Those just comming onboard at CCT Forums go back to previous posts to see more on this home build.I had some time since I sent JP the old bench seat so I worked some on installing the instrument panel. Like all the parts in this truck, the items where purchased years ago to "rough in" the items before body work and painting. The last thing I wanted to get caught up in was cutting metal with nice new painted or body work to fit something. It was nice to see these items come together now. The instrument panel in the GMC is different than it's brother in the Chevy. My truck is customized so the instruments and panel are also. I bought this item on Ebay and it came with Dolphin gauges. I probably would have selected different gauges if possible but the deal was too sweet to pass. So billet panel with Dolphin gages it is.I mounted the gauges with the provided brackets.I marked each gauge with tape and marker so no confusion or constant flipping of the panel is needed. I like being sure of things so this made constant checking of wiring terminations easy for me.I used some scrap wire from the Painless harness to solder up the B- and B+ common wires. Srink tube was placed on the connections.The Painless harness wires are marked well but very small and difficult for me to read without a magnify glass so I marked each wire for the gauges with tape and marker. The instructions and wires are identifed well but the print is to small to constantly read. I know I'll be back inside this dash many times over so I left enough harness to remove the panel and place it on the seat to make improvements or repairs.I used these spade connectors to join the sending wires to the pig tails I made from the gauges. Later one of the improvements will be to make up a block connector for these. For now this will get the job done and make no difference but I will be able to remove the panel from the harness completely If needed.This explains itself. The Grant steering wheel sent the interior over the top. I still need to get the toe boards, head liner and some other small things done inside but it's shaping up now. I got plans to make the toe boards up with some walnut to match the bed boards. I'll put some decent speakers in and finish with the Helmsman. I'll probably make a center console to match. The custom GMC floor mats turned out nice too.Look closer and you'll see the stainless panel I made under the dash for the accessory switches. I have an LED alluminated push switch for the starter in this panel. It's the same as the door switches I wrote you about in the earlier posts. I have more than enough switches here to wire seat heaters and other stuff in the future.Keep on truckin'
beautiful install...a neat tip that will help in the future...if you own a Ptouch.. you can create labels for the wires.. the use clear shrink tube to encase them .. i learned this trick from my older brother..(rip) he worked in recording studios ..if you don't have a P touch but do have a laser printer.. or even an inkjet.. print the words of the circuits out.. you can use the copy and paste commands to create batches of them to allow you to have a lot to choose from.. and its cheeper than a Ptouch.. snip and use the clear shrink tubing..
That sounds like the ticket I'm looking for. Thanks for the tip. I'll be getting into some circuits for air horn, seat heaters and other lights. It'll be nice to do these right. I'll be thanking you and myself years later when everything looks like spagetti but the tags clear things up at a glance. I never really searched for anything as I've been busy getting into the nuts and bolts of the whole thing. I wish I could have done the wires in the doors now. Atleast the gauge panel comes out easy and I can do those later as need be.