Gauges and Body Mounts

Christmas lights and tree are up; finished some gift shopping, and the good weather is holding for one more day, so I was able to get back to the Plymouth for a short time.

The gauges arrived yesterday and they look very nice. I did a quick fit check on the dash and finished cutting the embossed trim plates so the dash can be assembled. The touch screen radio did not arrive as scheduled on the 10th, and is now estimated to arrive on the 15th. I guess the seasonal package load is responsible for the delay, so I think I'll save the dash-build for a cold weather project.

This picture is from the gauge fit check. Unfortunately, the embossed aluminum  is only 8 inches wide, so there will be a seam on each side. The holes under the gauges are for the upper A/C vents. The ignition switch will be on the steering column, so I had room to place the vents symmetrically.

I spent a couple of hours fitting and shimming the body mounts and discovered some interference problems between the aftermarket/homebuilt floor patches and the frame. Nothing that can't be fixed, but it will take some time to work it out.

I discovered another area of thin metal with pin hole rust-through on one of the fenders and decided to fabricate a patch. It required complex curves as it's located in the headlight area. Forming sheet metal is not my best skill, but I finally got it made, welded in and the welds ground down. I think I'll wait until it's on the car before I finish the welded joint with body filler, as it will be easier to shape when the fender isn't flexing.