1940 dash replace

[CSHADES]

I have been driving this truck since 1998. I did the dash in the style that I thought I really wanted back then which was a digital cluster in the original dash. I thought it was ok after I built it but I really like old style gauges with needles. I also really like chrome and funky looking dashes. So I had a customer bring me a 1946 olds to hot rod. I opened the door on it and thought that dash is very cool I wonder if I can make it fit in the truck? So I have been looking for a dash from a 1946-48 olds to graft into the truck. I found one on ebay a while back for too much money but it didn't sell so after the auction I emailed the seller and offered him a bit less and he accepted. So I have been working on fitting it to the truck. I used one of my parts cowls to set it up and weld on it. Last weekend I actually tried it in the 40 to see if it was going to clear everything. I did have to drop the steering column down about a 1/4 inch and drop the radio down and move it forward.
I have more to go but this gives you an idea on what I have in mind.

[dennislbrooks]

Nice... You have some time in that dash.

[mongocanfly]

Man..I like that dash..I also like wierd looking factory stuff..

[joedoh]

thats a kooky (good thing) dash! I like the pontiacs of that era too, especially the 51 pontiac with the giant center clock.


you should start a thread in the projects section! I love your truck and I would read the updates for sure.

[CSHADES]

Originally Posted by joedoh

thats a kooky (good thing) dash! I like the pontiacs of that era too, especially the 51 pontiac with the giant center clock.


you should start a thread in the projects section! I love your truck and I would read the updates for sure.

This really isn't a project truck its more of an update of an old project. I also would like to get more people reading this forum so my thought is if they check into the forum and see a lot of different threads and subjects to read and enjoy they will get involved. I like the project thread but when you open the forum up all it shows is the newest post on whatever project is there at the time. Your project is interesting but unless it is the newest one posted you don't know unless you open that project and build part. I like to glance at the thread on and off during the day just to see what is new.

[CSHADES]

This weekend I decided I should build the glovebox for the 40s new dash. I have a couple of half sheets of white painted aluminum left over from a trailer project. I figured I could make it, paint the out side black and use headliner material on the inside. So I bent up what I thought was a perfect box on the 3rd try. I was using the mockup cowl to test fit everything it looked good until I realized when looking at the truck I didn't have the defrost vent figured in the build. So of course it doesn't fit. While I had the dash in the truck again I thought I had better check the headlight switch for fitment also. That was a good thing to do also. The switch fit the dash great but its to bad I cant roll the window down with it in the position that I planned because the knob doesn't clear the window crank handle. Luckily there is an unused hole in the dash that had a chrome plug in it that the switch fits and clears everything else. So let this be a lesson to you guys always test fit everything before paint.

[CSHADES]

After last weekends failure at building a glove box I thought I would try it again. Only took 2 tries this time to get a box that will work and clear everything. Next I will paint the outside of the box then put material on the inside. So after that I finished welding and grinding on the dash. I sprayed the epoxy primer on it last night about 6pm and now I can start with a skim coat and some sanding. hopefully I will be ready for some paint soon.

[CSHADES]

Worked on the new dash this weekend after being sick for the last 2 weeks and unable to get out in the shop. I skim coated the dash and sanded and primed it. I hope after the next round of sanding I will be ready for paint. I also took some headliner material I bought and covered the inside of the glove box that I made in the last few posts. I sprayed some undercoat on the outside. The box actually looks better than it looks in the pics.

[CSHADES]

So I have been working on the dash. painted the dash on the weekend (will post pics soon). I thought while I was waiting for the clear on the dash to dry I would work on the glove box door/clock assembly. I really wanted the clock to work so I don't have to look at my phone going down the road to see what time it is. Plus I hate having things that do not function. So I disassembled the original clock/door took the guts out of the clock and got a newer clock from my brother that I disassembled to put the newer parts in the old clock housing. As a side note to this when I took the 2 clocks apart they were both manufactured at a factory in Delavan WI, my grandmother worked at that factory for about 30 years I believe. So I know she was there when one of these clocks were made if not both. I don't know when she started at the factory and sadly I cant ask her. I hade forgotten that was where she had retired from until my brother reminded me. So this is the first part of the clock upgrade

[CSHADES]

After fitting the clock with its modern parts, I blasted the housing and hinges. The black parts are powder coated and the silver is painted on the inside of the housing so hopefully it lights up nice. I polished the plastic clock face/door with my headlight polishing kit on both sides, it came out really good for being 70 year old plastic. I polished the original chrome and it came out nice. The stem for the clock set was too long so I cut it and welded it back together it was interesting to do being it was a very small diameter. I then reassembled the clock. I had tested the replacement clock for 24 hours previously to make sure it keeps time before going through all of this.

[CSHADES]

I got the dash painted a week ago when I did the chin and baffle. This last weekend I wet sanded and buffed the dash. I polished the chrome, installed the switches, wired all of the switches so it is ready to hooked up when I put the dash in the truck. I installed the glove box door/clock assembly and then rewired the original lamp sockets and wired the clock. So now I am down to building the dash cluster. This is going to be a bit more difficult then I had planned. I have my brother working on a new plastic lens for the cluster and I am working on the panel behind the plastic and mounting the gauges. the pic is the original cluster, I have a different bezel that is undamaged that I have polished out and I will reuse the back mounting plate with some modifications. I think the rest of the dash came out awesome and I am looking forward to driving time soon.

