• Hello Guest, welcome to the initial stages of our new platform!
    You can find some additional information about where we are in the process of migrating the board and setting up our new software here

    Thank you for being a part of our community!

The unwanted LS 240

Removed the rest of the interior under the dash. Decided to go a bit further on the inside than I expected as I really liked how clean Patrick's car was when seeing it in person. That mixed with the seemingly impossible and daunting nature of trying to find a near perfect early dash made me realize I had a coolish plan to try out - so here is the start of the "dash project."

PS: Dont get your hopes up - I am not nearly as savvy as some other people in this community so if you're looking for some TV show special amazing dash remake you may be disappointed. ;)

Started with removing the two dash halves, and stripping the vents and foam off them.

DlUcLul.jpg


sdj72AL.jpg


Fairly simple really. Just used a long handle gasket scraper to get under the foam and scrape it all up. Cleaned up the rest of the foam with angle grinder wire wheel attachment.

On to paint:

5pBtFKD.jpg


u1CXfpJ.jpg


I am the worlds WORST painter and the most picky person ever. Soooo while these give you a good idea what they will look like, I am going to strip them and powder coat the whole skeleton (seen installed below) gloss black.

Lastly, I reassembled it all into the car to mock up my "big plan."

M2SCl75.jpg


Will have plates welded where the yellow Xs are to make a sort of solid dash, and powder the whole thing black. One solid black rectangle. Then custom cut windows to install my own gauges. I'd like to wrap the dash in some sort of material to make it a little less racecar looking but I'm not that talented, nor that rich - so the racecar look will have to do. Seems like this will be more race car look than street car sadly - but I still have a ways to go and lots to learn. Who knows maybe I'll learn something by the end. At least it'll have carpets!
 
I like your attitude towards diving into this, at the end of the day if you learned something, good, bad, or what you’d do differently and having a good time...so be it. That’s one of the many things that makes it fun working on these things or ‘hot rod-ing’.

Interested in the ‘finished’ look you’re going for with the dash...worst case scenario keep your eye on local junkyard inventory for a donor dash in decent shape. They show up here fairly often. I found a near mint one for my 242 for $35.

Keep up the progress!
 
Interesting dash treatment, I like the direction it is going. I would contact a local auto upholstery guy to put vinyl or something on it. Maybe a thin layer of padding under it to smooth off the look. It wouldn't be expensive.

I couldn't give up the glovebox though. I hate looking at clutter in the car and need to store extra bulbs, fuses, paperwork, zipties and duct tape somewhere haha.

Kinda wish I had a crappy dash to play with now, nice job!
 
I like your attitude towards diving into this, at the end of the day if you learned something, good, bad, or what you?d do differently and having a good time...so be it. That?s one of the many things that makes it fun working on these things or ?hot rod-ing?.

Interested in the ?finished? look you?re going for with the dash...worst case scenario keep your eye on local junkyard inventory for a donor dash in decent shape. They show up here fairly often. I found a near mint one for my 242 for $35.

Keep up the progress!

Its also helped to start with a car I hated from the start. Well... I mean "hated." I like it, but I also never really WANTED it, so it is nice to be able to learn and make mistakes on a car that has no real emotional place in my heart..... yet.


Interesting dash treatment, I like the direction it is going. I would contact a local auto upholstery guy to put vinyl or something on it. Maybe a thin layer of padding under it to smooth off the look. It wouldn't be expensive.

I couldn't give up the glovebox though. I hate looking at clutter in the car and need to store extra bulbs, fuses, paperwork, zipties and duct tape somewhere haha.

Kinda wish I had a crappy dash to play with now, nice job!

Its an interesting project indeed. I may keep the glovebox now that you mention that, however I'm not sure the car came with one so I'd have to track one down and I really am not interested in scouring for factory parts at the moment. Hard to find and expensive to pay for Id mostly like to work the money on the big stuff to get it running. I could always leave that hole open until I find a box to use...
 
It's not hard to find one (glove box), post in the wanted ads. I got an extra for a very reasonable price, I can't remember what it was so it must have been cheap haha. It probably wouldn't be hard to talk me out of the extra one I have, could use the shelf space.

I might try the same thing, stripping the dash, but I will have it recovered with something. Hard to believe that hasn't occurred to me..thanks for the idea!
 
It's not hard to find one (glove box), post in the wanted ads. I got an extra for a very reasonable price, I can't remember what it was so it must have been cheap haha. It probably wouldn't be hard to talk me out of the extra one I have, could use the shelf space.

