Dash Frame Interchange?

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Darticon

Darticon

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Ok, I know this may be a stretch.

There is a guy selling his dash frame from a 69 barracuda here. It looks pretty much dead-same as this photo I found of a 70 rallye dash in a Dart. I'd love to get a rallye dash in my 73 Dart. The last owner cut the crap out of the sheet metal to put their double-din stereo unit in it... with a can opener or tin-snips...

Were these frames interchangeable from these years?


1970_nempls-mn_dash.jpg
 
Man, that would be great. Only "problem" I just realized is that the ignition on the one he is selling is to the right of the steering column in the dash. May have to do something creative with it but would still get me the rallye gauge package.

Thanks!
 
The connectors of the current underdash wiring harness will probably need to be re-worked to work in the Rallye dash cluster and don't forget about the dash VIN number plate.

I am using a 66 Barracuda dash in my 65 dart wagon along with a Dakota Digital conversion and a modified Mirada underdash wiring harness. Don't have to worry about a dash VIN plate!
 
The dash frame will bolt right in. The VIN tag is an issue, you'll need the proper rivets and to follow whatever legal procedure required by your local DMV. It's for a repair though so it shouldn't be a problem.

The wires in the gauge connector will need to be re-ordered, and you need to add an additional 3 post connector (or make the connections another way) for the rallye dash. The re-order should look similar to this, this is the key I made when I swapped my '74 over to a rallye dash. The standard cluster layout is followed by the locations those wires need to be moved to on the connector for the rallye dash.

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I used an American AutoWire harness for my Valiant with a standard dash. It comes supplied with the connectors required for both standard and rallye dash. If you pick up a rallye dash, shoot me a pm, and anything I have to facilitate your install is all yours.

I will never use them as proper and refined sleepers don't have rallye dashes, they are too uncouth and beastly :icon_fU:
 
Thanks 65 Dartman & 72bluNblu, that's some great info!

And JoeSBP, awesome of you to offer that. He said it would come with the harness and everything but I'm sure i'll still have to change some connections around like they were saying. My car is already considered uncouth just for being a 'beaker' Dart. The peeling clear-coat and primer gray spots don't help much either. I may as well go with a posh interior.
 
I put one in my Duster. I actually cut my standard dash frame to fit the rallye cluster, although I don't recommend that. Way easier to replace the frame. I also modified the bezel and restored it myself, so it's not like stock. I shortened it up so it didn't cover the whole dash. There's a bunch of pictures in my build thread, it's in the first couple pages. The link is in my signature.

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72bluNblu said:
I put one in my Duster. I actually cut my standard dash frame to fit the rallye cluster, although I don't recommend that. Way easier to replace the frame. I also modified the bezel and restored it myself, so it's not like stock. I shortened it up so it didn't cover the whole dash. There's a bunch of pictures in my build thread, it's in the first couple pages. The link is in my signature.
Click to expand...

That's friggen beautiful. I have a second glovebox door without all the plastic mine has on it. That looks much more pleasing with that gone and the bit shaved off on the right. I'm gonna have to go through that whole thread.
 
Also to remove
Darticon said:
He said it would come with the harness and everything but I'm sure i'll still have to change some connections around like they were saying.
Click to expand...

If it comes with the harness all you might have to do is change some connectors at the bulkhead connector. A wiring diagram for your year and the donor year will prove invaluable.

I’m not saying this is the legal way to do the VIN tag, but have heard it done this way: cut the VIN rivets from the bottom so that the head remains on the tag. Glue the rivet head to the tag if needed, then lightly glue the VIN tag to the replacement dash frame. Is it legal - probably not.
 
Darticon said:
That's friggen beautiful. I have a second glovebox door without all the plastic mine has on it. That looks much more pleasing with that gone and the bit shaved off on the right. I'm gonna have to go through that whole thread.
Click to expand...

