Ok, loaded some pictures. All major panels are done, fitted, gaps are all done, and car is in it final coats of primer/surfacer. All ready for final wet sanding and paint. A few updated pictures of car in final primer with all panels and gaps done.
While car is sitting waiting for me to come up with the money for paint I have been doing what I can to the smaller stuff, such as dash, sound deadening, hood pins, engine compartment etc.
First I worked on finishing the gauge panel part of the dash.
I made a small box on the backside of dash to hide a couple switch's and a power point for cell phone, navigation, what ever. Helps keep the clean smooth look on face of dash that I am going for.
Next I made the glove box panel and end cap. Here are all the pieces mounted in car.
Still going for the clean, smooth look I didn't want the glove box release button showing. Figure if I could hide it the dash would look much cleaner.
Wasn't too hard, I made a lever/fulcrum bracket to mount on the back of the glove box cover panel. The top part of the lever rests on the original button and the bottom part of lever will have a opening in the bottom to access it, when lever is pulled it will release button and open glove box door.
Parts I gathered to make fulcrum.
Picture of lever/fulcrum
Mounted to new glove box cover.
To keep everything tight and keep it from rattling, the pivot rod goes into rubber grommets and both ends of the lever have rubber caps. This actually snugged up everything to the point I didn't need to use any springs and nothing rattles
Picture of dash from the bottom, where you can see the openings for the switches and glove box release.
One of the things that I love about doing cars. Is one thing always leads to another. With the new dash done I didn't like how the bottom of old dash was. The ignition switch was too high, didn't like how the heater controls stuck out, and really didn't see a need to keep original cig lighter hole, wiper switch and headlight switch hole. Esp since I had a place for hidden switches and cig lighter/power point.
So I eliminated the holes for the H/L switch, wiper switch and cig lighter. Moved the hole for the ignition switch lower, and recessed/frenched? in the heater controls. Which helps with the smooth look.
Picture of bottom of dash roughed in.
Picture of dash with bodywork done, in primer, ready for paint.
Couple pictures of dash painted.
Went back and forth between gloss paint and satin paint for the top of the dash. Worried the gloss would throw reflections from light thru windshield. But liked gloss. Went with gloss because if I do have to change it because of reflecting, it will be easier to change to satin, and I like gloss lol.
Pictures of gauge panel painted with gauges and indicator lights sitting in place.
Glove box panel painted.
Pieces are all wrapped and in boxes for now. Still have sound deadening, wiring, and some other things to do before I can assemble dash.
Lou