New dashboards for early Cj5s

Does anybody know of a supplier that sells replacement dashboards. For the early CJ fives this will save me a lot of searching. Harbor freight has a sheet-metal break on sale right now for $179 and since I can get the blanks for $9 each. I am debating whether or not to go into the dashboard business. Since I need two anyway.
Doug

 

Doug, I don't know for sure it these folks have them, but they'd be the first ones I'd call. Go to the website and get the phone number, and call them. Their website is kinda broke and they can't seem to find anyone to fix it for them. Mom and pop operation, Jeep parts made in the USA! http://www.jeepanelsplus.com/

 

I installed a Stainless one from JC Whitney last year for my brother and it worked great, but it was $250.

 

I spoke with the guy from Maine Last night, he makes these panels in his shop, custom to order and without a dashboard to copy. He would not be able to guarantee a proper fit. He does not list any CJ five parts, because he does not have a CJ five to copy from I found him to be a genuinely honest man with a definite down East accent. This is a relatively easy part to make
and although would not rust out. It's hard to believe that nobody carries replacement dash boards due to the amount of holes that get cut in them from previous owners. This was a good lead. Thank you. But I will still need to find a company that actually has them for sale in order to benchmark a price. So I am still searching, anybody!
Doug/Tucson

 

Just determine what your time is worth on the hour, and then figure the time and what the material costs, hence, the "time and materials " label. Being competitive on the market is relative to how much margin you want for yourself. Do you plan to make just a few at a large profit?, or will you make lots of units and cut the price to move them. At 9 bucks a blank, I'd think you could make a few to keep in stock and do some custom orders too.

 

I am currently on disability. So I have nothing but time, I also have good relations with Rob at Willys works here in Tucson, which would be a good outlet for the sale of replacement dash boards I have gotten a price from a local sheet-metal shop for $9 ea. Regardless of how many I purchase the problem is the investment in the sheet-metal break, should a replacement dash board cost over $100. It would be a go, because I need two myself
Harbor freight is currently selling sheet-metal breaks for $179
and with a lot of things I can justify the purchase of the tool, do the job myself and end up with the tool rather than having another company Profitt
from me paying retail on a part I can make myself. I would like to find a
supplier that actually sells dashboards, if they were $50. It would not make sense for me to purchase the sheet-metal break, because I would have no other use for it.
Doug

 

I have had several made at the local ac/heatng/sheet metal shop I just took them the measurements and they bent it up. I even took an old one by once and the punched the bolt holes along the edges. I use hole saw/jig saw/saws all to cut holes for the guages.

 

This is exactly how I would handle the cut out as well. The only tricky part would be the brace for the steering column. I figured I would cut it out Of the old dash board and with no better system than pop rivets I would rivet it up from behind, a spot welder would be nice. But a few rivets wouldn't bother me, how did you handle this particular detail? Doug

 

On the early ones I cut out where I wanted the column and used a piece of 1" by 1/4" flat stock welded to backside of dash with a pie shaped gusset welded to that and clamped my culum to it with a muffler clamp that I ground a place into base of the clamp that matched the shape of the flat stock. On the 76 and later style(this was a 78)I just laid the old dash on it and copiied the stock cutout because the column bolts to the pedal assembly on those. It's just me....I'd use bolts instead of rivets to do it like your talking about, if I didn't have acess to a welder. hth

 

If it were me I would make them with the curved cutout for the column but no insert, people purchasing them can cut the welds off theres and use button heads to attach it. That being said I would have the holes for mounting the dash and the glove box cutout along with the slots for the windshield clamps and thats it. Alot of guys run aftermarket gauges.
There is a guy on the net that makes them, there over $200. Here is an aluminum one thats $233.
http://www.tellico4x4.com/product_i...25566?osCsid=b0da25650efee6737e9d2ad181ef9956

 

Thanks for the link I assume, like most of us. We have the ability to work with sheet metal. As far as cutting and welding otherwise restoring Jeep's
would be extremely expensive. So my display dash board would only have
cutouts for the speedometer, ignition switch, and whatever came basic
on the original no-frills jeep without the glove compartment cut out
unfortunately aluminum is very expensive. I just wish I could find
what a supplier would want a stock sheet-metal dashboard
should I find purchaseing the sheet-metal break feasable I would offer it with no cutouts to keep the cost down. Then let the customer do as he wants to
and if somebody needs help, the price would keep going up per cut out
purchaseing the sheet-metal break would have to pay for itself. After that
I could actually make money helping others
Doug

 

New Dash is somthing I have not found yet in steel but I do need. Cutting my own holes is fine as I was wanting to do somthing different anyway. Let me know if you decide to do this and how much. I could pick it up from you when I come through Tuscon on the 21st or so of April.

 

Well the blank of sheet-metal costs only $9 and it would take about 10 minutes to cut the notches in the corners and then about five minutes
to make the bends so for members $30 picked up. No shipping sounds fair
this will cover my gasoline to go get a blank, should I not have one around
but this is still pending. Also on the sale of my Ford F-350 diesel. When this truck sells, I will probably just go get the sheet-metal break and stop all this posting, Doug

 

Tommy B made his own dash with a Harbor Freight brake, you might ask him how easy/hard it was. Looked pretty nice, as I recall. I can't believe Jeep Panels Plus doesn't have a pattern for early CJ5 dashes, maybe I should loan him mine....

 

Try these guys as muck as i hate to say,(long story dont ask)
http://www.willysoverland.com/
Toll Free: 888-265-JEEP (5337)

 

Unfortunately I got a flyer in the mail yesterday that showed the break from Harbor freight, and it has a maximum capacity of 36 inches. Not long enough for the 5 foot dashboard will need to go down there and actually see if it can be used for stock over 36 inches, if not I will need to purchase them from a supplier scrapping my idea of making them in quantity
Doug/Tucson

 

Willys overland does not list any parts for the CJ five
so a phone call would be in order
Doug

 

I have looked through the Willys overland site, and although they do not list
early Cj5 in their main menu. They do have some parts so many sites cater to the 2a,s or3b, not the CJ fives. I do not understand why, since there are probably many more CJ fives around
Doug