MAJOR dash Mod - What the #@%& did I get myself into..

[Kenny]

Well after about a year of tossing the idea around in my head I took the plunge and went dremel happy on my dash. I'm about 95% complete and the finishing details are probably going to drag on and on (i.e. finishing the inner sides, the hood/dash interface... I'll also probably redo the "hood" with a more sleek design...)

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/NEW_DASH_1.jpg

The face is half flat black and half gloss black and temporary as I am not yet sure what colour to go (or even carbon fibre??) - please feel free to voice comments on a good colour (grey like the dash?). My original design always had a brushed aluminum face, but as shown below it doesn't look good with the rest of the car.. (the plate is an aluminum DIBOND sheet - very tough to finish without precise tools)

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/stainless_face.jpg

The final face plate will be painted stainless or aluminum, I'm leaning to gloss black - any other suggestions?

The hood was fun :rolleyes: , I wanted to keep the center vents as my dogs get quite hot in the back and need the blasting A/C. I also changed the vents to Ford's Mustang vents since they can be completely closed and directed, and they look cool! Although a bit big (I think Mazda has similar but a bit smaller round vents, hmmmm... ;) )

My first run at the hood was a plywood form for strength and security (drilled down like $#!&) with a heat molded Sintra cover.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Sintra_hood.jpg

It took a few hours of holding it in the oven to heat it up and pull it out to bend the malleable sections - repeat 10-20 times... The end result was ok, but the Sintra over about 25% of the surface was too irregular and not a finished look I was after - back to the drawing board... (I still have this first gen hood for anyone who wants it - I'll bring it to Moab)

My second attempt was to cover the plywood with closed cell foam (Ensolite sound deadener) and stretch over it some black vinyl PVC "leather" to match the dash texture. This work out a lot better but still a tad bulky, it'll do for now.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/leather_hood.jpg

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/hood_2.jpg

To make room for the new head unit location, I moved the Temperature control unit to the lower CD changer slot. This was so easy with the wires generally reaching, but I did have to extend four wires that connect to the little sensor thingy (It's behind the slots in the lower left, there's a mini fan in there and a sensor probe - I recommend blowing or vacuuming this out, mine was packed full of lint!)

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/temp_control_below.jpg

Now the tricky part, the head unit into the temperature control spot..
WARNING: the head unit just barely fit for depth!
The back of the head unit bumps into the vent box that runs from the dash to the driver's floor area. So you can see how far out the head unit face is when compared to the original temp control face. - I guess you could cut out some of the vent (1-1.5" deep x 5 inches wide) and hope enough space is left for air flow - I never went there... yet :p .

I'm not going into detail on the mounting for security, but lets just say it's a lot of plywood and steel with tamperproof screws. There is some major steel brackets back there to tie into ! :) :)

The cool part is I didn't have to cut much in the back so I can go back to the original dash if I really wanted to. Other than the notch in the top part of the black dash.


Over the last year I tinkered with a few preliminary designs, you can see the evolution...

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/prototype_designs.jpg

I was originally going for a dual DIN last year, since I wanted Navigation. At the time I found Garmin to have much better Navigation systems than the audio manufacturers. That may be changing, but I'm sunk into the Garmin now and want to get the most use out of it I can.

My next step will likely be to remove the ashtray and 12V and put in a cup holder /change tray DIN... :smack: :smack: :smack:

Before that happens tho' I'll have to fix up the inner edges where I chopped off the vents. I'm thinking of bondo & mesh to fill in the voids and then paint black. Anyone have any other suggestions?

I also have to tie the hood into the dash a bit better aesthetically at the front. As I said the last 5% will take 95% of the total time for this MOD.

Well, now that I've proven myself crazy - who wants to follow me in Moab? :eek:

[Ldub]

Kenny,Kenny,Kenny...

So I see this long cooooold winter has taken it's toll on you mentally :( ...you poor man.

:p Seriously, looks cool Dood, kudos for creativity & big brass ones!

I'm voting for carbon fiber, I think I just saw a link somewhere around here for some pretty good lookin' stuff on eBay.

