Start of the Custom Dash
(September 1997)
Ok, I've got the power windows, the paint is a Cadillac color, I guess there should be a wood dash. I just have to make this into an "upscale" car.
Of course I still need all of the gauges. And that includes a big tach.
This is getting ahead of the story, but here is the assembly.
The gauges are Autometer Phantom series and all are electrical units. The turn and high beam indicators are flush fitting leads.
I took a mold off of the original plastic assembly. What is crazy, now that I think about it is that I really don't know if the assembly was originally from a 64 or 65. When I bought the car, the dash wasn't in it and the guy just handed me one that he had in the garage.
The mold was done using Plaster of Paris. In order to do this, the original part has to be very heavily waxed in order for it to be removed.
The plaster mold has to be painted several times in order to seal the plaster. If the plaster isn't sealed, the fiberglass will bond to it regardless how much you wax it.
Then the mold has to be waxed and a mold release put on it.
At that point, you can start building the fiberglass piece.
Fiberglass comes in both a woven cloth and also in what is called a "matt", which is chopped section of glass. When you buy fiberglass, it comes in different "weights". What this is referring to is the amount of glass in a square foot area. Woven cloth is stronger, matt is easier to form into strange shapes.
When doing fiberglass, the liquid that is added is the "resin" and it is hardened using a catalyst. When you buy the resin, it will say on the can how much catalyst should be added. If you have never used this stuff before, play with something that isn't important in order to get a feel for it!
When I mix the resin, I use paper cups that I buy at a restaurant supply. You need the "coffee" cups that are not wax coated. The wax will mix with the resin and turn it into trash. You also can't use foam cups as the resin will melt the foam!
Another point to be made about fiberglass is that even though the resin sets real quick, it "cures" over a long time and if a part isn't supported, it will warp!!
Once the part was made as an copy of the original, I had to cut off the back surface in order to recess it about an inch. This was due to wanting to have the wood face plate and have the bezel of the large gauges sit flush with the wood surface. Prior to cutting off the back, I had to make a temporary fiberglass flange around the full perimeter in order to prevent the shape from warping.
I used cardboard covered with tin foil to create the required shape for the extension.
Once the extension was done, I made a flat piece of fiberglass that would be the back section. It was then fiberglassed in place.
I could then remove the temporary support flange.
At that point, I cut the holes for the gauges. I also had to use bondo to remove any imperfections in the surface.
Here are two scans of the gauges placed into the dash assembly.
Now to figure out the wiring and get the wood done.
I have to admit that I had my father do the wood work. I shipped the whole assembly back to New Hampshire (from California) and he made the wood sections.
Wes.
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Wes
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