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Ok progress today. I managed to finally get the dash out. The hardest part is getting to the two phillips-head screws that hold the bottom of the dash cluster to the dash.

I finally found out the easiest way was to pull out the front seat and lie down on the floor to be able to see and feel up in the tangle of wires.

So I pulled the seat out, and then realized I needed to shop-vac the floor to get up all the pieces of tar paper, rust flakes, rat droppings and nesting. As well as remove foam pieces that have shed from the seat.

Then I laid down a mexican blanket (otherwise known as my seat cover) over the floor. Then I was able to get up under the dash and get things loose. It was all the bolts that secure and brace the steering wheel that were the hardest to get out. They will some twisting and cursing that made sailors blush at the naval base in San Diego 80 miles away, I was able to get the cluster out. The wires removed/cut loose, and the dash out of the car. Where the wires were screwed to terminals on the cluster I cut them leaving a couple of inches of wire. This will give me a color coded road map when the new harness goes in. I am glad that that I did pull the dash as the rodent damage to the harness was far worst than I thought. They really enjoyed chewing on the wires that were cloth covered. Most of the plastic wiring was just brittle from age.

I also was able to pull away more of the petrified rubber floor covering(mat). The rust is pretty extensive in the front of the floorboards and where the accelerator pedal pivots on the floor is completely rotten. So I may have to bump up the schedule on addressing the floor rust.

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I may try to find a good used or NOS turn signal and shifter levers. The chrome on mine is horrible and pitted. I figure since I have the dash apart, this would be the best time to pull the column apart and address those. I also need to find the "ball knobs" that are used on the heater/vent controls. Those are not in the best shape either.

I notice that your instrument cluster has idiot lights for OP and GEN. Are you going to install new mechanical gauges, hidden or visible?

Craig

Craig,

I replaced the oil pressure sender. If the pressure drops bellow 20 psi, then the OP light comes on. GEN light will be wired up to the alternator, and it will work just like the ALT idiot light on any GM product. I want to keep the interior as stock looking as possible. If I decide that other gauges are needed, then I will hide them up on the glove box or something. I actually have two spare complete dash clusters to use for parts if required. Those clusters and gauges are one year only, and were only used on the Clipper Specials and Deluxes.

The only non-original portion of the interior will be the seat material. I am not going to spend $2000 just on the fabric to have SMS produce it for me. So I will just find something similar.

Also my car came with minimal carpet and instead used large thin rubber floor covering(mats). I am going to go with full carpet like the Senior models.

Kev, if you like, I could supply you with some of our mouton carpet I wrote and pictured in West Petersons project blog. This carpet is way better than rubber mats because it keeps the grass cut and takes care of the weeds. Would really be a crowd pleaser at the shows.

I'd be concerned the vacuum may not be able to handle the carpet droppings--unless one of the rusted spots could be left untouched for that contingency.

No more animals of any kind in the Clipper! Not unless I am installing a grass floor! It would work well as the floor already has multiple drainage holes!

Someone asked me the other day what it will be worth when it's done. My reply is that I am never going to sell it, but if it would only be worth 1/3rd of what I will end put into it. Lots of blood, sweat and tears...... literally. For me it's a challenge to bring something back from the jaws of the crusher, and say that I did all the work myself. Only thing I wont do myself is probably the interior. The only thing I have had to send out at this point was the water pump.

Just for the record.... 1954 Senior Wonderbar radio will not fit in a '54 Clipper dash. The knob hole spacing is different with the senior being wider. I guess I can flip it out on ebay.

Interesting. How much wider and does the senior bezel fit the dash contour? The overall stamping looks the same & would have thought the oval opening would be too. Except for the ign switch location, wonder if they might be using a 53 dash in the Clipper since the knob pattern is the same and if a 53 radio would work. There is a different part number for senior vs junior 3 way tuning radios but thought that might be knob patterns--maybe not.

Howard, I'll give it a measure when I get home. This could be another oddity in the '54 Clipper. I know '54 Super Clipper dashes are the same ones as '53 Clippers. But '54 Specials and Deluxes are different.