My Custom Dash UPDATE (06-15-11)
#1
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Car: 1983 Pontiac Firebird
Engine: 400HP 350
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.42
My Custom Dash UPDATE (05-15-12) IT'S DONE!!!
Since my engine is done and I will be driving the car in a few weeks when I got new rear end in i'm looking at doing a custom dash. Here's my idea so far. Any suggestion will be appreciated. Seems I have a large hole to fill on the dash with nothing to put in it...lol
Rob...
Rob...
Last edited by fiream; 05-15-2012 at 10:02 PM. Reason: Because i'm awesome...
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Car: 88 IROC, 76 Malibu Classic
Engine: 350 TPI, 350
Transmission: 700R4, 4-speed
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt ????
Re: My Custom Dash Idea
i like that, always room for more switches. you never know. how did you make that picture?
#4
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Car: 88 IROC, 76 Malibu Classic
Engine: 350 TPI, 350
Transmission: 700R4, 4-speed
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt ????
Re: My Custom Dash Idea
maybe the space below the 3 guages could have a switch panel. you've gotta have some stuff you can move to some toggle switches or something. even little stuff like the dome light could be wired to a toggle switch.
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#9
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Car: 1992 Camaro RS
Engine: Rebuilt 350 going in after paint
Transmission: WCT5, 7k & counting behind the 350
Axle/Gears: 4thgen disc rear w/ 3.73 Posi
Re: My Custom Dash Idea
My first thought was Vacuum and Air-Fuel Ratio gauges. I think its a little too far from your normal line of sight for a shift light to be useful.
I like the idea of a few switches. Rocker or pushbutton though, I don't really care for a row of toggle switches personally. Maybe move the hatch release and window switches up there?
I like the idea of a few switches. Rocker or pushbutton though, I don't really care for a row of toggle switches personally. Maybe move the hatch release and window switches up there?
#10
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Re: My Custom Dash Idea
Didn't realize you have an auto when I posted that... But man, I love my shift light with my manual tranny. An AFR and vacuum gauge are also great tuning tools, and can give you a heads up if something isn't right, I love mine.
You could put a trannsmission temp gauge in there maybe?
Or if you lowered the 3 gauges on the right, the "gap" might not look so big or bad? Just thinking out loud here
You could put a trannsmission temp gauge in there maybe?
Or if you lowered the 3 gauges on the right, the "gap" might not look so big or bad? Just thinking out loud here
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Car: 1984 Trans Am
Engine: LT1
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt w/ 4.10 gears
Re: My Custom Dash Idea
how about doing the small guages on a 2x2 design on the right side? It'd be similar to the stock layout, but with 4 small circular guages instead of 2 large circular openings with two guages in each circle.
#14
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Car: 1983 Pontiac Firebird
Engine: 400HP 350
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.42
Re: My Custom Dash Idea
Yeah i'd do that but i've got a base model idiot light dash, and it sucks..lol
#16
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Car: 1983 Pontiac Firebird
Engine: 400HP 350
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.42
Re: My Custom Dash Idea
It may work. I was sitting in the car today and I noticed that its going to be hard to see the gauges on the right due to them pretty much being out of sight line, so i'm wondering if I should tilt them to the drivers side. I made an illistration....
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Car: 84 Z28 / 88 Trans Am / 87 base
Engine: L69 H.O. / 468 BBC / 2.8 v6
Transmission: 89 700R4 / TH375B / 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.73 open / 3.23 posi / 3.42 open
Re: My Custom Dash Idea
I like the Idea of the tilted guages, the ones in my Trans Am are a little hard to see.
#18
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Car: 1983 Pontiac Firebird
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Re: My Custom Dash Idea
Okay what about this, instead of 5" speedo and tach, replace it with 3-3/8" gauges with smaller 2-1/16 gauges...
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Car: 84 Z28 / 88 Trans Am / 87 base
Engine: L69 H.O. / 468 BBC / 2.8 v6
Transmission: 89 700R4 / TH375B / 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.73 open / 3.23 posi / 3.42 open
Re: My Custom Dash Idea
But I've thought of putting a 4th gen dash in my T/A. Although that 1st pic looks promissing
#21
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Car: 1983 Pontiac Firebird
Engine: 400HP 350
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.42
Re: My Custom Dash Idea
More ideas. Think that the last one I did was too camaro. How about this one? Used the same large tach and speedo, with the other gauges to the right and cent, but instead of angling them in front to the dash making it look kind of odd, I put then behind the dash, and maybe do like a black out plexi panel in front. I could use night shade paint and some LED strip light, to illuminate the inside of the gauge area that recessed in the dash, then turn that off at night when the gauges turn on all you see is lighted gauges behind the panel?
