Monday, June 6, 2016
Made a tentative agreement today to buy a '56 Chevy car dashboard from a Craigslist seller. I had pretty much given up on this idea but this popped up cheap - $150.
There was a bit of a "thing" when seller said it wouldn't include the glove box door
just the "bare" dash. I told him those words were'nt in his ad but even if they were I consider the "bare dash" to include all the dash sheet metal, meaning of course the glove box door. He's chopping up the car with a Sawzall to get the dash out so I'll have to drill out the spot welds and remove the bits of car body that come on it. This is preferable to me than him drilling out the spots welds because I'm afraid he'd present me with a twisted up dash!
JJ (ChuckDriver) please chime in. I'm assuming I don't have to either lengthen or shorten the dash but I haven't measured yet. SO I'm guessing just trim the metal where it meets the truck cab metal and puddle weld where the spots are now drilled out. - Now that I think of it I'm wondering about struts or reinforcement of some kind BEHIND the dash?
Shopping eBay I see a new repop instrument cluster surround and speaker surround go for the low $300 range and the 3 pc. '55 aluminum dash trim are another $100. The speedo cluster itself I am unclear on. Looks like maybe $100 for stock (hopefully rebuild able?) to as much as over $800!!! For custom aftermarket non-stock unit - Yikes. The cost of installation whether bodyman does it or I do it MAY prevent me from doing it at all!
Any/all advice opinions appreciated.