I've been trying to replicate the original letters, stripes, blockout bowtie, and radio grille screen on my '54 3104 dash for years. After a lot of trials and errors,
I finally succeeded.The design of the dash was changed in 1954. CHEVROLET letters with a new design were painted into the indented top edge of the dash. Vertical cutouts for the radio speaker were cut into the dash. The speaker grille was no longer a separate removable piece. The design was extended on each side of the speaker opening as vertical indentions. The indentions were painted black to mimic the cutouts. A black cardboard grille was attached to the back of the speaker opening at the factory. The dealer removed and discarded the cardboard when a radio was installed. The radio block out plate had a raised outline around a bowtie. The bowtie inside the raised outline was painted black.
The gauge clusters were also changed for '54-'55 first, but reproduction gauge parts are available.
The design was used for only 15 months until the '55 second series was introduced. Because of the short run, reproduction parts suppliers haven't created those painted dash details. '54-'55 owners with steady hands can paint the letters and stripes. Guys like me with shaky hands left them blank or screwed them up royally. I haven't seen any trucks with the correct paper radio grille screen.
Here's what I did ...
=> LETTERS: I created and PhotoShopped the CHEVROLET letters. A local vinyl sign shop cut them for me.
=> STRIPES: 3-M Scotchcal Striping Tape #73302, Black, 3/8" X 150 feet, for the stripes on each side of the speaker opening
=> RADIO GRILLE SCREEN: Black art paper. Jet Black Canford Card Canford Imperial #402800004
=> BLOCKOUT BOWTIE: Hand cut black vinyl sign material.
> 1954 dash in "1954 Truck Engineering Features" p 22> 1954 dash in "1954 Truck Engineering Features" p 23> Tim Lederman's '54 dash with details painted by a steady hand> My '54 dash with no letters, stripes, or screen> My '54 dash with letters, stripes, and screen> My '54 dash with letters, stripes, grille screen, and bowtie> Close-up of letters> Close-up of bowtieA VCCA Forum member, "CGchevy", loaned me the radio grille screen from his '50 Chevy passenger car to use in finding a modern paper substitute. His faded original screen is black paper that almost looks like thin smooth tar paper. After I made and installed mine, I found another type of art paper (Jet Black Canford Card Canford Imperial #402800004) that looks more like the original.
The grille screen is held to the '54 truck dash by three tabs behind the grille opening. The tabs have holes in the center of them. I bent them open, then held the grille screen to the dash by inserting 3d nails through the holes in the tabs. I was afraid that the tabs would stress harden and break off it I bent them to hold the screen. I placed a thin, firm, yet flexible plastic sheet behind the paper to hold it flush to the grille.
> '50 Chev passenger car grille screen> '50 Chev Grille Screen thickness> Art paper similar to the original screen> Radio Grill Screen in the Factory Assembly Manual> Pic of tabs by Stovebolter "healingbear"> 3d nails holding the plastic sheet and paper screen> Paper Grille Screen is tight against the grille openingThanks to everyone who helped me research and find the solutions to creating the dash details.
