Might photoshop this together later but wondered what you guys thought of Running this little vacuum gauge in the dash rail? gauge is smaller than it looks in the photos it’s about the same as the 4 small ones on the dash. also considered it up in the header above the windshield but thought it would be harder to look in the window and see it while tuning
Quick mock up rendering. Also wondering if I could hide my switches up under the left side of the dash rail. The car is kinda on that fine of things are clean but not so much that you don’t feel the mechanical ness of it. Ive seen some choppers where you can’t see a single wire, line, fitting or switch. It makes you wonder how it even works. it’s cool but I want to see that this is a functioning car. Just clean
Yeah I really like them for tuning as well as driving. Just not 100% sure where this one should live. Just dicking around the garage when the kids are asleep. - first time ever saying the kids right there haha- I’m going to pickup the pedal bracing Tuesday and maybe drill the 4 small gauge holes around then As well. I’ll need to drill 6 holes in the pedal box before I can bolt it to the brace, at least two in the horizontal bar of the brace, and I’m thinking 6 bolt holes in the firewall and two large holes for the masters. Thankfully the drill press is pretty quite. im thinking to drill the bigger holes for the masters I will bolt everything in place and then insert a round wooden plug into the hole in the pedal box with a center hole in it. with the wood plug in the master cylinder hole I can use a transfer punch threw it and get center. drill that and then use a hole saw piloted by that hole to pop the hole in the firewall. not 100% sure If it’s going to land on a bead or not, or really if it’s going to cause hood interference. But at this point it’s just kinda put it together and find out timd
If it were me I would build a small panel to go under the dash and do the switches on either side of the gauge. Symmetry. A simple hammer form and it would look like it grew there. Sent from my SM-G977U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I’ll likely not even use the gauge. As far as switches I think I’m going to put 5 switches on bottom center of the dash below the two center gauges. All with the same exact knob. Ignition hidden and not on the face of the dash. not really sure where I’m going to put some indicator lights gonna have to play with that. Thinking under the dash rail so you only see the colored cast light and not the actual light
I like the little white vacuum gauge mounted right where you have it in the photo. Show that baby off!
I like it there too. A piece of unused real-estate. As you will learn the kicker in that statement wasn't "kids" "kids are asleep"
Well I got the 4 additional holes drilled tonight, the bracing trimmed enough to stick a gauge in, and cut the flange of the tank edge a little more to hopefully clear the brake bracing upright you can see the bracing/ baffle behind the inboard gauge holes. They aren’t really attached that much so I think I can remove them all the way later with out feeling like I lost any additional support i made a little witness strip on cardboard to transfer the marks side to side to make sure they are the same and this is where I realized that I had measured a million times and still managed to mix up the hole saw measurements and the bezel diameter measurements at some point and ended up with them super super close together I need to file the holes a bit more so I can slide them in all the way but I like how it turned out. not standard but not wacky. Seems like something you’d see in an old hotrod. also you may notice the red reflector In the column support. After all the time of cleaning, clearancing,tapping holes for set screws and planning for switch’s I can’t actually touch it while it’s in the car lol. I’ve had this set of glass honeycomb reflectors for a while. Think this one will love in the support and the other in the 46’s dash. anyhow, there’s an update Oh and I think I’ll just use a multi position light switch in the dash and no dimmer switch. With 3 pedals and two big feet every place I had considered would be completely Impossible to actually use
You could mount the dimmer switch in a place where you could operate it with your hand. Dash, side of column, header panel above windshield? I've even heard of guys mounting them on the driver's door panel so they can use their knee to make it go.
@Rocky was thinking about putting it on the kick panel to hit it with my knee. I tried the header above the windshield and it’s a reach, drivers side of the dash I can’t touch with out putting my hand threw the steering wheel. I was originally going to stick it in the column drop where the key used to go but it’s pretty awkward to reach. I’m really glad i started mocking things up in the car because it’s quite a bit different that when everything’s on the bench. Between the door, the wheel, my knees, three pedals and a floor shifter there’s plenty to get in the way.
Brought the pedal brace home last night from being welded up should get it mocked up in the car and get started on drilling all the new holes in the next week or so. Also have been talking with @n847 about some cool little leather details for the dash. I think the dash in the 46 was one of the first things I had finished. I think being able to look at it with all the gauges and switches and ect. It just feels more like a car and your getting closer.
Cole Hersee makes a 4 position switch (7112), I bought a few nors off of eBay. I also bought a bunch of old Dialco lights for warning lights (they have all different styles and colors..I like the jeweled ones).
1/2" wide bezel, 1/2" tall sticking out of dash, 2" length, 5/8" hole needed and replaceable bulb inside. You can still get them new as they're used on guitar amps (old ones). Not 100% but I think new ones are plastic lens and old are glass. Bunch of styles out there, smooth dome, beehive (these are cool too but bigger), flat with bigger bezel.....plus more.
I’d been seeing “guitar amp” lights but no name/ brand on them so this is helpful thanks for all the measurements. Does the standard bulb work well with 12 volt then?
Most of the ones I have didn't have a bulb and I put in a 1816. If you get different style ones just go to Bulb Towns websites and look a bulb up by base (has good tech videos about finding base size and more). From Bulb Town: #1816 Miniature Bulb Ba9S Base - 13 Volt .33 Amp 4.29 Watt T3-1/4 Miniature Bayonet (BA9S) Base, 3.0 MSC C-2V Filament Design, 1,000 Average Rated Hours. 1.19" (30.20mm) Maximum Overall Length (M.O.L.), 13/32" (10.00mm) Maximum Outer Diameter (M.O.D.). 0.63" (16.00mm) Light Center Length (L.C.L).
Cool, most of the ones I’m seeing say 6v on them. There are a ton of neat ones so thanks again for the name to search! I think @Fry used guitar amp lights in his coupe and it seems like maybe @Runnin shine has them in his dash as well? did you guys find a 12v source or just swap bulbs like 1oldtimer?
My roadster has a Socal headlight switch that has high and low beam built in. I have it set up where all the way out is low beam then one push in turns the high beams on. I got sick of reaching up under the dash to click the switch. Plus it looks good Sent from my SM-G977U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Start button, headlights, choke, horn, all in the little underdash pod I hammered out. Sent from my SM-G977U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Those are the ones that look like shoe box knobs correct? seeing the second post now, it’s great that the choke knob matches the rest of the
I used the ones that came with but they were too bright, so I just matched some regular 12v low amp bulbs from the parts bin at work. They are perfect. Not too bright at night, but clearly visible in day. They were round instead of long like the #44 style that came with them. But fits inside the jewel body nonetheless. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
They also sell the same switches with their "deco" knobs. The sell the knobs separately to I modified the choke to accept their knob. Price is right too. The sell an ignition switch that had the same bezel. Sent from my SM-G977U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
On the switches you can pretty much make anything fit knob wise, make an insert, tap a metal knob or cut out the insert from the new plastic knob that came with the switch. The '41 I'm going to use SoCal knobs and nuts, the '56 panel I used stock knobs and the '28 I'm going to use something plain...I don't like shiny knobs . I'll bet the 4 position switch from SoCal is a Cole Hersee switch re boxed. Here's the panel that's going to be put into the '41. Headlights, wiper and charge light, I might find a little bit bigger light for the center.
Don’t think I’ve seen one of those panels with three holes in it. Looks cool! I’ve got some knobs picked out already just like seeing what the options out there are
So far so good. Need to figure out the dance sequence to get the pedals in the car and then it’s time to drill some holes and figure out the A pillars.
I use those lights in overhead console as your thinking. Will try taking picture latter this afternoon.
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