Companies like ecklers corvette and corvette central offer carpet kits and upholstery kits to restore the stock interior back to original factory condition. You can also get fancy race seats with special brackets to wedge them into the tight space, but no one offers a dash. Factory dash replacements can exceed $1000 since everything has been meticulously stored in a warehouse since the 70's. And since new go fast parts were put into the engine, how can you use modern race style gauges without just screwing on a big ole tach to the dash? You make your own.
It's simple to start, just rip everything out.
Surprisingly with the dash removed there is lots more room than I thought. But more on that when we get to it. The easiest way to put an idea into reality is to make a template. I used some old boxes and duct tape.
Since there was so much room for gauges, I thought about getting creative. My inspiration came from the Ford GT40 dash. I saw one at a car show and photographed it, even though it is a Ford the dash is molded for the driver. All of the gauges have a purpose and give the driver a clear view of sight for each.
So here is my take on it.
At the time the layout made sense to me, but once the material was changed from flimsy cardboard to rigid MDF it was adjusted. However, being able to put an idea into reality for the first time made me overjoyed.
Like all structures, there needs to be a strong section to support all the weight. In this dash the center section will hold the weight of the top and side panels, along with all the gauges. It took lots of trimming and measuring to get the correct height of the dash and have a snug fit over the transmission tunnel.
Then you just fill in the gaps.
I really wanted to incorporate the stock dash since it fits really well, but after moving it around twenty or so times it broke in half. So an MDF one was made.
The steps to creating the dash are very straight forward. If you can paper machè then you can fiberglass. The MDF needs to be covered in felt fabric, then resin is applied, fiberglass is used to reinforce the edges, and then you sand it down. Just as easy as that, minus the fact that it smells and sticks to everything.
Remember a respirator is required when using resin, even outside.
Here are all the panels drying after being coated in resin and fiberglass.
The surfaces will be very rough and sharp, sanding will knock down the high spots and edges. However, to get a smooth finish you need to use a skim coat of bondo.
All of the panels were then wrapped in black leather. We actually went to Tandy Leather in San Bruno and bought a whole hide. There was a little bit left over, but it was the right amount for a dash.
Here is the finished product! It took a few weeks and lots of hard work but it all paid off. Just a few more tweaks and the car will be ready to hit the car shows this spring.
Stay tuned for more changes.
