio hole. Then I mounted the radio unit behind the grill. The grill has a piano hinge at the bottom and 2 magnets at the top to hold it closed. I know its not exactly what are looking for but its an alternative idea.

[leegreen]

I have a floor shifter, it does not come that close to the dash but I don't like the look of having the door stick out towards the shifter when open. I have considered it.

If I can't figure out a nifty sliding hinge, I may just have a door held on with 4 magnets, take it off and stick it to my center console when I'm using the radio.

[leegreen]

my other option is to leave this new piece uncut and build small overhead console for a single DIN. I'm thinking about putting my wide band and a small tach up there anyway.

[mick53]

I would like to see how this works out. I was thinking of using the ashtray face plate to activate a latch and have it hide away under the dash. Maybe a small electric actuator? It's better for me if someone else figures it out. I want to put a small GPS screen and other racecar switches and gauges in a recessed plate behind it. I saw a really sweet one once on a show and I can't remember where I saw it.

[leegreen]

Originally Posted by mick53

I would like to see how this works out.

me too.
Here is the new cover for the dash I made installed:

Not sure if it will stay black or if I will try to do the two tone gray paint like factory. After looking at the empty holes in the dash I like this a lot.
I don't want to cut it up now!

The other problem is putting a double DIN is here is not really going to work, it would go from top to bottom, maybe even need the chrome strips 'adjusted' a bit. So this spot is ether single DIN or nothing.

I'm playing with shapes for a small overhead console.
Does anyone have a picture showing how factory headliner attaches at the front near the V of the windshield? It is a little doubtful that a Double DIN can fit if the headliner takes up much vertical space. But there is plenty room for a single DIN and a couple 2" gauges

[leegreen]

I'm inspired by the hinge design on this ash tray lid


I think I may be cutting up that black dash cover and making a single DIN opening with flush closing lid. Maybe use the old ash tray knob for it. And maybe make it wide enough so the wideband gauge can hide in there as well, it is not a gauge I'll look at too much while driving.

Further considerations for an overhead console: the way the factory headliner fits a console would either hang down too much or need to be recessed into a custom headliner

[leegreen]

I don't want to botch up the cover I made and then cut up a useable glove box door to make another so I am starting out with a test piece shaped to fit the dash.


One of my concerns is to be able to cut the door out of the piece neatly enough to be able to still use it, so I tested cutting the corners using a dremel and cut off wheel.


I chose the corner radius to match the rounded corner of glove box, but the radius limits how high the door can sit when open. duh. Good thing I started with a test piece, will need to use a smaller radius.


This is close, but I might need it a bit wider to give room for the hinges. Radio is in front of panel here, finished product it will sit behind the panel

TBC

[leegreen]

made a larger opening with smaller radiuses, cut a new door.
Cobbled up a hinge design using cereal box CAD and welded it together.
The blue line is the factory speaker grill opening

it actual opens and closes and the radio fits


Got brave and cut up the face plate. Little trimming of the upper edge of the hole and stuck the cut off piece on with tape


Have some more tidying of edges to do.
My plan is to cut a section of the hinged 'test piece' and spot weld it to the back of the face plate . Will take a bit more fiddling to get the door flush, but this is working out so far.

[dsraven]

hey, nice job man, I like your english wheel roller idea, using what you have kicking around. now thats hotrodding.
keep posting pics, it's gonna turn out awesome.

[leegreen]

thanks. The go kart slick is a handy way to put a curve in a piece like this or for a rocker panel, trans hump etc. I have an English wheel as well and did the inner tube rubber band thing for a while, but found it too easy to nick the rubber and break it. I had a 48" pinch roller for a few years and never used it, sold it to get the shop space back.

[leegreen]

more progress




I'll probably wish I had not put so many spot welds on it by the time it is painted.

What were factory paint colors for these? Chrome glove boxes always seem to have remnants of a grey paint on the face, was the speaker grill always black?

[dsraven]

Spot welder eh? Show off.
Looks good.
Dunno about the color from factory. Always seem to be painted over.

[leegreen]

I actually planned to drill holes and plug weld from the back, at last minute I realized the spot welder tip would fit down into the grooves.

Spot welder was cheap find on CL. It can't do anything plug welding can't do.

[dsraven]

Quick and less warpage, right? Plus easy to secure the parts without the worry of things moving while you're welding.

[leegreen]

yes spot welder is quick and minimal heat, definitely a nice to have. It works well for things like this cover, or sticking brackets onto something. it does leave a combination of a bump/crater in the surface.

The reach of the tongs is limiting, I'd be wary of buying the common import models like PA / HF sell that have short tongs. The welder in the picture is a Miller and those are the standard length tongs. I paid less for it than the sale price of an imported 120-volt model, the deals are out there.

I like tools in any case.

[MD2020]

Nice modify