Test fitting the top half. I had cut the other side of the tape line to give plenty of room for exact trimming. And now we are getting somewhere. The dash is low at the ends and high in the middle compared to the Willys windscreen frame. When I worked out how much to section the body, it was based on this compromise. Once I add support back using the top part of the original Willys dash underneath this, it should even out
Dash cluster laid in after only one trim to one of the mounting tabs. The leather covered hood over the dash cluster just sitting there.
Looking better than I expected actually and as good as I hoped! Will tie in even more once the rest of the donor interior is fitted as well. Can see it needs quite a bit taken off. Will leave that until later one I know exactly where the inside trim will sit.
Couldn't find any vents that would work in the tight space I had to come up in behind the instrument panel. Thought I might as well try to make some. Wanted to fit a 2" hose so made the short end half the circumference. The other end the maximum width I could fit above the instrument panel plus enough for half the depth of the vent opening. As the two halves need to be mirror images of each other, I first ran one through the stretcher on three sides and the other the shrinker. No hammering at all done yet. Easier to feed through the machines, especially the rounded end.
Just turned the edges over by eye. Used this hammer over a sand bag to help start the curved end.
Refined the shape over some pipe. Flared the ends over for some area for the spot welds to attach it to the dash support later.
Welded the two sides together and it is ready to try out.
Fits in just nicely over the instrument panel and curves down the backside of the cowl. Another was made for the other side so the pressure difference would be the same left to right.
Want to say a big thank you to Bob Daley who showed his wife Suz this build. They sent over this Willys Overland workers badge from her Grandfather who worked in the plant and quite likely help put this Truck together in 1948! Not only that but also her father too was there around that time. I hope to find a good place in the cab to fix this once it is finished. :)Time to finish off the dash. Thought might as well cut the top from the two stock ones to start with.
Put an extra fold at along the bottom edge to give some more strength. Need to adjust the fold some from stock to get it to sit a little higher to clear the centre ducts.
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