The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors Hole cut out of dash....What do you suggest?

I did not do this .

\'Jack\'s hole in dash

That being said, it's what I have & as I understand it, a '54s dash is part of its cab and can't be unbolted & changed out.

What would you do to cover the hole?

Any/all ideas will be appreciated...

BTW, I do have the ashtray.

Sabrina

Find another dash to use to patch that one.

Get some stainless steel or chrome plated pieces fabricated to put over all the bars (both cut and uncut) individually. If done right it could appear to be a custom interior trim. Polished alluminum might also work. If you could incorporate the same material in a couple of other areas, it may add balance to the rest of the interior and hopefully prevent any first impressions of a patch job.
Another thought would be to re-connect the bars and wrap the center section on all of them with leather that would match a leather steering wheel cover.
Last but not least, you could cut the bars out of a parts truck, braze them in position, and fill any voids with bondo or other appropriate filler and paint to match.

1st Recommendation is do what GMC said.
2nd, devise some kind of panel for a Tach and some gauges or radio or whatever.

Hello MikeE, It basically depends on what Sabrina wants to achieve. Whether she wants to restore to original, or express a little creativity. I figured that she was seeking ideas to not only mask or repair a hack job, but to also solicit different possible options for something a little more unique.
I think that is safe to assume that the damage to the dash was done to accommodate some type of accessory in the first place. (Like a tach, gage or radio).
Beings the damage is already done, maybe this would be a good time to customize the dash to fit her individual needs. She could install a built in cup holder or a place to keep an extra clip for her assault rifle.
Just kidding, but the options are unlimited.

You could get a chevy emblem like what's on the 70's truck grill and then put that over the hole. It would cover it and still look kind of neat. Another one might be find an old automotive looking clock face and put a modern battery quartz movement in there. Mount that over the hole.

Good ideas, all of them. I know what I should do which would be make it as original but, as I don't know how to weld, it could get costly or done wrong & look worse

I like the creative ideas best & was wondering if a bow tie or something was an option...

These are great ideas, any more out there?

Thanks.

Sabrina

What was in the hole? To save the paint, I would mount something over it too,
Scott

Find a little picture frame and your favorite photo and mount it in the hole.

Hey Sab, for a 'round trip plane ticket and a weeks room and board, I'll come down there and fix it properly for you. It's getting to be like winter up here, again,
Scott

I like the idea of setting something over the hole, like a larger emblem from another Chevy truck. As I recall, the 'bolt crew decided that Jack is a '54 with an earlier grill, so there isn't much point in worrying about welding in parts from another '54.

i think that the idea of putting a bowtie over the hole is a cool idea. it would also be easy to get some chrome/aluminum strips to put over all of the grill slats, if done right it would not look bad. that would be easy. you could also find a gauge/clock/gauge cluster/switchpod that you like and cut more to make it fit. if it were me i would find a donor truck and cut its teeth out and have someone fab them onto the old grill. but that is more work than some of the other suggestions. good luck, say hello to the ocean for me, and the warm weather while you are at it.

Wow! That's a tough one.
The only thought I might add other than what's already been stated... how about a clock> You'd still have to fill in your 4 screw holes and probably make a smaller plater for the clock to pass through but, It might be made to look pretty good.
Here's one I was looking at the other day:
http://www.tpigauges.com/Quartz%20Clocks.htm

What about cutting out all of the remaining strips and installing a small television.

If the truck ever breaks down you could at least watch a movie or something while waiting on the wrecker ( unless your battery is the problem ).

Kind of kidding, but you might be able to cut them all out and incorporate something in the new large hole to make it appear as if it were done intentionally.

If it were mine I would seriously consider creating something out of wood that could be stained and sealed to house at least a radio. But then, I am a carpenter...

Davey

For some unknown reason all the bars were cut out of a '55 first I used to drive. It looked like dooky on a white chicken but it sure was handy for helping the wipers by hand.

What a shame. I have the same situation with my truck ... I installed a 55 Chevy radio/cassette player in it's place as an easy way out for now.

Here is my web page, showing what I started with and what I ended up with.

I don't like listening to music when I'm driving ... I like listening to my truck!

Good deal Alan!

I was wondering how to shape wood to fit the curve of the dash panel.

Very good explanation and diagram.

I just think she can stick a radio and something else in that big hole. Just can't think what else to add.

Hey, they're just ideas.

She's probably got it fixed by now anyway.

Davey

C'mon! "...way down here you need a reason to move..."

Thanks, 48bigtrucks for your offer. You and yours are always welcome. Yes, GMC Panel 's is the best solution. Kimberly -the person that gave me the ashtray has said I can have that part of the dash from his '54 parts truck.

J Lucas - I like the idea. MikeE and Fort Knox - I like the tach & guage cluster ideas. iowa trucks 59 - my mom would vote for yours, a little too sweet though arnswine... and 3100 Special the clock sounds workable & arns- I really like the idea of the 70's emblem & I'm going to look into it. Davey - You and Alan Horvath have probably hit the nail on the head with what I will end up doing, not the television though but a radio or CD player.

cletis I'll keep yours in mind for in the mean time, might come in handy

Thanks to all of you & I'll post a picture when it gets done.

