[Ghostmonk]

Hello all,

I'm working on the rebuild of my '68 convertible's dash and I ordered a reproduction dash panel as it was the cheapest way for me to get the job done. Mostly I'm happy with what I got. The chrome is really good and while I haven't yet fitted the dash in the car I've been mostly happy with the finish.

Problems:
1) The biggest problem that I've had so far is that the peg that fits into the instrument cluster above the far left gauge (for me it's fuel/idiot lights) doesn't fit into the hole in the instrument cluster. That's not a huge deal as it's very close and I can drill it out a bit.



2) The back of the glove box door is not painted, it's chrome. It's not a big deal until you open the glove box and you've got two sizeable patches of non-factory chrome showing.

Here's the old one:



Here's the new one:



3) The paint used on the front of the glovebox door is very delicate. I forgot to put a towel down on my work table when I was transplanting the glove box lock mechanism and springs from the old to the new glovebox door and managed to scratch the front of the door a bit. It's not terrible and the rest of the car certainly isn't pristine but after spending a sizeable amount of cash on the parts for the rest of the dash restore I'm not ecstatic about it either.



4. I'm using what I think are the stock bolts/screws to attach the instrument cluster and when I screw them down there is an alarming pop and the mount posts tend to crack somewhat. They still hold the bolts very well but it's worrying. I bought an interior screw/bolt kit but it doesn't have those items unfortunately.

I'm working on putting in a new dash wiring harness in currently so as soon as I get that sorted out I'll have some more information on fit.

I've fitted a wood grain decal kit to the dash panel and it's fit isn't the greatest. I think it probably has to do with the wood rain kit rather than the new dash panel though. The decal kits tend to be pretty poorly proportioned. Of course my original dash decal wasn't perfect either.

Hope this helps somebody determine if this is worth the money.

[Greg Reid]

Thanks for posting this as I'm sure several '68 owners were wondering about them.
Any pics of the front side?
Also, which woodgrain kit did you use? I bought one that I think was PUI from (I think) Ames and wasn't satisfied with the quality. Very thin and un-conforming to the '68s concave shape.
I replaced it with (I think) the Legendary version from (I think) PY, which was more expensive but well worth the difference... Thicker and more pliable so that it easily conformed and stayed stuck down in the concave curved panel.
As for fit, it was not an issue with either woodgrain kit...so...who knows, may be the new instrument panel?
Now, we need someone to report on the new '68 dashpads being sold on eBay.

[Ghostmonk]

The one I purchased was off eBay and has The Parts Place stamped into it. Given the limited market for these I can't imagine that there are multiple people making them but I don't suppose you know for sure until you check.

I can't exactly remember where I bought the wood grain kit but it's noticeably thicker than my original. The quality of materials is nice but the fit leaves something to be desired.

I'll try to get some pictures of the front when I next work on it.

[Greg Reid]

When you mention the Parts Place...I'm assuming we're talking about the instrument panel and not the woodgrain...Correct?

[rigosgto]

Please post pics of the front of the dash. I would be interested since I am currently thinking of doing the same thing on my 68 GTO Vert.

[Ghostmonk]

Yes indeed, The Parts Place is stamped on the dash, not the wood grain decal.

I'll post pics of the front when I next work on it. Should be soon.

[codyyy]

I'm probably going to need a dash pad soon, not real sure where to get that. I lucked out majorly when I got my dash panels, I found a '68 Tempest Custom 4-door with a mint condition dash just about. The pad itself was cracked but all the panels were very nice. I even snagged the original radio. It probably was a grandma's car, the glovebox was filled with receipts dating back to the early 80s from oil changes and everything.
I was thinking of getting a repro wood grain panel, still am but part of me wants to make my own veneer for a more custom look.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by codyyy

I'm probably going to need a dash pad soon, not real sure where to get that..

Ghostmonk was the first here to report on the panel, you could be the first to report on the pad I mentioned earlier. There are some posts here about them but to my knowledge, no member has actually bought and installed one (and told about it anyway).

[webfoot]

I had to modify the woodgrain to fit my original dash. The cutouts around the turn signal lights needed to be sanded quite a bit to fit over them. The piece for the glove box is not usable, due in part to the fitment, and the insert not being completely laminated with the pattern.

[salem1912]

Thanks for the update, good to know.

[Ghostmonk]

Hey guys,

Sorry for the late reply. My GTO is in Texas but I live 5000 miles away in London and I only get about a 4-5 days a year to work on it when I go home. Unfortunately my project was a lot more that I could handle on my most recent trip. My abilities weren't nearly enough to complete the dash harness in the short time I had and with the incomplete wiring diagram I have. Thanksgiving got in the way and I wasn't able to get more pictures of the dash.

Now I'm far away and there's a gaping hole where my dash used to be. I'm just glad I've got parents with plenty of garage space. I'll try and get some pics when I get back next year.