Thanks! :D

65 Dartman said:
Also to remove


If it comes with the harness all you might have to do is change some connectors at the bulkhead connector. A wiring diagram for your year and the donor year will prove invaluable.

I’m not saying this is the legal way to do the VIN tag, but have heard it done this way: cut the VIN rivets from the bottom so that the head remains on the tag. Glue the rivet head to the tag if needed, then lightly glue the VIN tag to the replacement dash frame. Is it legal - probably not.
Click to expand...

Yeah don’t do that. The correct rivets can be purchased from ECS.
 
A 73 model climate controller wont mount in a rally dash inst' housing and bezel. You might finger out how to make the pre 73 controller operate the 73 up plenum doors.
The hazard flasher switches and wiring are in different locations also.
 
Crap. that's right. I had just recently rebuilt mine because the plastic bits on the back were brittle/broken too. Sounds like he has it sold to someone else now anyhow - probably for the best, save me from myself. I need to finish everything else I've started on this car.

IMG_1479.JPG
 
The 69 climate controller wasn't backlighted either. IF we were to build you a custom DIN friendly rally panel, I could put you OEM backlighted controller in place of the rally bezels marques.
Honestly... To graft your controllers fascia into one of the reproduction bezels from classicdash would be a heck of a lot easier than what I've done with OEM rally bezels.
Look at your pic above and try to imagine the gray plastic of a rally bezel sort of sandwiched between the black and white. No I'm not talking super glue LOL. It has to be stable and serviceable.
I would need to modify my metal support plate of course.
Anyway.... Do save the creature comforts for last. First is stop, then go , then happy moparing.

DeMonDIN 02.JPG
 
Not super glue jb weld it man. That **** is great. Really, if joe blow can glue his tractor block back together with it man i'm in. JB on a JD awesome lol.

Seriously though, my 67 rallye dash is non A/C, and i was thinking of mounting 1 or 2 small flat faced LEDs flush or slightly under flush inset above the heater control pointing down. I think this will light the area without the driver seeing the LED itself, just the indirect glow from it.
 
The hazard flasher hole on the pre 1970 rallye dash can be used for a driving light switch. Or use a 67 rallye dash frame w keyhole filled, and a 71 rallye dash bezel. This way it eliminates the extra switch hole in the bezel for hazards, and a 67 and 71 use a shaft type radio in the same location, drill two 1/8" holes in same spot on 67 dash where your vin is on the 73 dash, and move it over. $15 a pair for special vin rivets.
 
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Since the dash pad looks to run the full width, you could probably cut the dash all the way across, & weld the part with the VIN to the new frame-under the pad

Maybe....Id have to look at the actual parts
 
RogerRamRod said:
Since the dash pad looks to run the full width, you could probably cut the dash all the way across, & weld the part with the VIN to the new frame-under the pad

Maybe....Id have to look at the actual parts
Click to expand...
Why ???
Just xfer the vin to the new dash, buy a pair of the special 1/8" vin pop rivets for $15 and move the vin plate. Its not illegal to do that if the vin is going back on the same car.
 
Cuz it could be done today instead of waiting on the UPS guy? I don't know. Just another way to get it done.
 
Personally i am one to wait and do it right than hack n weld. Haste makes waste. Plus hacking and welding the section of the dash with the vin into another dash looks suspicious as hell if the car is ever sold. compared to just moving the vin itself and using a pair of the special rivets. even if it is the correct vin for the car, and if its this old, it could prob use a new windshield gasket and sealer when the dash is pulled to swap it out.
 
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That would be more ideal actually. I talked to the O.P. by PM. He put a lot of work into his standard dash, and decided to keep it.
 
woops, thought I had posted in here with what ended up. The deal did fall through and only reason I was contemplating it was because it was pretty much a bolt in affair (other than removing the damn windshield).

I had done a lot to the stock dash, and while it will probably piss off the purists, I got rid of all the full-cover plastic bits so it really looks more like how the Duster dash was.

Still have not made a final decision on body color so for now I went with John Deere Blitz Black.

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