Sabrina

Kuul deal Sabrina.

I'm sure it'll look really nice. Keep us posted, and great looking truck BTW!

Davey

Yer welcome. Whaddabout a GPS?

Sab, if you were in Wyoming it could be JACKson's Hole: http://www.jacksonhole.com/

LOL

-Randy
*

I'm looking forward to seeing the picture!

Hey Sabrina, there's probably plenty of room in the hole to put a radio and a CB radio, if a CB might be a good choice for you.

Davey

I just got finished fixing my dash in the '50 3100. I do have to confess that I wasn't the first one to start hacking on it, but I did add to the carnage in my teens when I first got the truck in 1977. I had to laugh at the various holes and cuts as a trip down the history of car stereo. Let's see those holes looks like a cheap Craig, then to a '70's Pioneer and that's definately a early eighties Blaupunk . . . I was cutting, welding and hammering for a bit. (I do believe that about half the work I am doing in this resto is fixing the stupid stuff I did years ago.) I have seen a truck where a guy hand carved a wooden sculpture to cover a hole and another one where a guy fabbed a sheet metal drawer for change.
Good luck,
Steve O

Nifty 50- Thanks for the wish of good luck. It'll still be awhile before I make a move.

I hesitate to go the CD player route because I'll be hacking at it more but for the time being it seems to be the only feasible thing for me.

Did you restore yours back to original? Do you have a picture anywhere?

Thanks for your input

Sabrina

Sabrina- I am in the middle of a total restoration. Frame, suspension, axles, engine all done. Body work, just about done. I went back to a delete plate in the dash. I do not see the need to have a CD player at this point because before a recent trip to Mexico we jumped into the digital world and got an ipod. I am looking foward to a totally hidden stereo with just a plug for the ipod and a remote. I do have pictures, but not to saavy on posting. I do believe you can fix that dash with some cutting, welding, grinding, more welding, more grinding, more welding, some bumping, some more bumping, some bondo and some sanding, ... or at least thats how I end up doing it.
Steve

Steve- Thanks for 'splainin...I should have done a full frame on this truck. That's what Alberto wanted but since he's not here right now, except on weekends, I pushed to just let me get it running to be able to drive it . So, here I am...

I've never welded & Alberto hasn't done much either...I should send 48bigtrucks a plane ticket and I know he'd make it right as rain in no time...

About posting links to photographs...I set up a free account over at Webshots (seems like a lot of people here have one over there). It almost went smoothly. Red58 helped me get it straight. He and others help out with questions like mine over in the IT Short Bus section, here at the 'bolt.

I sure appreciate your info. Wish you had stopped by our neck of the woods when you were in Mexico... it would have been nice to try that cut, weld grind, weld, grind, weld bump, bump, bondo & sand technique

Sabrina

it sure looks like the bowtie reciever hitch cover would fit right in there.
then theres the propeller hitch cover.
or my fave. the raider nation light up black hole reciever hitch cover. :p

I haven't seen this way mentioned but it may be because it isn't "seamless". Cut short lengths of the same strips out of another truck. Screw them onto the backside of the pieces you have. Keep the screw heads to the inside of the dash and make the screws just the right length so they don't stick thru too much. -Scott

demo man-

Please tell me more about your favorite, the 'raider nation light up black hole receiver hitchcover'. Sounds unique :rolleyes:

scdascda- Scott, Yours sounds like something that would be possible for me to do... is there a way to smooth it out & make it look seamless? Thanks for posting

Sab

id mount a speaker and grill you will need tunes will driving or make a paded dash

Maybe if you had enough "doner" material from another truck, you could put one piece behind for support, and one piece in the position of the missing original. So, from the rear of the piece it would be stepped, but from the front it would be flush. - Scott

[QUOTE]Originally posted by MexicoSab:
[QB] demo man-

Please tell me more about your favorite, the 'raider nation light up black hole receiver hitchcover'. Sounds unique :rolleyes:


wow i would have to do some digging to try to find one like it again. but im sure ill run across one.

I think you could cut the pieces you need out of a donor dash, even the whole area, and then weld it into your truck's dash using a gas sheilded mig welder. Welding like that is not hard, (no offense intended to anyone). You could pick up a cheap gas/flux welder at harbor freight or on ebay for such a small job, or maybe you know someone that has one they'll lend you.

I think you should cover it with a tarp and send it to me! I have seen people who wanted cheap & pretty, cover non-structural holes with one of those air brushed license plate tags. You could also make a "picture frame" and put a different picture in your truck every week. You have a good looking truck.

Hang curtains over it?

Find a big old radio face and put a modern radio in behind it?

How about a Navigation screen?

Sounds like you guys have it covered. (no pun intended) :p My friend had a 55 with a hole big enough for a jukebox to fit in. And if that wasnt bad enough it had angels hair on the top of the dash. I hate it when they do that. Thats why I went with a custom autosound stereo that fits the original hole. Good luck Sab.