Fabricating my custom dash, pics. 8/24 update post 24

[rdn2blazer]

I finally started to work on the dash portion of my cage build. The first pic is of the cage tube with no dash tube in yet. Im using 1 1/4 X .120 was DOM for the dash structure. In the next few pics with the upper dash tube in place, it looks as thougth its too high but its not. I can see the windshield wipers when I sit in the seat. The dash will slope down to the windshield a bit but not as bad as it looks.


The next pic is with the lower dash tube in place. Everything will be tacked in place till I get the Vintage Air or Hot Rod Air Cond. Unit. Actually my bud is going to give me dimentions for one and Im going to fab up a card board unit for mock up. Also my Art Carr shifter will come of of either tube from the dash to the seat bridge OR I will extend my Tuffy center console and have the shifter on top of the extension for the console.

Everything is still in the mockup planning fase. If Im not happy with it I can take it out and start over. The cardboard cant roll around the tube like the Aluminum will, so it looks like it just sticks up past the tube. Again the Aluminum will be rolled so it wraps around the tube by about 3/4 of an inch.

Im going to run 5 in Autometer tach and speedo, and 2 5/8 Autometer gages for the rest of the gages.

Any sugestions on my layout, inproovements, comments, constructive criticism is welcome. I didn't plan the layout much, just started drawing circles and writing in gauge names.

The two center AC vents are not Symectrical to the Tach/speedo because If there is people in the rear seat I want to be able to have a couple of vents blowing between the seats for them.


FIRST UPDATE IS POST #15

 

[rdn2blazer]

Pics of the dash layout.

 

[rdn2blazer]

more pics. I have room for a few more gauges if necessary. My switches will be in the center console.

 

[BGKYK5]

Wow even you penmanship is better than mine (thank Heaven for keyboards )

Looks great - Subscribed!!

 

[h0wl0ngcanitbe]

cant wait too see the finished product nice work so far!

 

[tRustyK5]

Why so high? Seems it's gonna rob you of visibilty, and the angle i think is gonna diminish guage readability from the seated position. I like the layout and the idea though.

Rene

 

[rdn2blazer]

Why so high? Seems it's gonna rob you of visibilty,


the angle i think is gonna diminish guage readability from the seated position. I like the layout and the idea though.

Rene

If your talking the top tube the Aluminum will slightly arc around. Its really not that high. When Im sitting in the driver seat I can see the windshield wipers. I dont really need to see any closer to the bottom of the windshield then that.

Do you mean Angle of the panel the gauges mount into? Its basically a Vertical surface. I was going to use the cups that angle the gauges towards you.

I was trying to keep it as simple as possible. I could get all trick with a cool hexogoneal shape or something but thats too much planning, layout, and time just for a funtional dash IMHO. Its still in just the mock up stage, so still undecided.

 

[muddybuddy]

i like it, but you might wana angle the gauges up a little bit for better viewing

 

[Chaddy]

Or shorten it so its not so tall and angle it back under the top tube slightly with a couple tabs.

 

[badmix]

Tag for outcome. Looks good so far.

 

[blazindorito]

Looks really good Rob. Can't wait to see the finished product.

 

[tRustyK5]

Or shorten it so its not so tall and angle it back under the top tube slightly with a couple tabs.

X2...

The guage faces should be perpendicular to your line of sight if that makes sense.

The height could just be aesthetics for me...

Rene

 

[4X4HIGH]

One suggestion for you, make sure you place the gauges in an order of importance.

What i mean is, make sure the most important gauges are easily visible and in order of importance IE: Oil pressure, Water temp, Trans temp, Volts, Vacuum and so on. The further the gauges get from your line of sight obviously the harder they will be to see.

 

[rdn2blazer]

Im going to use the Bezels that angle the gauges towards me. Like what you see in a boat usually. Im happy with it. Its not too high at all. My neighbor who is 5' 8" sat in it and said its fine for him. Im 5' 10" and Im longer in the torso. I can still see the bottom window trim.

 

[rdn2blazer]

I picked up some Aluminum for my dash build. Its 5052 Al. 24" X 96" X 14ga (.078) I was quoted $86.40 for a rem of that size but when I got there the next day to pick it up it was sold. I buy from this guy often so he cut a piece from a brand new sheet. Very cool of him. I bought 3" Painters Blue masking tape and covered the whole sheet in it so it wont get beat up while fabing it.

Tonight I got it layed out and cut out using my Skill saw with a Carbide blade, Hack saw and my band saw. You can see the card board is in three pieces but the Al. dash will be in two pieces. The glove box side will be stand alone and the AC controls and the rest of the gauge cluster will be one piece. That way I wont have to remove the entire dash to access the gauge cluster. The "wings" on the sides will be bent around and meet up with the lover dash half and will get pop riveted to it.

 

[rdn2blazer]

I have plenty of Al left over to fab up a box for my Art Carr shifter too.

 

[4X4HIGH]

Correct me if i'm wrong but i thought 5052 was brittle and don't bend easy without breaking? 6061 is what is commonly used to make dash's and stuff with that needs to be bent.

 

[rdn2blazer]

Correct me if i'm wrong but i thought 5052 was brittle and don't bend easy without breaking? 6061 is what is commonly used to make dash's and stuff with that needs to be bent.

From personal experience in the machine shop, I've had 6061 crack while bending it. I have never worked with 5052 but everyone I talked to said its what I should use. My bends wont be real tight, will have a radius to them, We shall see.....

 

[4X4HIGH]

Well, this should be interesting. I'm curious to see if this works for you.

When i was building my race car i was told 6061 is what you used for the "tin work" which i used with no troubles. I had bought some 5052 before i had learned my lesson and the first time i tried to bend it it just cracked in half on me. Hopefully you have better luck than i did.

EDIT: I just did a quick search and found this.

5052 is one of the higher strength non-heat-treatable alloys. It has a high fatigue strength and is a good choice for structures subjected to excessive vibration. The alloy has excellent corrosion resistance, particularly in marine atmospheres. The formability of the grade is excellent and in the annealed condition it offers higher strengths than 1100 or 3003 grades.​

I must have had a bad batch of 5052. ​

 

[rdn2blazer]

Well, this should be interesting. I'm curious to see if this works for you.

When i was building my race car i was told 6061 is what you used for the "tin work" which i used with no troubles. I had bought some 5052 before i had learned my lesson and the first time i tried to bend it it just cracked in half on me. Hopefully you have better luck than i did.

EDIT: I just did a quick search and found this.

5052 is one of the higher strength non-heat-treatable alloys. It has a high fatigue strength and is a good choice for structures subjected to excessive vibration. The alloy has excellent corrosion resistance, particularly in marine atmospheres. The formability of the grade is excellent and in the annealed condition it offers higher strengths than 1100 or 3003 grades.​

I must have had a bad batch of 5052. ​

IF it does crack I can just have it Tig welded, its weldable. I may have to take a torch to it and anneal it with a sooty orange flame. I will try some of the corner pieces to see if it bends or cracks. If it does I will torch it then try to bend it.