[joedoh]

beeeee yooo tiful!

[mongocanfly]

Agreed..that sho is purdy..

[CSHADES]

Thanks guys. The cool thing is that the paint and clear were the same batch as I used when I painted the truck in 1998. Everything flowed good and I have some cans out of my paint locker.

[CSHADES]

I installed the dash this weekend, still working on the cluster part. I spend a good part of Saturday afternoon installing the dash, wiring everything that need to be wired as part of the install, installing the windshield and wiper arms. the 2 biggest problems I ran into was getting the glovebox bolted in after the dash went in and then getting my self wedged into the small space under the dash to finish the wiring hookup for the switches on the dash. I also included a couple of shots of the dash I took out so you can see the difference. I think the new dash is outstanding compared to the plainness of the original dash.
Next up is building the cluster and installing. I also have to shorten the ashtray so it clears the crossbar behind the new dash.

[joedoh]

you are right, the new dash is so much nicer!

[CSHADES]

Just an update on the ongoing project of the dash. I temporarily installed the gauges into the cluster, I wanted to see how everything was going to fit and also to set the speedo switches. I also wanted to test the cruise control after changing the speed sensor to a different pulse per mile sender. I am happy to say the speedo works great and matches the gps speed. The cruise on the other hand is trying to be difficult. I have a lot of surging and dropping out of speed. I adjusted the gain on the cruise unit which didn't seem to help. I have another idea that I am going to try today and hopefully cure its issue. I drove it to the shop yesterday morning to hopefully get it in to check the front end alignment. On the way in I had the heat on(37 degrees outside) and something was really stinking up the inside of the truck. As a lot of you that have been following my updating of this truck know, I added defrost and a different dash with new switches. I thought the stink was coming from the new switch burning off the manufacturing oil/contaminates, but no after checking it out at work I figured out the heater motor was drawing so much power that the motor was so hot I couldn't touch it. Luckily I have a few more heaters at home so I disassembled another one and swapped motors in mine. I am really glad it didn't catch on fire as hot as it was. I will be working on the dash cluster after this weekend, I am going to the first swap meet of the year(around here) this weekend to pick up some things I need for the cluster and finally get it done.

[joedoh]

yeah that motor stink. I worked at a manufacturer that made stuff with electric motors, and I am well versed in motor stink.

maybe a 6v motor in a 12v application? half the current but sometimes the motor cant take the extra speed.

[CSHADES]

It is the original 6 volt motor that I have been running on 12 volts with resisters to slow it down. I have been running it that way for a couple of years now. I don't know why after replacing the dash and adding the defrost motor above it, it decided to do this. The used one I put in it works perfect for now, I guess I will have to keep my eyes open for some more heaters at the swap meet. If I could find the a 12 volt version I would put it in. Everything I have seen listed is too big, I need 2 1/2 inch diameter at most and everything I see in 12 volt is at least 3 inches

[CSHADES]

After spending a fair amount of time fooling around with the cruise I decided to ask for help. I don't know if any of you guys have ever dealt with Dakota digital for gauges or cruise controls but if you have a problem they are very helpful. So I emailed their tech line and explained what I had going with my cruise after changing the speed sensor. I was using the manual for the newer version of cruise. My cruise is 18 years old so the dipswitches are actually different purposed. He also told me that the cruise I have would not work with any speed sensor that has an output over 8000ppm. My new one is 16000ppm. Dakota Digital has speedo interface module that will change the output for this exact problem. After installing the module I was still having some major surging going on, after talking to Wes at Dakota a few more times it came down to me setting some switches incorrectly because I was using the manual for the new cruise instead of the older version that I have. The setting I had it on was actually for 2000ppm, so I think it was confused by the fact that it thought I was going 4X as fast as I was. So at 70mph it thought I was going 280mph which I don't think it was designed for. The module worked great and was small enough to hide down in the kick panel of my truck and cheaper than replacing the cruise.

[CSHADES]

I have been working on the workstation since September as you guys can see in my thread of special 1946 project. One of the projects that I have been wanting to get back to was the dash in the 40. I had cobbled the gauges into the cluster housing for the olds dash that I installed earlier in this thread. Last weekend I decided it was time to finish the cluster so when I get the truck out it is ready to install. I used some of the extra clock housing parts and face plate. My brother made the plexi lens for me which after a bit of final grinding and sanding on the edges everything went together. The scariest part was cutting the bezels and gauge lens off the $700 worth of gauges. Their warranty states that there is no warranty on modified gauges. That was a main reason for running the gauges last year before modifying them. I had 2200 miles on them last summer so I assume everything will continue to work fine now.

[CSHADES]

After getting the trunk back in the truck and a few other maintance items finished this week I decided to get the cluster installed so I could get back to project 39. I just had to install it in the opening and connect a few wires and grounds and I was done. I think it came out good for all of the messing around I had to do.

[joedoh]

man, that really came out nice!

[evilokc]

impressive and awesome.