Technical Ideas for 54 Chevy Truck Dash Repair

I have a 54 Chevy truck that a previous owner hacked the entire radio area out of. After looking at the small detail of the stamped ribbing I have come to the conclusion that even if I had a new dash piece, welding it in and smoothing it out would be impossible at my skill level and time available. I also have researched and found that I don't want to try and locate a useable dash and replace the entire dash. Not an easy endeavor from what I have read about the AD trucks. So that leaves me with the only option of finding something to fill the gigantic hole where the speaker grill/ribbing once was. It is about 6 inches high and 10 1/4 inches wide and has the curved contour of the rest of the dash panel. I have seen many of these trucks with dashed hacked up, anyone have any ideas that would fill the gap and somewhat traditional in the Hot Rod sense? Here are some quick phone pics:


Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

Can you just put a curved patch over it without the ribs?

 

Check a place such as LMC Truck and see if they have a patch panel or a plain sheet formed to fit and maybe use some button head screws to attach it.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

cut a panel out of another dash about 1/2" oversize and bond or rivit or bolt it over the hole you have.

 

make a contour pattern for the dash and hunt junk yards and swop meets.
some ideas for trim.

 

A dash speaker grille from a 1951-52 Chevy passenger car.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1951-51-195...ash=item4894180882:g:LooAAOSwzaJYBWuP&vxp=mtr

 

You could take that to the next level and hinge it like a glove box door, using it to hide a stereo, extra gauges, whatever you can think of.

 

I have fitted a piece to do this but it just doesnt look right.
Thanks

 

This is a 54, so alot of the parts reproduced stop at the 53 model. I have not found a reproduced grill section of the dash or even the whole dash for this year (54-55.1).

Thanks

 

This was my strategy for the past year or so, so far can rule out late sixties cadillac rear speaker grill, late forties ford speaker grill. Guess I have to keep hunting.

Thanks

 

I looked at some 54 truck dash pics, do some not have a seperate chrome cover that goes over them kind of like the earlier yellow one tb33anda3rd posted?
or what about 54 chevy cars? not sure about dimensions or contour???

Also what about getting creative with another 54 truck glove box door over the hole?
.....or find someone who can weld the correct piece back in???

 

40 Ford

 

Yes sir, the hinged idea has been utilized on the '51 and '52 Chevy, by creative guys.

 

If you are going custom something like the 54 car dash that Low Budget suggested would look great but if you want to keep the dash pretty well original I think I would find a donor panel wide enough so that I could cut though a spot on the hole for the gauge cluster and cut an inch or two into the opening for the glove box so I had a straight across seam to weld across the dash a bit above the style line and small welds above the gauge opening and glove box opening and at the bottom of each so I could have the whole original switch and radio panel below the dash intact and not have to weld or do finish work there. That would keep all the speaker grill intact without being worked on and most of the finish work would be along that seam across the top of the dash.

 

Thanks everyone. Finding someone willing to cut up a good 1954 Truck dash that has not been cut up or hacked up already has not been easy. 40 Ford suggestion might work.