1984 Bayliner 1600 Cuddy Dash Replacement

[afarrens]

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=567730&page=2

I am rebuilding the dash on my 1984 bayliner capri - and just wanted some of your thoughts and ideas. I got a steal of a deal on some gauges - (RPM, Speed, Oil, volt, temp, gas, warning light). I cut out a template and was fiddling with it last night. The idea is that I don't cut out the holes i won't use, but I leave room in the design in case I want to add something later...and it still looks uniform/good
Here is a mock up of my dash - wondering what you guys think, any potential problems or maybe some feedback would be great...
also wondering if you have any idea on the material - looks like the original is a tiny sheet of plastic garbage. I figured the cheapest way to go that would still look good is just a flat piece of plywood with a vinyl wrap over it? Approx Measurements are 10"x23"
here's a couple pics of my mock up


Help?

 

[jkust]

Re: 1984 Bayliner 1600 Cuddy Dash Replacement

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=567730&page=2

I am rebuilding the dash on my 1984 bayliner capri - and just wanted some of your thoughts and ideas. I got a steal of a deal on some gauges - (RPM, Speed, Oil, volt, temp, gas, warning light). I cut out a template and was fiddling with it last night. The idea is that I don't cut out the holes i won't use, but I leave room in the design in case I want to add something later...and it still looks uniform/good
Here is a mock up of my dash - wondering what you guys think, any potential problems or maybe some feedback would be great...
also wondering if you have any idea on the material - looks like the original is a tiny sheet of plastic garbage. I figured the cheapest way to go that would still look good is just a flat piece of plywood with a vinyl wrap over it? Approx Measurements are 10"x23"
here's a couple pics of my mock up
View attachment 161911

Help?

The original material was indeed a thin sheet of plastic typer material with a guide to navigation aids on it. The dash was the same for the I/O as it was for the outboard. The outboard just had blanks where the I/O guages would have been. Our 1984 dash still looks as it did in 84 condition wise so I think it was really how much unchecked exposure to the sun it received as opposed to it being just gargage.

 

[afarrens]

Re: 1984 Bayliner 1600 Cuddy Dash Replacement

either way, i am not fond of the old one...its dark, ugly and not pleasing to the eye. Plus most of the components don't work so if I am fixing the switches, might as well "upgrade" if you want to call it that.

 

[afarrens]

Re: 1984 Bayliner 1600 Cuddy Dash Replacement

Ohhh...i did not think of the reflection piece..good call out, have to take that into consideration. I was just at the home superstore looking for ideas.. found couple all priced around the same -

sheet wood, nice grain easy to work with - can fabricate at home - about 20 bucks
I found this thick laminate floor stuff, multiple styles - can drill through - about 40 bucks
diamond plate - too hard for me to work with and too expensive about 60 bucks
I can get flooring boards and glue them together - but have to buy a full box, about 40 bucks...easier to just get a sheet of good plywood and stain.

I did find a thick sheet of plexiglass type material - I think i read somewhere that someone painted the back side and used this. its pretty cheap - 15 bucks for the glass then another 4 bucks for spray paint. Stuff was really scratch resistant, I tested.
Thoughts?

 

[jkust]

Re: 1984 Bayliner 1600 Cuddy Dash Replacement

I'm a fan of something dark and non-relective. Makes watching the guages easier on bright days.

The Outboard made it simple given it only had a speedo.

 

[afarrens]

Re: 1984 Bayliner 1600 Cuddy Dash Replacement

The Outboard made it simple given it only had a speedo.

original had an RPM and Speedo but the speedo is not currently working...need to fix that also!

 

[NYBo]

Re: 1984 Bayliner 1600 Cuddy Dash Replacement

I went from this:

to this:

I made the panel from 1/4" oak plywood, stained it, and sealed it with with 3 coats of spar urethane. If I had to do it over, I would have gotten a larger GPS/fishfinder and either eliminated the speedometer or mounted the small gauges in pods above the dash.

 

[afarrens]

Re: 1984 Bayliner 1600 Cuddy Dash Replacement

I went from this:

to this:

I made the panel from 1/4" oak plywood, stained it, and sealed it with with 3 coats of spar urethane. If I had to do it over, I would have gotten a larger GPS/fishfinder and either eliminated the speedometer or mounted the small gauges in pods above the dash.

Awesome thinking integrating the fish finder into the dash ~ I wish I had one of those! Its on the list to do. the Misses designed the layout and likes the way it looks so i'll have to find another place for the fish finder later. I think I'm going to try the plexiglass route. Its only going to cost about 25 bucks, and if I screw it up i can just throw it away and start over.

 

[afarrens]

Re: 1984 Bayliner 1600 Cuddy Dash Replacement

So, after wandering the aisles of the home superstore looking for a item to make my dash out of i left with a strip of basic plywood with the intentions of laminating it. On the way home i noticed a store that was some type of sign manufacture and swung in to see if they had anything that would work...boy was that a good move - they had hundreds of different types of plastic that I could use. and if I wanted them to laser cut out the holes for me they could. I was able to buy a nice sheet of scrap white plastic that should work for less then 15 bucks. The lady said it was high density weather proof, guarneteed not to fade material. I settled on the plain white and figured at that price i could go home, give it a try myself, and if I screw it up completely I can just come back and have it professionally done - she quoted me about 90 bucks for the laser work. I'll try it tonight and post some pictures up tomorrow!

 

[afarrens]

Re: 1984 Bayliner 1600 Cuddy Dash Replacement

as promised - here are a few pictures!
not bad if I do say so myself!

 

[NYBo]

Re: 1984 Bayliner 1600 Cuddy Dash Replacement

Looking good!

 

[afarrens]

Re: 1984 Bayliner 1600 Cuddy Dash Replacement

Ok..things on the dash replacement are coming along. Think I have most of it wired up correctly now. The horn seems not to work anymore, but I have not dug into that thing yet. I think if I could do this over again, I would have gone with one of the plastics that had a flat glass like surface. this one is hard to clean, and white is showing my finger prints pretty easily. Here are a couple of pictures.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 1984 Bayliner 1600 Cuddy Dash Replacement

Put your oil pressure and temp gauges next to each other. They are your two most important gauges.

 

[afarrens]

Re: 1984 Bayliner 1600 Cuddy Dash Replacement

Put your oil pressure and temp gauges next to each other. They are your two most important gauges.

85hp force motor = no oil gauge. But i did put the temp gauge in the easiest place to see...

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 1984 Bayliner 1600 Cuddy Dash Replacement

85hp force motor = no oil gauge. But i did put the temp gauge in the easiest place to see...

Ahhh..you said oil in your first post so I assumed you had an I/O.

 

[afarrens]

Re: 1984 Bayliner 1600 Cuddy Dash Replacement

my new guage set i bought came complete with oil, and temp and volt. Just have no use for the oil.
speaking of...selling one oil gauge, anyone need one.