Who makes the best dash overlay? Should I go with steel, alum, or what?

[Jeff B]

Spare dash is on the way and I want to get a dash overlay so I can start designing my new custom dash. Which dash overlay is the best out there and who has it? Should I go with a steel overlay (stronger ?) or aluminum?

I'd appreciate any advice.

 

[md_lucky_13]

If you already have the extra dash, couldn't you simply build your own? Just take along piece of flat metal and put in it place. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper, and is very simple and easy to do:

This

Or, if you just want to do a section of the dash, you could build your own overlay using whatever material you want. I did this in teh center of my dash when I put my new wiring harness in, so I could move some knobs where I wanted them. I just did a simple aluminum overlay. I think it cost me like $12 for the aluminum, and I just use some nice mother wax to keep it clean and shinny.

like this

 

[Jeff B]

md lucky 13,

That dash looks awesome. I like that clean look. Maybe I'll just go that way instead. You wouldn't happen to know how far most of those stock pull knobs can be moved do you?

Also, the dash light bars, do they have bulbs in them that I can buy at the local auto store. A few of mine are burnt out.

Thanks!

 

[md_lucky_13]

In my case, as far as I wanted!

They are actually not stock. I found them in Napa for about $7 a piece. They came in about 6 foot sections, and are very easy to cut. I just put them where I wanted them, then ran the wires. Once I had it dressed in where I wanted it, I pulled about 5 inches of wire out (pulled the knob out 5 inches) and cut it there. Then, pushed the knob back in, and hooked it all up.

I couldn't tell you how far you could get away with the stock ones though. Sorry. But, for the price, you can't beat just going the napa way.. and hey, you didn't even notice they weren't stock, so who would! ;D

I'm not sure which dash light bars you are talking about... ? I got all new ones with the wiring harness for the gauge cluster. They looked like generic, simple light bulbs to me. I imagine you can buy them at a parts store without any problems!