Types of Dashboards

[AceAndrew]

3 hours ago, Mark92131 said:

 

 Some of the early 1600, had chrome treatment around the panel holding the instruments, but I don't know if this was a feature of the hard plastic binnacle,

 

 

You may be on to something Mark.  I was just looking at an early 1600 with chrome dash and gauge cluster.  It did have the hard plastic binnacle.

[jgerock]

I have noticed there are differences in the thickness of the 3 piece hood front facia (where the switches are mounted).

 

Some of the switches have deeper escutcheon screws, some have thinner ones.   If you try to mix and match, the switch will not mount to the facia of the 3 piece hood. 

 

The length of the (2) studs on the back of the speedometer is different between the early (silver dollar 3 piece dash) gauge and the standard (black face) gauge found in the 2 piece dash.  This could be attributed to the depth of the cluster itself or the depth of the speedometer housing.

 

You can mix and match speedometers between the 1 piece and 2 piece dashes.

 

 

Edited August 16, 2018 by jgerock

[Conserv]

We’ve got another (minor) issue to resolve, regarding the binnacles on the 3-piece dashes. I re-read Anders’ comments regarding the binnacle cover in his ‘66 Bible:

 

http://02forum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=8603

 

Thus, he’s saying the 150xxxx cars had a vinyl covering over the binnacle. And then the 151xxxx cars switched to a plastic cover. But certainly this plastic cover disappeared early. When? Before the chrome-trimmed 3-piece was replaced in U.S. cars, ca. September 1967?

 

(This suggests there may have been three different binnacle covers for the Chrome-trimmed 3-piece dash: vinyl-covered, hard plastic, padded plastic...)

 

Need data!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[Road trip]

12 hours ago, mike said:

There was one additional, minor variation--the very earliest 1600s used a hard plastic instrument binnacle vs the later padded one that matched the rest of the dash.  Dunno when that changeover occurred as I've only seen a few of the hard plastic ones, but I know that at least the later '67s had the soft (padded) binnacles.  .I suspect the factory discovered the hard plastic binnacles warped very quickly in hot sun, and switched over to the padded ones pretty early in production.

 

As far as I know, yes.  I know for sure that  late (one-piece) dashes fit into roundies, and three piece and two piece dashes (early and late roundies) interchange.  I would suppose (but don't know for absolute sure) that a 2 or 3 piece dash will go into a squarelight (1 piece dash).  I'm sure someone on the FAQ has done (or attempted to do) this.  

 

mike 

Fyi

i own a 68 1600 with plastic binnacle

[SteveJ]

On 8/15/2018 at 8:53 AM, mike said:

 

As far as I know, yes.  I know for sure that  late (one-piece) dashes fit into roundies, and three piece and two piece dashes (early and late roundies) interchange....

 

mike 

The different dashes fit different  cars, they just don't fit into any reasonable budget.

[Conserv]

Re: the end date of the Early-early chrome-trimmed 3-piece dash (with hard plastic binnacle) on U.S.-spec cars, here is VIN 1560964, manufactured October 1967. This likely extends that end date from September 1967 into October 1967!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited August 18, 2018 by Conserv

[jgerock]

When redoing my 69, I tried using a different cluster hood (padded type same as the original 69 hood), but it didn't conform to the upper dash section as well.  There was a gap in the upper left hand side.  Maybe the sun had deformed one of the pieces?

 

[RFord888]

Jim,

 

On 8/15/2018 at 7:25 PM, jgerock said:

The length of the (2) studs on the back of the speedometer is different between the early (silver dollar 3 piece dash) gauge and the standard (black face) gauge found in the 2 piece dash.  This could be attributed to the depth of the cluster itself or the depth of the speedometer housing.

 

You can mix and match speedometers between the 1 piece and 2 piece dashes.

 

Jim,

 

Are you saying you can't install a "silver dollar" gauge cluster in a 1 or 2 piece dash? Or if possible, the studs must be changed to fit? 

 

Rich

[jgerock]

1 hour ago, RFord888 said:

Jim,

 

 

Jim,

 

Are you saying you can't install a "silver dollar" gauge cluster in a 1 or 2 piece dash? Or if possible, the studs must be changed to fit? 

 

Rich

You can install the silver dollar cluster in the opening, but the two studs may not be long enough to secure the knurled nuts behind the dash.  @ray_ can confirm.

[ray_]

You can change the rear speedo housing to one with the longer studs pretty easily.

 

Cheers,

[VWJake]

Something else to ruminate about. When did the factory switch from the lower section of the three piece dash being a smooth tray to one with several dividers in it. Both my ‘68 and ‘69s came to me with smooth trays, but thus far every lower section of an advertised 3pc dash has the dividers molded into it. 

[mccusername]

My April ‘67 build has plastic binnacle, full silver instrument cluster, non ribbed dash. 

[AceAndrew]

Early 1971 lower 3-piece dash on mine had dividers.  I don't have enough data to say where that specific change happened.  It was a small enough change, that it may have just been when they ran out of one, they switched to the other.

[VWJake]

22 minutes ago, AceAndrew said:

Early 1971 lower 3-piece dash on mine had dividers.  I don't have enough data to say where that specific change happened.  It was a small enough change, that it may have just been when they ran out of one, they switched to the other.

 

I’d say you’re right on that. The parts books that I’ve browsed make no mention of it. I have a few more to look through, but nothing so far. 

[RFord888]

Ray and Jim,

 

Thanks for the information. Very helpful and much appreciated.

 

Rich