My '84

[Randyzzz]

Good work! You know, I think those XJ columns can fit almost anything. I have one in my 82 Scrambler.

[SJTD]

I did have one

[SJTD]

Had to fill the big hole in the housing from the transmission indicator.


Made a backing from some thin aluminum. Sanded and used metal prep on the aluminum. Used a piece
of cardboard to hold the aluminum against the housing







Ready for primer



I had to check the bond of this JB Weld Plastic Bonder, it's a urethane. Hard to see in the picher but the adhesive failed, not the bond to the aluminum or plastic which seems to be Bakelite.

[Phils67]

Stock dash won't work. With the AC and ducting there's no room for the stereo or glove box. I also want a 2 DIN or larger display and need center AC outlets. Don't really want knee coolers like the stock system.

Rather than trying to work around the stock ashtray and clock opening and trying to fit a tablet in the center I figured it'd be easier to start fresh so I put in a 1/8" x 1/2" bar across the bottom and a piece of sheet for a clean start.



Filled in the sides so they are flat. Going to have a storage space beneath the screen.



Made the frame for the screen



Test fit of the screen



The cutouts for the AC vents and screen. Put in piece of 1/4" tubing for the frame of the cubby hole.



The front of the cubby hole installed. It'll be maybe 3" deep made out of ABS.



Ducting and dash pretty much finished. Driver side defrost runs diagonally across the center opening. Haven't decided if I'm going use the vacuum hose or make a duct.




The drive side defroster I made didn't fit so I ended up modifying the stock one similar to the passenger side.

I know its been a while since the last post on this thread but i just came across it and would love to see the progress/finished pics of this dash! That looks bad a$$! You inspire me

[SJTD]

Thanks. Not much progress since the last post.

What happened was back in June my company was finished with layoffs and so was able to hire again. The Pueblo facility had to lay off a few people before they could proceed with hiring the 15+ people their agreement with the city required.

I had worked there for about two months back in spring of '16 and the manager offered me a job but it never happened due to the layoffs. They called me last June and my wife and I drove out there for an interview since the guy that I had worked for there before was gone and the new manager wanted to meet me.

We talked on the way home and decided not to do it. Would have done it a year earlier but maybe it would have been a bad decision; who knows? Was a great job for a guy like me. Design something then go out in the shop and make it. Write up a test procedure then go run it. I console myself by thinking that most of those 15 people they're hiring would be Techs and there'd be less hands on for the Engineers.

Anyway, the wife says if "if you're going to retire don't think you can just sit around and work on your Jeep" so I've been working on the house. Just as well as I had lost interest in it while trying to make a glove box door out of the right side grill.

Redid two bedrooms; removed the popcorn, removed carpeting, insulated three walls, replaced two windows, installed a door in place of a third and put in wood floors.

So now I'm working on it again before starting on a third bedroom and maybe the kitchen. Making a flat door for the glove box now.

Got some pics to post but I'm going to switch to Imgur. Buggers at PB autorenewed me at the original price and the pichers still seem to work. My CC on Paypal was expired but my daughter had used my account so her card was charged. I was looking forward to telling them to pound sand.

So that's my story. Thanks for the push, I'll post what I have soon.

[SJTD]

A minor update. Was getting ready to paint the dash and remembered I wanted room for more gauges so I made a pocket next to the instrument panel.





Next some pics of the glove box door.

[SJTD]

First crack at the glove box door made from the existing grill.

The frame has these studs. Cut them off and tapped those four spots for screws. Also ground some nut down and glued them into the groove.



Formed some 1/4" ABS for a backing. Had to be thick to hold a hinge screw on each side and to mount the latch, which I never got to.

Semi finished:




Gave up on this since it was too tight in the hole in the dash and was so thick it didn't look like I'd be able to make the hinge work since it would have to move outward quite a bit before it started tilting.

[SJTD]

The final version is two layers of 1/8" aluminum. The inner layer holds the flat head screws for the hinges and latch. The outer layer is for show.

I didn't want to trust screws holding in bottom tapped holes less than 1/4" deep if I made it out of one 1/4" thick piece.



Ready to glue together.



Spent a lot of time trying to figger out the hinging. Stare at it for a while and walk away. Waste time making parts that don't work. In the end it was pretty simple.


These are the original hinges with a little reforming.





Looks pretty good.



Bring on the Bondo!

[SJTD]

Got the epoxy on it.




I'm really surprised at how little filler the welds will need around the panel I put in the center.




The welds around the pockets will only get it in a few spots.






Did some filling around the center panel but the stuff was curing too fast. Going to continue in the morning. Left the Bondo outside so it'll get cold overnight.

[SJTD]

Finished with the filler around the center panel. The Bondo was to thick, old? so I ordered some 2k spot putty. Much easier to work with.




Not so bad from this angle.




Still need some blocking to smooth out the flat areas.

I know I can get it better above the AC vents but I also know I could spend several hours on it and end up with it not looking this good so I think I'm done.

I think the only way to get it better would be to cast a sanding block out of filler.

I've ordered some base/clear in dark silver (grey metallic?) for it. I'm not going to try and paint something this curvy with a single stage metallic.

[JPSwapMohn]

That is really cool, and undoubtedly took a lot of work.
One question, as i have a 88, but have acquired a 70’s and a 60’s dash and want to transplant: Did you need to move the steering wheel shaft cutout for the later rig? I have read (on here, i think) that the steering wheel shifted a little between the older dash and the newer ones. I don’t have my junk near me right now and have not measured them as of yet.

I am also planning to modify the center area to clean it up and use vents up on the dash instead of the ones running along the bottom in the stock a/c unit.

[SJTD]

Your's has the integrated heat/AC controls in the center?

I don't know where the column sits on that version but mine is a little to the left of where the older dash wanted it to be.

Dealt with this quite a while ago but there are some sharpie lines on the seat so I think I did some measuring and the wheel lines up with the center of the seat.

Having the wheel offset from the center of the seat would have bugged me more than it being offset from the instrument panel so I'm pretty sure they all line up now.

To summarize, clearly I hope, the wheel is where it always was in the '84 since the 2 bracing rods behind the dash both fit and the dash was modified to fit this position.

Idunno if I'll use the '84 plastic trim around the column. It seems like it'll fit but it's kinda bulky. I thought about closing up the hole so the earlier trim would work but it's unavailable unless the one Men In Black is making works out but I think the '84 column is bigger diameter. I'll prolly end up making one out of ABS.

[JPSwapMohn]

I just went back through this thread and see that you essentially addressed on page 3 by widening the cut out for the column and used the 84 mount on the older dash. I think that addresses my question and something I will have to consider when i start this process.

[Kaiserjeeps]

I always enjoy seeing what you are up to SJTD. Pretty sweet dash there.

[243]

Awesome work and thanks for posting in my build thread, you have executed some great ideas!