VinhZXT Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 This question is for the guys who are custom make your own dash. What do you plan to do with the top of the dash? Paint or cover it with leather, vinyl ..etc.? I am in the process of putting the C5 cluster into my Z's dash and I don't know what to do with the top of the dash. I have heard that if I cover the dash with leather/vinyl I don't have to prep the surface compare to as for painting. Also if you have glass and bondo and paint your dash will it eventually crack due to the sun keep beating on it? Thanks for any input Vinh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelToad Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 I'm going to create a new dash for mine, and i'm more than half tempted to cover it with the material used for the soft fuzzy half of velcro. It's a nice, smooth, soft material, and all I would have to do is put the plastic side material on anything I wanted to stay put. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexideways Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=98077&highlight=%22home+made%22+dash http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=114356 http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=116823&highlight=aluminum+dash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonZ Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?p=701187#post701187 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinhZXT Posted January 22, 2007 Author Share Posted January 22, 2007 Thank you very much for the links. Just what I was looking for. vinh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexideways Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 No prob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar240z Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=98077&highlight=%22home+made%22+dashhttp://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=114356 http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=116823&highlight=aluminum+dash aww shucks. finally bought more aluminum..man this stuff is expensive.i'm going to work on it again this weekend and post updates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinhZXT Posted January 25, 2007 Author Share Posted January 25, 2007 No aluminum dash for me. It's impossible to put the C5 cluster into a square face aluminum dash. If I was going with autometer gauges then I would have gone with the aluminum dash. Making the Al dash is not a problem for me because I have this 10 feet sheet metal breaker in my garage. Hmm maybe I should start making these aluminum dash and sell them. Anyway here is a picture of the dash I am working on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar240z Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 who said aluminum dashes had to have a square face? http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=116823&highlight=aluminum+dash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinhZXT Posted January 28, 2007 Author Share Posted January 28, 2007 Lunar, Very nice... I could have fit the C5 cluster into your dash if I had that in mind. what type of gauges do you plan to use and how do you plan to fit them in that dash? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar240z Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 thanks. Im using/going to use carbon fiber autometers, in carbon fiber cups. 6 2 1/16" are going to be in the center console, 3 on top of 3. and the 5" speedo/tach are going to be in the normal spot above the steering wheel. i have to be inventive with the speedo cup because they dont make a gauge cup for it yet. they're all going to be half sticking out like the boost gauge. i get foam in the contour of the dash and push the cup into it, and trace the hole it makes, then i put that on the dash. my first one turned out ok, hopefully all the others follow suit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinhZXT Posted January 30, 2007 Author Share Posted January 30, 2007 Here are some update pictures of my dash progress: This is after some rough sanding of the fiberglass. Still need a thin layer of magic bondo later on. The chicken net works pretty damn good with the fiberglass. Here is what I started out with: And here is what I got: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Looking good!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar240z Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 wow! that looks awesome!, i never would have thought that chicken wire could be used with fg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinhZXT Posted January 31, 2007 Author Share Posted January 31, 2007 wow! that looks awesome!, i never would have thought that chicken wire could be used with fg. Neither do I. This is the first time I tried using the chicken net on my fiberglass project. Man this thing was so easy to work with and easy to cut. I put 2 layers of fiberglass mat soak with resin and it is very tough. I just use the grinder to grind the high spots down a bit and it looks and feel pretty close to what I want. I think I can do better the next time around. For now I will leave it like that and move on to work on my exhaust system. When I come back to it later I might have some better ideas and might redo it. Thanks Vinh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.