If you've been following our work on Vince Venturelli's 1956 Chevrolet C10 either online or in the magazine, you'll know it's received suspension and brake upgrades, but Vince also wanted to upgrade the stock dash, and have a little more information on hand about what was going on under the hood. It just so happens Classic Dash has a kit for that...
With a new molded ABS dash insert (which for most applications are available in carbon fiber, brushed aluminum or matte black finish) and a choice of either Thunder Road or Auto Meter gauges, the kit comes with dash harness, vehicle side harness, wiring connectors, installation clips and screws, and appropriate senders. A comprehensive instruction booklet, not a photocopied piece of paper, is also included.
With the C10 still in our Tech Center after the previous upgrades, it didn't take Jason Scudellari long to pull the old and install the new dash and gauges. It may be a simple job, but a dash mod is very satisfying, as there's not much more that's in your face while driving your truck, except maybe the steering wheel, and that's getting swapped next!
1 Here's what we received from Classic Dash — a new dashboard, wiring harness, clips and screws, LED indicator lights, appropriate senders, and a full complement of Auto Meter Ultra-Lite carbon fiber-faced gauges.
2 The gauges drop into the dash from the front while the retaining brackets are installed from the rear...
3 ...and knurled nuts are installed on the studs finger tight. Repeat for all six gauges.
4 New oil pressure and water temperature senders are included, along with various threaded sleeves to ensure they'll fit most applications.
5 Ensure the gauges are all aligned horizontally before tightening the nuts.
6 Using a 5/32-inch drill bit, the dash was drilled for high beam and turn signal LEDs. A parking brake indicator LED is also included, but we didn't use it.
7 The LEDs install from the front of the dash. They're barrel shaped so secure them as they go in, though a drop of instant glue on the backside once they're seated doesn't hurt.
8 We fitted the high beam indicator in the middle, and the turn signal indicators on each side of the larger diameter gauges.
9 With the dash laid facedown on a clean towel, we started to fit the wiring harness. All connections are pre-fitted and covered in heat shrink tubing.
10 The LED indicators have to be wired. Following the instructions, this orange wire will attach to the left turn signal indicator. Use a decent pair of crimpers and select the appropriate hole for the gauge of wire when stripping and fitting connectors.
11 We used an inline connector, as per Classic Dash's instructions, for the turn signal LED.
12 The wires from the LEDs are of extremely small gauge, so take care when stripping and crimping them.
13 The gauge light wiring is connected next, using the spade connectors supplied.
14 The gauge light bulbs simply press into their relevant holes in the back of each gauge.
15 A jumper wire is supplied, which has a secondary pin, to allow the gauge light grounds to be connected.
16 We used a bolt at the top of the brake pedal bracket to ground the gauges.
17 These clips are supplied and installed on the flanges of the steel dashboard, to mount the new dash.
18 This connector allows the dash to be removed for maintenance or access, without having to remove all the vehicle side wiring.
19 With the screws in place in the clips, the dash is installed. Having the steering wheel removed makes things a lot easier. A cover is supplied for the lower switch holes should you choose not to use them.
20 The new water temperature sender mounts in the intake manifold, with the wiring suitably routed through a grommet in the firewall.
21 The oil pressure sender was wired similarly.
22 The GPS sender for the electronic speedometer was mounted and wired, as per the instructions. A little effort to calibrate it is way simpler than routing a cable!
