Hey all, So I have looked, did the search and have not come up with many custom dash pictures for early Chevrolet customs, there is a good chance I will be getting a 1940 Chevrolet coupe. I am going to do a big chop and will not copy but I absolutely love Robert Atkinson's 1940 Chevrolet. I have seen a few other that are close and definitely super cool, but few show the dash, any customized or are many just stock. I have owned many years of Chevrolets 1934 to 1954 so I have a good idea of yearly change. Man I hate to do this and get pissed all over, but I don't like the 1940 dash, the 37, 38, 39, through 48 I like but gosh dammit I cannot force my self to like it, its the only part of the car I don't like . I have seen one with a squareish speedometer in the middle grill area and cleaned up, that looked ok.? Any one use a 52 chev dash narrowed or such.
Decide what era build your are doing and let guide you. I would look at 40s Cadillac or Buick dashes . So many options.
Here's one....might be the square dash in the middle you're talking about.....but nice looking dash to me.
That's the one, I do like that one a lot. Its hard to find any good pictures other than flat race panels, or eighties bbbbilitt, I did some measuring and the 50's dash panels are a bit thick top to bottom and would make the column a chore to mount. As for an era of build, a old hot rodder told me they always tried to make their cars look newer and sleeker, like you never put a 32 dash in a 34.
That’s good advice the hotrodder gave you. As a rule don’t jump too far era wise. If you put a 60 Chevy dash in it will dictate it looking like “Greased Lightning”. Keep it 40s . I’d cut off at 1948. Or at least pre 50s then you have a definition for the build without it looking like a mishmash of swap meet parts. Look up the Barris Highschool Confidential Chev.
That’s good advice the hotrodder gave you. As a rule don’t jump too far era wise. If you put a 60 Chevy dash in it will dictate it looking like “Greased Lightning”. Keep it 40s . I’d cut off at 1948. Or at least pre 50s thane you have a definition https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/barris-built-high-school-confidential-chevys.193178/
I did it simple, i'm a simple person. Personally I like the "traditionl" look of the old dash's, chrome, emblems, etc. True, the old gage cluster sucked---how many dash's do you see with a T and C knob? This is a 40 chev. coupe.
If your going traditional CadMad has it right. Most guys looked to the same make or model but a few years newer. Or if it's a different make or model the same applies. Most old(by old I mean cars built back in the day. Not 1980) used stock dashes and did something to spruce them up. Chromed the entire dash. Used colored plastic to replicate chrome pieces. Custom knobs and things like that. Full dash transplants came along much later for the most part. Get over to one of the custom sites like Custom Car Chronicle or Kustomrama and see what they show for pics of dashes. JMHO Torchie
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