#22
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Car: 91' Firebird
Engine: 3.1 LH0 V6
Transmission: Auto 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.23 limited slip
Re: My Custom Dash Idea
I like the cluster in my 91 with the 4 big circles, 2 of them having 2 gauges in them. That cluster is one of my favorite things about the interior of the car. I didn't know that earlier Firebirds had a different cluster... I say just swap in a newer one
#23
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Car: 1983 Pontiac Firebird
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Re: My Custom Dash Idea
Yeah, my car would have had those gauges if it was a Trans Am. This car was a base model v6 car so i got suck with the idiot light dash that looks like this.
#24
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Car: 91' Firebird
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Re: My Custom Dash Idea
Hmm, mines a V6 too but came with the good pannel, must be because it's newer. But yeah, my advice would be to get a dash out of a newer car with the 4 big circles.
BTW, what's the meaning of the firebird light? lol.
BTW, what's the meaning of the firebird light? lol.
#25
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Car: 1983 Pontiac Firebird
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Re: My Custom Dash Idea
No idea with the firebird light. It has a bulb in it that never lights up. Maye it turns on when the car knows its "firebirding"...lol
#26
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Car: 1984 Trans Am
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Re: My Custom Dash Idea
It isn't because it's newer. The 82-84 cars were more commonly equiped with the 4 large guages also and had the same layout as the 85-92 cars. I've seen the "idiot lights" in 85 and newer cars several times too.
#27
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Car: 1983 Pontiac Firebird
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Re: My Custom Dash Idea
I like the idiot light dash, its different, just it sucks it dosent have any useful gauges.
#28
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Car: 84 Z28 / 88 Trans Am / 87 base
Engine: L69 H.O. / 468 BBC / 2.8 v6
Transmission: 89 700R4 / TH375B / 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.73 open / 3.23 posi / 3.42 open
Re: My Custom Dash Idea
maybe change the idiot lights (rectangle sections) into LED readouts?
#32
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Car: 1983 Pontiac Firebird
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Re: My Custom Dash Idea
oh, yeah, i'm a moron. YOu know whats funny that was one of my first ideas, to semi leave the stock face plate in tacked...lol
#33
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Car: 84 Z28 / 88 Trans Am / 87 base
Engine: L69 H.O. / 468 BBC / 2.8 v6
Transmission: 89 700R4 / TH375B / 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.73 open / 3.23 posi / 3.42 open
Re: My Custom Dash Idea
OK takin care of.
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Car: 84 Z28 / 88 Trans Am / 87 base
Engine: L69 H.O. / 468 BBC / 2.8 v6
Transmission: 89 700R4 / TH375B / 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.73 open / 3.23 posi / 3.42 open
Re: My Custom Dash Idea
Sooooo!! When ya buildin mine.
#39
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Re: My Custom Dash Idea
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...uctId=3104292#
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Car: 84 Z28 / 88 Trans Am / 87 base
Engine: L69 H.O. / 468 BBC / 2.8 v6
Transmission: 89 700R4 / TH375B / 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.73 open / 3.23 posi / 3.42 open
Re: My Custom Dash Idea
Umm can we say bright!
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Car: 1982+1988 Z28 Camaros
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Re: My Custom Dash Idea
just an idea, you can also throw in a oil pressure sensor that sends a current when below a certain threshold, and wire it to a dummy light. Also can be done with engine temp, etc. so you dont necessarily have to watch the gauges, the dummy lights will help alert you to dangerous conditions as well.
#45
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Car: 1983 Pontiac Firebird
Engine: 400HP 350
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Re: My Custom Dash Idea
After month of deciding i've decided to go with the first idea I had. I've also choosen Autometer Phantom gauges because they work so well with the white paint. I'll be making a full write up about how to go and make this yourselves. I've also picked up some pretty cool tools for the project also. What do you think???
#46
Re: My Custom Dash Idea
Radio Shack LED's are overpriced. I would suggest buying LED's from digikey.com. Huge selection, can find about any kind of LED there, and there are probably 1000's of different kinds.
#47
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Re: My Custom Dash Idea
Looks sweet, great choice on the gauges. Thanks for not getting ones with a chrome bezel.
New steering wheel in the background? And shame on you for looking at harbor freight coupons
New steering wheel in the background? And shame on you for looking at harbor freight coupons
#48
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Car: 1983 Pontiac Firebird
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Re: My Custom Dash Idea
Thanks for all the compliments everyone. Here's what the final sketch looks like so far.
#49
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Car: 1984 Trans Am
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Re: My Custom Dash Idea
That's a nice looking layout. What's the rectangular section under the three small guages for?
#50
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Car: GTA
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: Aussie 9-bolt/3.27 posi
Re: My Custom Dash Idea
If you do them straight across, I'd put stuff like the gas gauge over there.