Got the horn cover today. Thanks again
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87 K5 Build...Hmmm, whats that Ryoken up to? stay tuned...
- Thread starter ryoken
- Start date
eggsellent.... 
so it's 50/50 at this point whether I'm doing my dash all metal, or glass over foam... when I get the clips, I'll decide...
so it's 50/50 at this point whether I'm doing my dash all metal, or glass over foam... when I get the clips, I'll decide...
TheBeast_88K5
Banned
You perfectionists.... Always making things awesome. 
this is one I've kinda been dreading.. and one where a certain look in my brain that I wanted is gonna make life tougher...
it would have been VASTLY easier to just do one of Kert's dashes or a simple tube/panel type one.....
but I think what I'm doing, will be the right decision in the end...
it would have been VASTLY easier to just do one of Kert's dashes or a simple tube/panel type one.....
but I think what I'm doing, will be the right decision in the end...
So I've been reading this thing for like 5 days solid. All I can say is...
Holy bat chit crazy fab skills, man!!!
I got my 85 like a yr ago and have just got to the point of working on it and I've learned soooo much from this thread.
And to say this thing thread is epic is a total understatement. I feel like I've known u for years.
Really looking forward to reading tge mutt thread as well. Also u inspired me to try and learn glass work. But getting some things going on my truck is higher priority right now.
Good luck with the rest of the build. I'm dying to see tge back bumper/tire carrier.
Holy bat chit crazy fab skills, man!!!
I got my 85 like a yr ago and have just got to the point of working on it and I've learned soooo much from this thread.
And to say this thing thread is epic is a total understatement. I feel like I've known u for years.
Really looking forward to reading tge mutt thread as well. Also u inspired me to try and learn glass work. But getting some things going on my truck is higher priority right now.
Good luck with the rest of the build. I'm dying to see tge back bumper/tire carrier.
Hmmmm.....
I wonder how one of those would look painted Chevy orange with a longboard run across the top of the fins?
Kinda like my M/T valve cover treatment.
-G
I wonder how one of those would look painted Chevy orange with a longboard run across the top of the fins?
Kinda like my M/T valve cover treatment.
-G
thank ya Scott! good to be back putting hr's on it...
Hmmmm.....
I wonder how one of those would look painted Chevy orange with a longboard run across the top of the fins?
Kinda like my M/T valve cover treatment.
-G
$200 is well within "might as well" budgetary constraint's...
"might as well", fits perfect!
I like to call it the snowball effect.
I too am a sufferer from this affliction...sometimes I wish I could talk myself out of it, but usually my other personality says otherwise.
I like to call it the snowball effect.
I too am a sufferer from this affliction...sometimes I wish I could talk myself out of it, but usually my other personality says otherwise.
so.... the tentative path at this point, is to have the dash,
be metal, primed and painted the satin black as the rest of the interior, roof, panels, etc...... no material, no foam....
for those who haven't had one down this far, almost the entire dash has about 1/2" of foam, and the vinyl covering it.. obviously the edges taper down to vinyl on the metal..
the only area of any difference to that, is the overhanging lip over the gauges.. the vinyl actually stick out a solid inch or so there..
but anyway... the main purpose in this whole interior was to maintain the dash shape... I've come to like the sleekness, and tightness of the metal only lines... thus my decision to go metal.. we'll see how it works out! 
so tomorrow, I start the patching/metalworking after touching on some templating, etc tonight.....
and yes, I'm going to weld up the 50+ holes!
I may regret that decision...
I have a holesaw that cuts perfect plugs out of scrap hood sheetmetal.. got about 20 made.. it's more the welding/grinding I'm dreading... 
for the edge lit plexi section,
I'll be cutting all that out.. than I'll fab/weld a 1/2" angle frame to the backside.. that way the plexi could be "stacked" in there from behind, with a blackened one behind it, led's hidden, clamped in..
or even have different interchangeable sayings/backgrounds the more I master my engraving-fu!
be metal, primed and painted the satin black as the rest of the interior, roof, panels, etc...... no material, no foam....
for those who haven't had one down this far, almost the entire dash has about 1/2" of foam, and the vinyl covering it.. obviously the edges taper down to vinyl on the metal..
the only area of any difference to that, is the overhanging lip over the gauges.. the vinyl actually stick out a solid inch or so there..
but anyway... the main purpose in this whole interior was to maintain the dash shape... I've come to like the sleekness, and tightness of the metal only lines... thus my decision to go metal.. we'll see how it works out!
so tomorrow, I start the patching/metalworking after touching on some templating, etc tonight.....
and yes, I'm going to weld up the 50+ holes!
I may regret that decision...
I have a holesaw that cuts perfect plugs out of scrap hood sheetmetal.. got about 20 made.. it's more the welding/grinding I'm dreading...
for the edge lit plexi section,
I'll be cutting all that out.. than I'll fab/weld a 1/2" angle frame to the backside.. that way the plexi could be "stacked" in there from behind, with a blackened one behind it, led's hidden, clamped in..
or even have different interchangeable sayings/backgrounds the more I master my engraving-fu!
