The dash on my ’59 Chevy Apache always looked out of place with the Fleetside bed. I was brainstorming what I could do to set it apart or make it better match the truck’s exterior, when my good friend Jesse Barnes said he had a spare ’64 Chevy Nova dash that would match the lines of the bed better than the stock dash.

I knew this was no easy task and, to be honest, I was not sure if I was up for the challenge. I can MIG and TIG thicker-gauge material with no problem, but when it comes to the thinner dash-like material it is really easy to burn a hole right through the edges. I also wondered if the ’64 Nova dash would fit. I spent about a day trimming the edges and lining up the Nova dash to check if it would come close to fitting with minimal fabrication. After some more trimming and brainstorming I was confident that it would not look out of place; it was time to mark and cut the stock ’59 dash out. I know that the dash is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it should give the home customizer a chance to explore his or her options on what can be done with minimal tools and tons of planning. CT


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