Ford F-1 Dashboard Transplant - Dashing Debonair

The '52 Pontiac that donated the dash is a bit wider than the pickup cab and with the dash mocked in place, it was obvious some trimming would be in order.

A few measurements told us that the lower corners of the Poncho dash would need to get the axe, as well as the upper corner areas. A 3-inch strip where the ashtray resides would give us the proper width to fit the F-1 cab. The taped off areas show where the trimming will be made.

Once the dash was cut apart, it was time to narrow it those 3-inches mentioned before.

A file and a straight edge gets the gap as straight as possible before the two halves are welded back together, albeit 3 inches narrower.

Compare the relation between the radio bezel and the glovebox in this photo to that of the original dash and you get an idea of just how much was taken out to get the dash to fit.

With the dash narrowed, we can now mock it into place and begin fitting it into position. This gave us a better idea of how the new dash would fit into place and allowed us to trim the stock dash area further.

The next step was to begin attaching the dash to the cowl of the F-1. It was first tacked along the top before the lower bracing structure was tied into the A-pillars. Once in place, we threw the dash back together and slid the seat in to see how everything was going to look from the driver's perspective. Now's the time to find out if anything's crooked or tilted too far one way or the other. Everything checked out so on we went.

The passenger side of the dash looked the simplest so we started there by making a cardboard template of the area between the dash and A-pillar that needed to be filled.

The template was then transferred to a piece of 18-gauge sheetmetal and formed on a homemade die.

For the end cap, the same process was used.

The pieces were then tacked in place before being welded and ground smooth. By fabricating an end cap that runs the height of the new dash, this gives it a nice solid attachment point to the A-pillar and preserves a "factory" look.

For our welding enjoyment, we're using the latest and greatest from Miller, a Diversion 165 TIG machine.