The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors If the dash is already cut...

... this post is from Mac's dad, Keith:

If the dash was already cut by a PO to fit the POTs of an aftermarket radio, is it a sin to cut it a little more?

A little more context... At the present time, I have no intentions of spending the money and time to do a pristine restore... A daily driver/worker that is fun is what we are trying for... But, if someday we did want to restore this dash to original by welding in a patch, would it make any difference if the cutouts were enlarged, about the size of the white boxes in this picture...

I'm not a welder, (and wouldnt do the welding my self), and I havent seen what the patch panels look like...

My instincts tell me that cutting more is not worse than it already is, so why not take the cheap and easy way out now, to fit in the new radio & cover up the butcher job from the PO...

haven't seen new patches available from the vendors for that, so I think you'd have to find another dash to cut a patch from, in which case your instinct is about right, chopped up is chopped up, might as well make it look respectable

Bill

The smiting has already been done to the previous owner for his sins. I'm thinking you would have to cut that out to do the repair anyway, but I have not seen the patch panels either. Maybe you should get a look at the patches before cutting.

Having a non original i would say go for it. once it is not original what makes the difference? and a driver is the best way to go in my opinion.

cut it and make it work for what YOU need, if it would not allready have been done then I would say find another place for your radio, but the damage is done so have at it. my opinion

You can easily temporally repair that with glass and auto body filler, that’s what I did

pic 1 of radio dash repair

pic 2 radio dash repair

I purchased a complete spare dash from a swap meet for 20 bucks and will have it weld repaired "Next Overhaul"

The fiberglass repair will hold a radio delete plate but will not hold a radio.

What I found out while working on my truck is that it best to try to keep as much original good metal as possible.


Pretty cool to have a father and son project.
my little stovebolter helping on the 50

Keep up the good work Mac

Thanks for the reasurrance everybody...

Good, bad or ugly, (in this case I guess it's a little of all three ) it's done and there's no looking back.

Here's the pix... Mac handling the sawzall, and the rough-in fitting of the radio.

I think it will be manageable when we get around to a formal finish&paint job on the dash someday. And in the mean time, Mac is already loading some Johnny Cash, Willie Neslon, Zane Williams, and Stray Cats on his MP3 player to plug in... Sounding good is way more enjoyable than looking good!!!

Way to go, MacX and Dad,

Do what you like. Keep a casual eye out for a donor truck or some one parting out a truck - if the price is right, buy and store a "spare" dash.

By the way, that is a nice selection of music Mac has chosen.