Has anyone out there ever redone their dash and eliminated the dash pad? I have been looking at my dash, and deciding what I am going to do. I have a trashed pad on the stock dash, but I have a perfect pad on the spare dash that came with the car. When I completely disassembled the stock dash and removed the pad I got to thinking. What if I took round steel tubing and welded it across the top of the dash, and then filled in the openings with steel? It could be completely molded in and painted and have it look like a factory piece? I am used to dealing with older cars that didn't have a dash pad. They were all steel. I have always liked the clean painted look. See attached picture of the dash in my 47. I started with a Bitchen Products 3 piece kit. Then spent almost 100 hours cutting, welding, fitting and molding to get a complete one off dash. I am going to be installing aftermarket gauges in the stock location for the tach. and speedo. Then I am going to be frenching in the other four gauges into the dash near where the ash stray was. I am also installing the lower panel you can see in my 47 dash, I will then eliminate the headlight and wiper switch from their stck location and install them in this lower panel to the left of the steering column. Just as I have done on the 47. This of course will replace the tray ubder the dash. Any thoughts????
Here is a shot showing the lower panel housing under the dash that shows where I installed the wiper and headlight switches. I like it as it cleans up the look of the dash. Less cluttered for sure. This picture was taken last spring when I had the new interior stitched up for the car.
Go for it man! Dare to be different. That's what hot rodding is all about........ Some others are bound to chime in but doing a quick search will get you some ideas, some in progress interior shots as well as some pro's and con's of the install.
Dash pad is a safety item, so less serious injuries happen when someone's head hits the dashboard in a collision.
Oh Earl, where's your sense of adventure.... Please don't spoil us with any more pictures of your car, please.....
That is exactly why I don't wear a seatbelt, it's better to just launch through windshield brush yourself off and continue on with your day.
doesnt that taste a bit funny??? seriously though that sounds like an awesome setup. i think for a restomod you plan to keep a metal dash with no pad is the way to go. cant wait to see the progress pics on that!
(Yes.) U did great job on that 47. Lot's of attention put on that dash. Anxious to see some pic's of the Mav dash.
