What do you guys make your dashboards out of?

All I'd like to mount is a radio and a gauge cluster.

Sheetmetal? Aluminum?

How do you get the nice round contour or consistent bend in it?

I'd love to see some pics of a DIY dashboard. I'm making one for my '79.

 

Aluminum, but forget about bending it. Just make a sheet dash, and mount your gauges in it.

 

come on! you gotta make it a little fancy with at least one bend

 

My Dream dash back when I was working on my Rabbit.

 

We built mine out of Stainless steel. ( it was cheap LOL) worked well but it was a pain to cut the holes for the gauges.

Shawn

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by solbrothers &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">doesn't jegs make a universal fit one?? </TD></TR></TABLE>

I searched the website and didn't find anything.

If you can get me a link I'd really appreciate it!!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Jonathan_ED3 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I searched the website and didn't find anything.

If you can get me a link I'd really appreciate it!!!</TD></TR></TABLE>
Um, there's no way there's a "universal" dashboard.

\/\/ Thats a piece of brake-bent Al sheet, hardly what I'd call a dashboard. You'll probably have an easier time just making a cardboard template, and cutting your own.

I doubt that dash is wide/deep/tall enough to fit all needs.


Modified by sharkytm at 11:38 AM 5/7/2007

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sharkytm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Um, there's no way there's a "universal" dashboard. </TD></TR></TABLE>
???



http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs...42_-1

 

Why not build a glass one, The same way that stereo guys build there custom boxes. All they do it build a light frame out of cheep wood or MDF and stretch and staple down fleace and coat it in polyester resin then lay down a little chop mat for some strength

 

I wouldn't build a fiberglass dash like that since it will be very weak and heavy but it would be easy to build one using glass. You could make it any shape you wanted.

 

since when is 4 -5 layers of fiberglass heavy?

Thats what I would do for sure

 

I never said 4-5 layers of glass was heavy. I am replying to the post about building a wood frame, then staple down fleece and soak it with lots of resin. Then add 4-5 layers of chop strand matte. Then some body filler to smooth it all out. To me that is way heavier than what is easily possible.

I'm assuming since it's going in a car he would want it as light as reasonably possible but I guess he never mentioned that in his original post. I would build it light simply because it has to support more weight over the width of the car.

First of all you can build a cheap foam pattern and just shape it however you want it. Then brush or spray on some resin and let cure, sand smooth, wax and PVA and you have an easy mold. Now wax, PVA the mold and lay up glass fabric not chopped strand for weight reasons and pull out your finished dash. That just how I would do it but you can use the other method if you want.

 

Thanks guys.

You've given me some good ideas. I'll see what I can come up with tomorrow.

 

i would lay like 3 layers of fiber glass CLOTH(not matte) over a stock dashboard you like the look of. just put mold release agent on the dash first and tape all the holes and whatnot to make the dash more simple.