Dash pad or no dash pad?

[oldmopars]

I have been pondering this question and was looking for some pictures and input. My 72 is rusted out and so i got a good complete body that is a 71. When I got the 71 donor it can mostly stripped out and so the dash is missing. I kind of like the looks of the smooth dash, but I am not sure what to do about the holes left from the missing pad. If I weld them up it will require removing the glass, welding grinding painting etc.
Add to this the fact that my 72 came with a new dash pad in the deal and has not been installed(still new). I also acquired a set of steel door panels because I like the all steel look. It's a truck, who wants plastic?
Any input, suggestions, etc?

[elgemcdlf]

I guess it would depend on what you want as a finished truck. Personally I like the smooth dash look. So much so I am swapping out my dash for 1 from a '57 Fairlane all smoothed out with no pad. If you are going for a nice looking restored look I would use the pad.

[cdeal28078]

I am the opposite. I like the padded dash. Mine was pretty bad off so I just put one of the $100 plastic covers over it and am happy with it. Yeah I'd rather have a new real dash but for the money I am happy
clint

[elgemcdlf]

I am the opposite. I like the padded dash. Mine was pretty bad off so I just put one of the $100 plastic covers over it and am happy with it. Yeah I'd rather have a new real dash but for the money I am happy
clint

Clint I know a guy here in Indy that has a perfect black pad. You can contact him at Trucks Plus, Indianapolis, IN. He knows my truck so he shows me things he has had sitting for quite some time. He pulled it years ago and it has been stored inside. He also has a very nice looking cluster. 317-632-9066 is the phone number. No idea what he wants for it as I am swapping in a '57 Fairlane dash.

[mybros71]

I welded the holes up in the dash on my brother's 71 before I sold it to him. I really like it. He gets a lot of compliments on it too. I chipped the vent grilles out of the pad and put them on the dash with some stainless screws. (they used the old grilles for registers when they molded the pads) The dash looks like it was made that way from the factory.

[Whateverman]

the dashpad makes a nice flat surface to throw a coffee cup or burger & fries etc. onto so i vote dashpad

[mybros71]

However, I bought a lot of coffee and hamburgers with the 300 bucks I saved.

[austin]

i vote no pad i pulled the pad off my 2 wheel drive and liked it so much i did it to my highboy too

[mybros71]

http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... =6&t=38507

Here is a thread with a few pics on this subject.

[72BahamaBlue]

I like the dashpad. No pad always reminds me of our '61 Falcon. No pad, cardboard sunvisors, as bare an interior as possible. I always felt bad for the passengers; in the event of a collision, at least I had the steering wheel to hang on to...

[mybros71]

I like the dashpad. No pad always reminds me of our '61 Falcon. No pad, cardboard sunvisors, as bare an interior as possible. I always felt bad for the passengers; in the event of a collision, at least I had the steering wheel to hang on to...

The auto manufacturers learner pretty quickly that those padded dashes didn't do much in the way of crash protection. In one of these trucks, at a speed where you hit the dash and you're restrained, there's a very narrow margin of speed where the dash is going to matter. The bodies and frames aren't engineered well enough to attenuate the crash energy. I think the padded dash looks good but is way expensive to replace. I just dont think they are much good at protecting anything, unless it's your mutt sliding off the seat cause you ran in the ditch and spilled your barley-pop.

[Whateverman]

the dash padding was touted as a safety feature ...i suppose the thinking was that you'd probably just knock a few teeth out before heading out thru the windshield as opposed to braining yourself before exiting the vehicle in the same manner.....

[red403]

I vote no dash pad I like the look of it better.

[cdeal28078]

I don't like the ash pad for any kind of safety factor I just think it looks right that way. I am not a purist in anyway. I don't care much for lowered trucks, shaved drip rails and stuff like that so I guess maybe I am in a way. I just don't think a bald dash looks nice. Like they say to each his own. eldemcdlf I appreciate the number and contact but I won't spend the money on a dash pad at this time. Maybe some day but now I have other irons in the fire. I appreciate it though.
clint

[wndsofchng06]

Bringing back on an old topic.......

I just pulled the pad off mine today. I like the smooth look, however, I am not sure I want to go through the trouble of filling the holes.... we'll see I guess.