Try as I may, I just can't get all warm and fuzzy about my steel bar/sheet metal dash and console concept.
I spent all day yesterday building the support structure for the lower half of the thing, and got the mount brackets fabbed to hold the thing in place (all other pics were just of the thing sitting in there)
We are now about 30 hours wasted between the steel bars, and the sheet metal covers. There is still at least that much in the gauge pod that will sit on the top,....and who know how many hours that I'll have to spend trying to get it all finished to a level that will even be close to calling it done.
This is why I've been dragging my ass,...It just wont talk to me.
Probably the highest obstacle to jump when trying to make this decision is my choice of gauges. ( And believe me when I tell you that changing these are not part of my plan)
This was planned as one long tubular pod. With the two outboard gauges, I'll have Boost, oil press, water temp, MPH, l T/S, r T/S, High beam, Tach Volts, fuel, and AFR all in one tidy display.
But lately (and especially after dragging my ass out of the garage after 8 hours straight yesterday), I'm starting to consider "what if's".
What if I just say screw it, and junk the whole idea, and source a SN dash/console instead? I know it's already been done before, and w/ the windshield out it'll never be easier to do.
But,........
It's a damn Mustang dash, and I got those gauges to have to work in. I made them work in the red car, and these are exactly the same.
That middle housing fit perfectly between the confines of a post 87 gauge pod, and because of the rectangular shape, it worked. Whether you like them or not, They fit.
I'm especially over seeing this space filled w/ the typical autometer assortment. That is why I'm intent on using what I got. A SN dash is even more cramped, and I got two additional gauges to consider.
If there was a supplier that provided the pre 87 dash as a new replacement, I'd probably look at that also as that space dedicated to the gauges is huge, and I know it fits the car, and again I KNOW that I can make that work. On the flip side of that,.............the interior will fall back to "so what" status, and I really wanted to do something different there. At this point I'm willing to cut bait, and consider the entire project.
So,......you have pics. Should I dump the tubular dash or opt for something that fits, or can be made to fit.
I spent all day yesterday building the support structure for the lower half of the thing, and got the mount brackets fabbed to hold the thing in place (all other pics were just of the thing sitting in there)
We are now about 30 hours wasted between the steel bars, and the sheet metal covers. There is still at least that much in the gauge pod that will sit on the top,....and who know how many hours that I'll have to spend trying to get it all finished to a level that will even be close to calling it done.
This is why I've been dragging my ass,...It just wont talk to me.
Probably the highest obstacle to jump when trying to make this decision is my choice of gauges. ( And believe me when I tell you that changing these are not part of my plan)
This was planned as one long tubular pod. With the two outboard gauges, I'll have Boost, oil press, water temp, MPH, l T/S, r T/S, High beam, Tach Volts, fuel, and AFR all in one tidy display.
But lately (and especially after dragging my ass out of the garage after 8 hours straight yesterday), I'm starting to consider "what if's".
What if I just say screw it, and junk the whole idea, and source a SN dash/console instead? I know it's already been done before, and w/ the windshield out it'll never be easier to do.
But,........
It's a damn Mustang dash, and I got those gauges to have to work in. I made them work in the red car, and these are exactly the same.
That middle housing fit perfectly between the confines of a post 87 gauge pod, and because of the rectangular shape, it worked. Whether you like them or not, They fit.
I'm especially over seeing this space filled w/ the typical autometer assortment. That is why I'm intent on using what I got. A SN dash is even more cramped, and I got two additional gauges to consider.
If there was a supplier that provided the pre 87 dash as a new replacement, I'd probably look at that also as that space dedicated to the gauges is huge, and I know it fits the car, and again I KNOW that I can make that work. On the flip side of that,.............the interior will fall back to "so what" status, and I really wanted to do something different there. At this point I'm willing to cut bait, and consider the entire project.
So,......you have pics. Should I dump the tubular dash or opt for something that fits, or can be made to fit.