Danny Boy is BAACK! w/ '55 Big Window

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks for the words of encouragement, JJ. Means a lot since you did a great job adapting the Impala dash into yours.

Yes, that particular photo along with one other I've seen with walnut wood in place of the factory aluminum trim got me all hot and bothered about doing this mod to mine. to me, it makes so much more sense to have the glove box located in the center of the dash nearer the driver, plus I like the dual humps and the bling of the factory trim. It's what I remember most from my Dad's '55 growing up.

Assuming I do this - still a bit worried about cost vs. time for the labor if I do it myself - I will take a lot of pic's and post them for future searchers both here nd in a separate post with better title.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Here's the other picture of a Task Force truck with a '55-'56 car dash installed. Both these look so great - to me.

[Kim57]

IMHO the 55/56/57 car dashes are killer in these trucks. If you have the time I would put it in.
I like the 59 Impala dashes also.
If you don't use it I may be just mental enough to buy if you're going to sell it.
Just one more mod to keep me from getting mine on the road.
Kim

[Valarius_Starchaser]

(Begin shameless plug) Well Dan if you go for the Tri5 dash I have a cluster laying around that I could send your way if you couldn't find anything cheaper/better/closer (end shameless plug)

YIKES that all sounds very expensive!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Valarius_Starchaser

....YIKES that all sounds very expensive!

Yup, it does. If the price tag gets too high the dash will end up hanging on my shop wall for awhile - dammit!

I don't know much about the "guts" of a '55 car dash even though my Dad gave me his bought-new black '55 two door hardtop Belair as my first car at age 16 and I was so STOOPID that I didn't want it. I wanted and got a '66 Chevy van and he ended up giving the car away more or less ($450!) in '74.

I've got to see if the dash length is close to the truck's dash. What is behind it for reinforcement and is the centerline of the instrument cluster aproximately equal to where the truck instrument cluster is?

I found THIS photo online but I can't tell if the length difference is because of the photo angle or is real - and if so, is it significant? The centerline of steering shaft does look different though.

[Kim57]

Check Bams build thread.
He put a 55 car dash in his truck and may have it detailed in it.
Kim

[ptc]

I think most car dashes are longer becasue the task force trucks have the running boards (under the doors) inboard of the body. So it makes the interior narrower....

No big deal though... just find an area of the dash that you can remove whatever length it needs to be shortened, make a clean cut and weld it back together.... Its never going to just 'fit right into place'... youre going to have to customize it.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by ptc

.... Its never going to just 'fit right into place'... youre going to have to customize it.

You just HAD to burst my bubble, huh?

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Kim57

Check Bams build thread.
He put a 55 car dash in his truck and may have it detailed in it.
Kim

Yes, I remember he did it already. Knowing his level of skill I'm intimidated, lol!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Wow, what kind of car dash is that? It'll be in metal or are you thinking of finishing it like thi in cloth or leather? Make sure to post up the work as it develops. Best of luck! Can't wait to see it.

[ptc]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Wow, what kind of car dash is that? It'll be in metal or are you thinking of finishing it like thi in cloth or leather? Make sure to post up the work as it develops. Best of luck! Can't wait to see it.

Thats actually in a Camaro, I am planning mine around adding the hump like that (from a C2 Corvette) and blending it into the stock metal dash. Probably painting it two-tone to give an upholstered 'look' and keeping it very simple with gauges using that Dakota digital display. I will have some sort of skirt on the bottom but not that long. No glove box, and no center console (yet...)

Good luck on yours - the Tri-5 look is excellent!

[II_Slow]

Or there's always this interior.





Seeing some of the high-end work on these old trucks sure gives me an inferiority complex. I'm just a hack!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by II_Slow

Or there's always this interior.

Seeing some of the high-end work on these old trucks sure gives me an inferiority complex. I'm just a hack!

Man, that is SO cool looking! Hadn't seen it before now.

I hope you're NOT saying guys that leave their truck interiors stock are "hacks"! I love the stock interiors in these trucks. I'm just on the cusp of trying something different because I've admired it in other's trucks.

I've got to text the seller of the dash I'm trying to get and make sure he got it cut out of the '56 he's taking it from. We'll see how this goes. I'll post pics if I pick it up tomorrow.

[II_Slow]

No - just saying my fab work compared to some people's makes ME a hack. There are some true craftsmen out there! I can do functional and reliable - but making something look, well not so much. Guess I'm just left-brained, and often envious of those right-brained people that have the vision and artistic skills so make something look so good.

[ptc]

Originally Posted by II_Slow

Or there's always this interior.

Seeing some of the high-end work on these old trucks sure gives me an inferiority complex. I'm just a hack!

Not at all!!! its inspirational.... --- that truck is where my idea came from, she's a beaut!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Contacted the '56 car dash seller to arrange pick up today as agreed earlier in the week and he said he'd been sick, had forgotten all about the dash and wouldn't have it cut out of the car til "next week" and ended with "I'll call you". We'll see if this is factual or he's flaking on the sale, time will tell. I only pursued this dash because it was reasonably priced with no shipping unlike the few I've seen on eBay.

[II_Slow]

The 59-60 Chevy car dash looks amazing in these, too.

[Russell Ashley]

When you mentioned wood trim on the dash instead of the original bright work I didn't think it would look good, but boy was I wrong. That dash with the wood is over the top. Of course, the red one is beautiful too.

[Kim57]

Hope the guy's not jerking you around.
Good luck.
Kim

[ptc]

Originally Posted by Kim57

Hope the guy's not jerking you around.
Good luck.
Kim

Craigslist is a plethra of good and bad. Sometimes I find the best buyers and sellers on there and I have found the worst of both too. People buying set up times and dates to meet and never show. Sellers tell you come on by and pick it up and its gone when you get there! WTF??????

NO LOYALTY whatsoever! ---- I use paypal now for any sales. I tell them if you want it send me the money and come pick it up anytime you like.

If sellers dont have a paypal account then I dont even buy from them anymore, doesnt matter how special the part is they are as good as crack dealers....

If the ad says "VINTAGE or CLASSIC or NOS" I dont usually even look anymore because they are overpriced parts by crooks that think they have a gold mine in junk parts...

rant over.... lol

[Valarius_Starchaser]

Originally Posted by ptc

If the ad says "VINTAGE or CLASSIC or NOS" I dont usually even look anymore because they are overpriced parts by crooks that think they have a gold mine in junk parts...

rant over.... lol

I do the same with RATROD and PATINA buzzwords are a big buzzkill for me when buying

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Kim57

Hope the guy's not jerking you around.
Good luck.
Kim

Me too. I'm going to wait tip Wednesday or Thursday and send him a text.

[ptc]

Hey Danny.... heres some more 'dash inspiration' .....

From HELOCREWCHIEF build

[Dan in Pasadena]

What's that dash from? I don't recognize it. Is it even from Chevy? Seems OLDER than a mid 50's vehicle.

[ptc]

Oldsmobile.... not sure what year, but mid 50 ish....