Welding up all those holes... you truly are a masochist
And we like that about you
And we like that about you
apparently I like to test my patience..
should be pretty slick when done.. the whole top will be smooth,
except the window for the vin.. and the only hole, will be where the center defog comes out..
tho I f*cked up and didn't make the heater tall enough.. I need to extend that fiberglass up like 3/4" so the grate is flush/above the dash metal..
I also think the bezel area should look a lot better too.. not as shrouded..
should be pretty slick when done.. the whole top will be smooth,
except the window for the vin.. and the only hole, will be where the center defog comes out..
tho I f*cked up and didn't make the heater tall enough.. I need to extend that fiberglass up like 3/4" so the grate is flush/above the dash metal..
I also think the bezel area should look a lot better too.. not as shrouded..
fabjunkie
1/2 ton status
With what you've shown so far, I've decided to do the same, but I've got a whole new design in mind. Take lots of pics. I'm keeping my eye on this one....
What did you find the easiest way to get all the foam off?
What did you find the easiest way to get all the foam off?
just a good stiff, like 1 1/2" wide scraper..
the holes are obviously for the manny process to give the foam something to adhere around in the vac process...
and here was my initial mental debate on this whole thing.. in the end, the faster, easier results would have probably been by going with glass over shaped foam... far easier playing with that stuff, than grinding metal..
but the idea of the all metal just kept growing in my head.. I consider it a "safer" approach bodywork-wise.. it's metal, like a hood.. glass and foam adhering to metal, hot sun.. just seems more of a potential issue...
and that would be using a quality marine closed cell foam.. it's the only way I'd do it... mix in a bucket.. take a big house painting brush and slather a wet drippy coat on a ground/blasted dash.. go in and longboard it to shape, lay up..
hopefully that wont be my, "I GIVE"...... "welding holes almost sent me on a killing spree" safety outlet...
the holes are obviously for the manny process to give the foam something to adhere around in the vac process...
and here was my initial mental debate on this whole thing.. in the end, the faster, easier results would have probably been by going with glass over shaped foam... far easier playing with that stuff, than grinding metal..
but the idea of the all metal just kept growing in my head.. I consider it a "safer" approach bodywork-wise.. it's metal, like a hood.. glass and foam adhering to metal, hot sun.. just seems more of a potential issue...
and that would be using a quality marine closed cell foam.. it's the only way I'd do it... mix in a bucket.. take a big house painting brush and slather a wet drippy coat on a ground/blasted dash.. go in and longboard it to shape, lay up..
hopefully that wont be my, "I GIVE"...... "welding holes almost sent me on a killing spree" safety outlet...
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
Why not just cut out a square section around all the holes and make a single square patch to fill it?
Slapperbar
Retired Navy NDT Examiner
That's what I was wondering. Should be less welding with one patch, not much maybe.
cuz at that point, I would be better off just cutting a straightline behind the curve along the whole length, and replacing the whole flat top section.. and I don't want to do that for various reasons...
You going to weld some kind of round metal blank behind those holes first?
not behind, in.. as I mentioned, 1" holesaw in my drill press with no center bit.. it whacks out perfect patch plugs for the holes..
No dash speakers?
Martin
Martin
nope...
I should clarify and update that previous statement.. trust me, I've been looking for excuses to do whole panels, and not just plug the holes...
when I first looked at this, the ds looked more like the side I would be able to do a single patch panel, eliminating 20 or so holes in one shot... and that may still happen...
but now it's looking like this morn after some initial patching, I may have figured out a way to do it with 30 or so from the ps side too... this only leaves about 10 oddball of the qrter size holes to fill, and I've done 2 of them already..
I was able to figure out how to retain the sheetmetal clip retension area as a substructure to keep everything lined up properly... that was the reason for maintaining so much of the original sheetmetal.. tho it only takes about 10 minutes to weld and grind out each plug, 60 would have been a nuiscance, 10 is manageable..
back down to template/cut 2 much larger patch panels...
I should clarify and update that previous statement.. trust me, I've been looking for excuses to do whole panels, and not just plug the holes...
when I first looked at this, the ds looked more like the side I would be able to do a single patch panel, eliminating 20 or so holes in one shot... and that may still happen...
but now it's looking like this morn after some initial patching, I may have figured out a way to do it with 30 or so from the ps side too... this only leaves about 10 oddball of the qrter size holes to fill, and I've done 2 of them already..
I was able to figure out how to retain the sheetmetal clip retension area as a substructure to keep everything lined up properly... that was the reason for maintaining so much of the original sheetmetal.. tho it only takes about 10 minutes to weld and grind out each plug, 60 would have been a nuiscance, 10 is manageable..
back down to template/cut 2 much larger patch panels...
