Using glove box door for gauge cluster

[shifty]

I saw a thread on this before, but I've been searching for 2 hours for the thread with no luck.


Simple question: Got info on using a glovebox door for gauges?

As many of you know, our trucks were designed to be easily converted from LHD to RHD for sales overseas where the steering wheel may need to switch sides.

With that in mind, it just so happens that the glove box door fits over the gauge cluster really well.

I have a couple of spares laying around and I'm tinkering with gauge setups like the one pictured below. I want to know:

* Anyone done or seen this done in person?
* Anyone have tips on how to pull this off?

I'm not sure how the person who made the one below attached the gauge cluster to the dash. I thought they might have welded threaded studs to the back side of the cluster, but that would be a pain in the ass to fasten the top two screws.

Just looking for ideas. 10,000+ brains are better than one.

[BHRS]

Maybe velcro??? Or auto upholstery door panel clips???

[Orange]

I know there are a couple of folks on here who have done it. Maybe they will chime in. I am interested too.

DLB

[68GMCCustom]

newer style dash panels, doors, etc. are designed to "press in" and to release you simply apply pressure with a flat tool under a lip and pull. maybe they rigged something like that?

[67_C-30]

You could weld 2 or 3 dogleg tabs on the top and put little slots in the dash panel to the slip up into, and then put the studs on the bottom that you could put nuts on. Probably what I would do.

[Musclerodz]

I started too, but quit when Ryan came up with his billet panels. I cut the fold that held the inner and outer pieces together, and would have probably attached it from the back side somehow. May still do in the future on another project.

Mike

[DavesRide]

Originally Posted by 67_C-30

You could weld 2 or 3 dogleg tabs on the top and put little slots in the dash panel to the slip up into, and then put the studs on the bottom that you could put nuts on. Probably what I would do.

Very good idea. I just pulled my stock cluster out and thought I might have to drop column. I did find the right combination and got it out. I like that solid panel cluster and will use your method if I do it.

[oldsmobilekindofguy]

you could use duct tape

That is a really good idea and i didn't know they made them for that reason to be switched to RHD,cool

[57sailplane]

i am going to weld bolts to the back side of the globebox door. then drill hole in the dash for the bolts to slide through.

[lowrollin70gmc]

I just made my new dash with an old gauge cluster. I drilled two holes in the inner panel and will attach with hidden bolts to supports in the dash. I could get pictures, but I'm a few hundred miles away right now.

[70C10Toejam]

Originally Posted by shifty

10,000+ brains are better than one.

not always...too many brains spoil the headcheese

[DavesRide]

For now I have a holesaw to drill into "idiot" panel and add Oil Pressure and Temp gauges just for piece of mind. The lights are not my favorite way to find out if something is wrong. I will place them into the four locations that the custom rally locations were located leaving the other spots blank. DD

[mothertrucker424]

this is very interesting but how would yor colum fit a cut in the door?

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by mothertrucker424

this is very interesting but how would yor colum fit a cut in the door?

Yes, but you could use your old plastic bezel flipped upside down as a transfer template.

[gringoloco]

I saw the Blazer you have pictured there at Goodguys last weekend. It looked to me like he used the stock bezel and fiberglassed it. Looks good in pics, not so much in person...

I've also contemplated this. My thought was to use a piece of billet to mount the gauges through to get them flush mounted. Just cutting a hole and poking them through wouldn't be nearly as cool looking IMO.

As for the mounting, just use studs on the backside and a nut behind the dash through the stock holes.

Oversimplified, but you get the idea.

How's your truck coming along?

[earl87gta]

I was looking at doing this once and I was just going to use studs on the side as far up as I thought I could easly reach and not worry about the top I would think it would hold it fine. you can titen the meatal door down alot titer then the plastic bezel since you dont have to worry about cracking it.

[mothertrucker424]

why not hinge the bottom since it is a glove box and do studs at top you would have to drop colum when you wanted to open it but it would be easy to access wiring

[Orange]

Originally Posted by mothertrucker424

why not hinge the bottom since it is a glove box and do studs at top you would have to drop colum when you wanted to open it but it would be easy to access wiring

Hmmm...just copy the latch mechanism and all over from the glove box.
Only problem - what about the button?