[CoastieCosta567]

if i can help you out here, i would like to add or recomand to make the leather top part that u custom made more round on the edges to set it together with the rest of the VX dash. cuz u want it to look like it came made for it, not as an add on. It looks AMAZING, dont get me wrong, I'm just saying make it more round on the edge kinda like the edges of left and right side of the dash where the doors meet, that round but in a smaller scale. and to make it go all together, and trust me, this will set it up in a really good touch and finish, paint the whole gray dash and even the metal that u cutom put and paint it all 1 color so you wont set it off as 2 separet dashes but 1, if you do this (its just what i think) i truly think it would make the dash look like 1 piece. well keep us posted. And again it looks amazing already, and it's just my openion. :)

[Kenny]

if i can help you out here, i would like to add or recomand to make the leather top part that u custom made more round on the edges to set it together with the rest of the VX dash. cuz u want it to look like it came made for it, not as an add on. It looks AMAZING, dont get me wrong, I'm just saying make it more round on the edge kinda like the edges of left and right side of the dash where the doors meet, that round but in a smaller scale. and to make it go all together, and trust me, this will set it up in a really good touch and finish, paint the whole gray dash and even the metal that u cutom put and paint it all 1 color so you wont set it off as 2 separet dashes but 1, if you do this (its just what i think) i truly think it would make the dash look like 1 piece. well keep us posted. And again it looks amazing already, and it's just my openion. :)

You know, my first idea was to make the hood like the speedo cover in a half moon shape. But I found it tough to tie into the right side as the dash curves fast into the air bag. I would also end up with a funny dead space on each side, then below this a portion of the dash nose would be sticking out. I am still trying to toss ideas around to arc it more like you said tho'. It'll be fun, it'll also probably be easier if I learn to work with fibregalss.. :)

As for painting the entire dash with insert a similar colour, great idea! I considered it a while ago but you reminded me again of those thoughts. I've wanted to see what a gloss black dash looks like... :cool: I picked up some scrap vinyl adhesive sheets from a sign company to try the gloss look on the face plate. Maybe I'll try to cover the dash with it too as a temporary measure to see if I like the look. It's a lot easier to put on and take off to test a look!

Thanks.

[djkymar]

WOW that looks really cool. I open tread and i couldnt belive what i saw first thing was its fake but then i reilize its real holly...
VERY GOOD JOB!!!

[biju]

omg. you cut the dash up. i'm stunned. you crazy mofo! :eek:

what size monitor is that? 8"-9"? oh, and for the face color - i'd keep it grey like the rest of the dash. just my $.02

can't wait to see this in person!! only a few weeks until that opportunity. good luck on the completion, kenny. chat soon...

-biju.

[Triathlete]

Cover that bad boy with red tuck and roll crushed velvet and your set!














































J/K
You got some big brass ones. No way I'd be cutting up my dash (hard to find a replacement if you "slip up")! I think the "hump" would look better if it was rounded and had 1 1/2 inches knocked off its hieght (so it hugs the top of the monitor more). Keep up the work...can't wait to see the finished product.

[Kenny]

Cover that bad boy with red tuck and roll crushed velvet and your set!

J/K
You got some big brass ones. No way I'd be cutting up my dash (hard to find a replacement if you "slip up")! I think the "hump" would look better if it was rounded and had 1 1/2 inches knocked off its hieght (so it hugs the top of the monitor more). Keep up the work...can't wait to see the finished product.

I completely agree, on the crushed velvet, :p . I would not have attempted this if I didn't have a spare dash console - I picked one up last year from a member parting out his VX. The only permanent cut is a 2" notch out of the dash nose, but with a bit of magic, it can be fixed. :smack:

I'm not kidding on the velvet either, I am considering trying out some black suede or something on this side of tacky to see if I could cut down the dash glare on the windshield. Matt black paint might work too...
I'm not yet going to go to carpet... eh, Larry? :p

[Ldub]

Hey Dood, one word...bed liner. :p

[Kenny]

Hey Dood, one word...bed liner. :p

uh, that's two.

You cut both hands off and can't count any higher than one now?? :p

[Ldub]

Something like that...but I can still see my toes, so I can count to eleven. :p

[biju]

omg. you cut the dash up. i'm stunned. you crazy mofo!
i shall quote myself ^ - but only to reassure you you're not the only one who's been slicin' and dicin' their ride! (yes, i'm one of those crazy mofo's also. i hang my head in shame now...)

sometimes, the project just calls for surgery - ya know?

-biju.

[WormGod]

It's threads like this that give me really bad ideas for the 30" LCD sitting in my closet and the spare XBox360 still in the box, heh. A screen like that could redefine "monitor in the headrest".

But, no sir, no can do. I still maintain one hell of a stock interior, stereo system aside. Even took out the 7" LCD and XBox (unless I go camping, heh). Thinking of redoing the entire sound system this year anyways. All of it. Integrated LCD screen perhaps. We shall see.

Keep up the crazy, inspiring ideas. *thumbs up*

[uncle_asa]

I completely agree, on the crushed velvet, :p . I would not have attempted this if I didn't have a spare dash console - I picked one up last year from a member parting out his VX. The only permanent cut is a 2" notch out of the dash nose, but with a bit of magic, it can be fixed. :smack:
Hint: VX dash console is exactly the same to Rodeo 96-97 and they were available for Rodeo in different color :)