GrandWillys Project

[Steve Hamilton]

Hi Marcus
The dash looks to be working out nicely, will you be able to include vents to defrost or dehumidify the wind screen?

I agree sunlight for heat on th dash, most trim shops use a steamer to make repairs.

Thanks for sharing the progress

Steve

[Gojeep]

Originally Posted by Steve Hamilton

Hi Marcus
The dash looks to be working out nicely, will you be able to include vents to defrost or dehumidify the wind screen?

I agree sunlight for heat on th dash, most trim shops use a steamer to make repairs.

Thanks for sharing the progress

Steve

I have to have defrost vents otherwise it could never get registered here! I'd want them any how but have just finish custom making a set for it and will be in the next update hopefully.

I left the leather in the hot sun today and put a drop of water each time I walked past it in the indentations. Has come up a lot and 95% there already.

[racer-john]

Increbidle work Marcus.

[Gojeep]

Originally Posted by racer-john

Increbidle work Marcus.

Many thanks John.

[hot rivet]

If the indentations are in "real" leather steam is usually effective, if the indentations are because the backing (foam or plastic) the leather is bonded to is damaged then i would try heat and some force from the inside like PDR style body work.

This build just amazes me with the detail and skill you you have joined the old and new

[Gojeep]

Originally Posted by hot rivet

If the indentations are in "real" leather steam is usually effective, if the indentations are because the backing (foam or plastic) the leather is bonded to is damaged then i would try heat and some force from the inside like PDR style body work.

This build just amazes me with the detail and skill you you have joined the old and new

Thanks Paul.
The indentations are now gone. We just had a couple of days with 38*C/100*F plus days and it lifted on its own in the sun.

[Gojeep]

Thanks also for the suggestions on getting rid of the dents left in the leather. We had a couple of 38*C/100*F+ days so left the hood piece in the sun and put a drop of water in the indentations. They lifted right up on their own with barely a trace left.


Couldn't find any vents that would work in the tight space I had to come up in behind the instrument panel. Thought I might as well try to make some. Wanted to fit a 2" hose so made the short end half the circumference. The other end the maximum width I could fit above the instrument panel plus enough for half the depth of the vent opening.


As the two halves need to be mirror images of each other, I first ran one through the stretcher on three sides and the other the shrinker. No hammering at all done yet. Easier to feed through the machines, especially the rounded end.


Just turned the edges over by eye.


Used this hammer over a sand bag to help start the curved end.


Refined the shape over some pipe.


Flared the ends over for some area for the spot welds to attach it to the dash support later.


Welded the two sides together.


Ready to try out.


Fits in just nicely over the instrument panel and curves down the backside of the cowl.


Another was made for the other side so the pressure difference would be the same left to right.


Want to say a big thank you to Bob Daley who showed his wife Suz this build. They sent over this Willys Overland workers badge from her Grandfather who worked in the plant and quite likely help put this Truck together in 1948! Not only that but also her father too was there around that time. I hope to find a good place in the cab to fix this once it is finished.

[Steve Hamilton]

That badge is the perfect finishing touch, a real treasure!

Nice work on the ducts!

Steve

[MP&C]

Nice work on the dash vents!

[Marc Bourget]

Just me "eyeballing" the discharge angle of the defroster ducts, but will these "spill" the air onto the inside of the windshield, or will inserts in the dash cover handle that task?