DLB

[herb101]

Originally Posted by Orange

Hmmm...just copy the latch mechanism and all over from the glove box.
Only problem - what about the button?

DLB

You'd also have to drop the steering column to get behind the dash.

My willys is set up the same way, but the gauges are in the center of the dash. The glove box dor and the access cover over the column are the same part, minus the button hole. I don't think it's factory, but the access cover is secured with 4 studs brazed to the back of the cover that pass through holes in the dash and are secured with star washers and nuts. You could do something similar, but use 1/8" steel rod for the top two instead of studs. Bend the rods into an L shape (probably less than 90 degress or with a kick out near the end so ease alignment). The just hook the rods into the top holes, swing the bottom into place and secure with two studs at the bottom corners. Due to the 'swing' part, you would probably have to drop the column for this too.

Herb

[shifty]

I want to do a tighter layout, I guess. Something like the '07 Tahoe cluster below, same number of gauges and same general position as well.

I also want to flush mount or get close to it. Not sure how to make that work. Dunno how to cut perfect ~5" holes the large gauges, if they're not cut straight, they won't look nice. I've never seen a hole saw that large.

Originally Posted by Orange

I know there are a couple of folks on here who have done it. Maybe they will chime in. I am interested too.

I remember a thread on the topic, just couldn't find it. I seem to remember someone saying that there was some hacking involved to get the glovebox door to fit flush in that spot. I remember one of the posters that did use a door actually posted pictures of where he cut the cupholders out of it, but I don't remember any more of that.

Originally Posted by gringoloco

How's your truck coming along?

Everything has been on hold for weeks now, I get married in two weeks, so money has been nonexistent, and time has been nonexistent as well (wedding is 3hrs away, lots of family, lots of money invested). I had only a few hours to work on it in the past couple of months, and that time was spent gutting the firewall area and wiring, working on the gauge cluster (I abandoned the idea of using a stock cluster a while ago), and then I made a huge mistake... Like a total dumbass, I did two massively bad things when cutting out the hole for the master cylinder. It was late at night and I was jonesin' to work on the truck, but mentally beat. First, I used a greenlee knockout punch to punch the hole for the master cylinder...and managed to warp and bend up the firewall and pedal support strucure. After straightening out most of the metal and cleaning it up, insult was added to injury when I realized that I used one punch size too large, and the MC won't even bolt up in the hole

So, that was kinda the straw that broke the camel's back. That put the entire project on hold. I am tied up from the last week of october until the end of november, so I really don't see myself working on it till then.

My fiance is getting pissed off. She wants to drive in it already. I'm stopping out to a board member's ("uncle") house this weekend to pick up a replacement pedal support for the firewall. I'll be fabbing up the master cylinder on it, and when I'm satisfied it's done, I'll pull the front DS fender/inner fender, drill out the spot welds on the old one , replace the damaged sheet metal, weld this pre-fabbed one in its place, then button it all back up again. I should have gotten a scrap to work on in the first place, but you know - hindsight is 20/20. This is my first big screwup that's costing me. In the long run, it'll be worth it, but ... you know. Undesireable delay.

[Fastfun]

I am just about to start my glove box door to gage cluster conversion. I am planning on welding studs on the back of the glove box to mount it to the dash (there is plenty of room back there to reach up and tighten the nuts). I have already decided to use Classic Instrument Gages and I will be using hole saws to cut the gage opening. STAY TUNED FOR MORE PICS.

[shifty]

man, where did you find that big ass hole saw?

[Fastfun]

Originally Posted by shifty

man, where did you find that big ass hole saw?

I work for a company that sells metal cutting tools.
They make them up to 6"s. The hole saw that I am using for the tach and
speedo is 4-1/2" , 2" for the small gauges and 2-3/4 for the steering column.

[earl87gta]

I like the lay out your using were are you going to put the head light and wiper switches?

[dukes69]

would like to see more pictures of the finished product if anyone has any.