Has anyone installed a custom dash?
 

Hi folks,

Starting to tinker with my new to me '02 232 Islander. My stock depth finder is sporadic at best, and I picked up a nice compact fish finder/GPS a few weeks ago. I think I am going to install just forward of the controls, so I can get the best angle and keep it out of the way of the dash. Walking through a Bass Pro Shop with my kids, I started looking at most of the new bass boats with finders installed in dash. If there are any pilots on here, it would be like retro-fitting steam gauges to glass.

I looked at things today, and could possibly have a new dash plate/gauge cluster machined, with space for the GPS to double stick tape install in.

Has anyone done this? How did it go? Anything arise out of the ordinary?

Thanks,
Digger

Mine had yellowed and also wanted to mount my GPS in dash AND keep my speedo/GPS too. I ended up moving the fuel gauge, but that came out great, I can see it better through steering wheel. I made out of 1/8th alum sheet and wrapped in white carbon fiber vinyl! Unwiring and rewiring every gauge sucked and was by far the worst part! (Twins)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]558113[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]558114[/ATTACH]
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^^ Looks MUCH better.

That is really awesome. Exactly what I am picturing with mine, only with just a my humble single.

I did my dash

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LK...=w1748-h983-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ou...=w1748-h983-no

I did something similar to Nailit with an aluminum backing and carbon vinyl (3M dynoc). I am not sure if the 252 and 232 share a dash but if so, I might be able to help you with a template that you could get cut locally. I had the aluminum cut at a local LASER/Water Jet shop for a very reasonable. price. The chartplotter pictured is a Garmin 740 which was the biggest I could fit. No complaints with it.

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Baja Dan, it looks close. I have never been up close to the dash of the 252, but I would suspect they share dash lines. A template would be awesome. I don't run mine anywhere big except for Lake Erie, and even then it's just the West end islands. Pretty familiar water, but it's always nice to have cartography and a moving map.

I will try to get in mine and take some basic measurements in the next couple days.

Did your original transducer sit under the motor in a most completely inaccessible place? Not happy, but going to try some plastic bag full of water tricks and see if I can find a place to shoot thru.

Hey Baja Dan, my insert is 7" tall in the middle, and at it's widest 17 1/2" wide. Do you have a template?

[QUOTE=nailit;4468614] Unwiring and rewiring every gauge sucked and was by far the worst part! (Twins)

That is the worse part. I dont know what you did but I took a couple pictures then labeled each wire with a tape tag.

I did mine the day before 4th July, and drank a 12 pack while rewiring.... LOL