I might try the same thing, stripping the dash, but I will have it recovered with something. Hard to believe that hasn't occurred to me..thanks for the idea!

Absolutely! It actually comes off real easy, especially when its old and crumbly.

I might take you up on that glove box. Fits an early dash? What were you looking to make off it? ;)
 
I don't want to make anything off it, just get back what I paid. Gotta try to figure that out, PM me if you want it. Ya it's an early dash box.
 
So today my friend wasn't using the lift for any work - I decided to occupy it and get some more essentials done.

First had to drain engine and tranny in prep for removing them today. Oil was black, chunky, and sludge looking so that motor is already loaded into the back of a pickup and headed to scrap yard tomorrow. Saved the valve cover, and intake manifold as suggested. If I missed any more important bits or valuable bits - post fast - engine is gone tomorrow hehe.

Draining trans was iffy. The fluid was red, but the plug looked as such:

iH4dMm9.jpg


Not sure if its just because its manual and maybe someone might not have been driving it too well or if its actually going to be pretty worn. Would love to keep it around to possibly sell to someone in need but this didnt look optimistic. Your thoughts?

Then got the car in the air, did the things and got this out.

6fYMZh6.jpg


Perfect. Easy stuff done - now something I've never done before but enjoyed doing:

2CoAdCl.jpg


$105 later at the local paint store and I'm off to fix some very minor rust spots on the car. Take a look at before and after grinding the trouble spots away:

G3zfE0t.png


FkX0GqE.png


Not going to toot my own horn about fixing super crazy cancer rust like some resto hero but proud of those prep results on this easy stuff. Then painted it all in my first layer of POR15:

Note - some areas I didnt take before pics, but they werent too bad. Basically the worst was the cross member, and the pinch welds from impropper jack ups.

PVeiPOu.jpg


fBk7cu5.jpg


lhAKWCF.jpg


Next spots to fix are all on the top side, like battery tray and drivers quarter panel areas, though I'll probably grind the rust and use primer on the painted areas as I plan to order some color matched paint to spray over after a while.

Now I'm left with this! Time to degrease, clean, cut, grind and pull all the extra junk out! More updates very soon.

xDBCaQi.jpg
 
Last edited:
I already love where this is going, especially being a brown 242. Keep up the good work!

I did the same with my left doors and front fenders, just grinding, rust converter and brown alkyton sprayed on... Still holds up nice without bubbling at heavy deep rustspots.
 
Couldnt help it, had some extra POR left and there are some very minor surface rust spots on the inside floor pan... so I cleaned it all and sealed it FOREVER. THERE WILL BE NO RUST

Vpc10Wr.jpg


1SohOnx.jpg


In the spirit of saving sad cars from sad deaths - I got my motor from an abandoned car that was literally using a post office box as a driver seat. This is who we are sharing the roads with...

1apkRma.jpg


Car was towed by the company who our shop is next to and promised me its a runner. Compression felt good when removing it, but there was no key so no chance to start it. They said if it isnt good they will pull me another one no problem so no worries there.

5tSddgn.jpg


Slapped it on the stand, and now I have to wait...

FjkwjKV.jpg


Went on a mountain bike ride recently only to take a really big spill and end the day with a cracked rib and lots of muscle bruising in the chest. So now the project will take a slight slow down - but theres not much to work on at this point anyway.

This is the last frame of GoPro footage before I was over the handlebars.

GwYDyeA.png


Oh... and I decided to go AR5 just like my buddy. It honestly just seems like it would be everything I want and I like the quality of the adapter kit by FABbot sooooo I'm going AR5.
 
Couldnt help it, had some extra POR left and there are some very minor surface rust spots on the inside floor pan... so I cleaned it all and sealed it FOREVER. THERE WILL BE NO RUST
Ha ha, awesome! The bug has bitten you. There is no escape now.

In the spirit of saving sad cars from sad deaths - I got my motor from an abandoned car that was [...] towed by the company who our shop is next to and promised me its a runner. Compression felt good when removing it, but there was no key so no chance to start it. They said if it isnt good they will pull me another one no problem so no worries there.
Holy carp. Not just a $200 car but also a free LS motor?? Wow. You know the right people. If this news gets out, watch for people lining up their pickup trucks ready to load up the next unwanted motor... :)
 
Ohhhhh no, haha. Wasnt free, but was only $500! haha
Even so, I think you should have been wearing a mask. :lol: That's a steal. Even in unknown condition, if they can promise you that it runs and will offer you a different one if you discover the need... Well done, indeed!
 
Back
Top