Long Overdue Progress! Making New Door Panels 12/8/24

The vents are from a F150 but used on other Ford products also. They are a little bigger, had to enlarge the holes. I got them because you can open/close them with your finger. And they work with the look of the gauges.
 
So this is what it's like to polish a turd! A month of cutting, fitting, bonding, filling, sanding, sanding, sanding and more sanding.

Next step is to test fit and paint. I'm going to try a matte dark charcoal metallic finish.

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Where it started"
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...a matte dark charcoal metallic finish.
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I will be very interested in seeing that finish - in several kinds of light if I may.
It would be more "custom" and less Batmobile for my build.
... but then again, maybe I am Batman?!

Cheers - Jim
 

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I'm trying to replicate the look of a 1st gen Camaro dash which is coved out (like the Corvette) but is stamped steel.

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OK test fit with the gauges in place. Looks like this is going to work. No real interference issues.

Next is paint. SEM has some matte metallics. I'll have to check them out. Also need to make a support for the center console/gauge area. Also need to come up with something to hide the screw holes at the top of the dash panels.

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A reliable/retrofit airbag system would be really complex and expensive. I'm sure it's been done but outside of the scope of my project goals and skill.

I am planning on making a piece that takes the place of the airbag that looks a little more "period correct".
 
BBShark said:
A reliable/retrofit airbag system would be really complex and expensive. I'm sure it's been done but outside of the scope of my project goals and skill.

I am planning on making a piece that takes the place of the airbag that looks a little more "period correct".
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that will be really cool, it would be interesting to think what you could put there since you probably have wires all ready in the steering column to support the airr bag set up. maybe a red light to mark RPM limit or a green light for shift points, I wonder what the formula one cars have lighting up on their dash board
 
So my duct work is from an 81. It won't fit with the 68 dash panels. So I had to make a new center duct airbox out of ABS sheet.

Now I can work on the console and actually get some gauges in there.

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I tried to fit the driver side dash panel in but there is no room for the duct hose. They take up the space needed for the tach/speedo gauges. Now I'm thinking of ducting them into the footwell. I don't save much seat time with C3's but I heard frequent complaints of what people describe as a "hotfoot" from close proximity to exhaust. Mine might be even worse because the header collector is right there I have a 68 so a fiberglass footwell.

Then I will use the dash vents for outside air.
 
there are a lot of products out there that eliminate hot foot. I used Ceramic spray coating in my C3 and my FJ40 - I don't get warm through convection. matter of fact, my fj40 struggles to keep the interior warm because there is no convection.
 
i thought the best thing ever in the 60s was the air vents under the steering wheels keeping the family jewels cool
 
I want to make chrome hoods for the gauges. Going to try chrome coat on ABS sheet. Here is a paper template used to cut out the ABS sheet.

I've used this on work projects and it looks good. We will see here soon.

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is the chrome coat a spary on product? it may be interesting to see if you can clear coat it, i tried some spray on chrome and it worked well for areas that were not brushed up like inside a head light bucket, when i used it on an area that could be brushed up against it marred easily, i wonder if clear coat would stop that
 
It's not really paint. I've not seen it done but it involves spraying the part with distilled water and spraying the chrome coat on top of that (or maybe the reverse).

I don't know why but clear coat seems to dull it and yellow it. I grabbed this off the internet:


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BBShark said:
It's not really paint. I've not seen it done but it involves spraying the part with distilled water and spraying the chrome coat on top of that (or maybe the reverse).

I don't know why but clear coat seems to dull it and yellow it. I grabbed this off the internet:


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that looks good, i am interested to see where it takes
 
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