Question for you Midstates Guys

[blykins]

Did your cars come with a dash panel, or did you have to make one?

The Shell Valley cars have a fiberglass dash molded into the body.....The pictures of the Midstates cars that I have seen have separate dash panels....is this true?

[RON N BKFLD]

BILKINS,,,,

THE MIDSTATES I HAD (1988 MODEL) A VINAL COVERED FIBERGLASS DASH PANAL ATTACHED TO TABS LIKE MANY OTHER BRANDS . MY KIRKHAM DASH IS ATTACHED THE SAME WAY.
RON

[BT SNAKE]

Yep, Like Ron said. Mine is shaped like an original but it's fiberglass.

Hersh

[blykins]

Is it curled back on the ends.....and how thick is the fiberglass?

[ChrisL]

Yes, it is curled back on the ends and from what I can remember of the thickness before it was covered ,its about 3/16 thick. Check out the 8th pic in my gallery and you can see the curl on the dash good .

[blykins]

Thanks Chris....I guess it comes blank so you can cut your own holes, right? And how does it mount? Does it bolt to the cowl hoop?

[ChrisL]

Brent ,
Yes it can come blank so you can drill them how youwould like to, but I had MS drill a classic guage layout for me . It does mount to the cowl hoop there are a few tabs coming off the hoop to bolt it to. Mine are molded into the dash panel so not to see them after it was covered.

[tpiini]

Blykins,

What year was your SV produced? I've got a mid-90's production and my dash bolts in. Yours is molded in???

[blykins]

Mine was built in 2003. It's all molded in. No tabs. I would give my right juevo if it would have been the way yours is....

[silverback]

brent on the shell valleys i take and cut the dash out leaving 3/4 inch of the fiberglass on the top. I then use thread certs that i install into the fiberglass for re-attachment of an aluminum dash panel that i make, This allows me to work on things much easier, and gives me the option of having the aluminum or covering it in vinyl.

[blykins]

I have an aluminum dash panel covered with vinyl (or will be after I settle things with the upholsterers) and I've done things about how you did it. I cut out most of the fiberglass leaving enough to mount the aluminum too. However my dash panel doesn't curve back at the ends....

Do the ones you make curve back?

[zipzip]

Here's a pic of the Midstates dash as received. I had Bob tag the dash with the guage locations - he would have drilled them too, but I didn't want that.

I attached it to the 3 tabs on the cowl hoop by drilling and using carriage bolts. When I tightened the nut, it pulled the square portion through the dash and held it from rotating. That way there is very little exposure on the outside of the dash.

[silverback]

brent.The one that is in my latest 427 is not, its just flat with a 1'' wide bend from the bending brake at the bottom edge. towards the outside both sides i have it tappered upwords from the bottom.

[blykins]

Yeah, that's the way mine is.

[RedSabre]

Mine did not have a dash included and the builder had one made custom. It is 1/4" polished aluminum with some custom milling on it. He did the same for the tunnel console.

[Shell Valley]

The Shell Valley body did have the dash molded in (except for some of the very first cars). With the new Generation II replica we are currently building, the dash is removable. It sure makes life easier! I do have fiberglass dash panels available, but a lot of guys have used aluminum dashes like what you guys are doing.
Dana

[blykins]

Dana, does the fiberglass dash curl inward at the ends...or is it flat all the way across?