The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors 54 3100 Dash Needs Replacement?

Looking for help!
Someone cut a big hole to install a radio
in louvered speaker section of dash. Whats the best way to make original?

You'll need to visit a bone yard and find another '54 and cut out the dash. Then weld in the piece you need to repair your dash. It'll take some fabrication and welding skills. That's how I repaired my '54 20+yrs ago.

Wbrowne:

Thanks for sharing your cut and patch fix. Haven't bought this truck yet...trying to get plan in place to restore.

Trouble I have with cut & patch method is overall condition of dash is poor. Hoping someone can tell me procedure to replace with bone yard find.

thanks, jay

As far as know, there are no '54/'55 1st dashes being reproduced.
That means boneyard, ebay, etc are your only choices to find one. The '54 dashes are notorious for rust out along the lower edge. The windhields leak and the water runs along the lower edge which is shaped like a shelf for the water to collect and rot away the sheet metal. All the Advanced Design truck dashes ('48-'55 1st) are welded to the cab. Removal of a complete dash is a challenge. If you have any sheet metal fabrication skills you'll be able to duplicate a lot of the dash, but the radio grille area will be a challenge even for the experienced. Good luck, don't give up hope!
If the dash is in as poor shape as you describe, chances are the rest of the truck is in poor shape too, especially if it's from New Jersey or the New England rust belt.

http://www.dynacornbodies.com/body-shells/chevy-truck.php

Instant fix.
I'm sure they have a dash.

That would be real nice. Do you have a catalog, or, have you called them about a 1954 dash?

I phoned their contact phone number today and the very helpful (and careful) person said he would get answers to a few questions:

1. 47-50 cab?
2. 51-53 cab?
3. 54/55-1st cab?
4. Availability of the 54 dash by itself?

For anyone interested, the doors come with the cab.

This forum is the BEST!

Big help on dash fix...getting in touch with dynacornbodies...

So far, I have received the following information about the dynacornbodies cabs/parts:

1. 1947-50 cab, TR47 (most likely has the earlier door but no confirmation about the driver's side air vent).

2. 1951-1954 (they said 1954), TR52 (most likely has doors set-up for vent windows)

I asked for clarification regarding 1954 have a one-piece windshield and a different dash from earlier years. I also asked if they sold the 1954 dash as a part.

I'll post the information when I get it.

LMC definitely sells the '47-'53 dash so I'm thinking these are definitely available. I'm interested to see if they have a true '54-'55 Series 1 cab.