New Dash Panel, need opinions
 

I am in the process of creating a new dash layout for my Concept 30. Pictured I have the template I made on Saturday. The more I look at it, the more I want to move the radio down and put the Concept logo on top (basically flip-flop the radio and logo). What do you guys think, Radio on top or in the middle?

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps23596de9.jpg

Agree. Swap radio / logo.

Remember to keep enough room so radio faceplate does not hit circuit breakers when you flip down the faceplate.

Swap....

Definitely like this way much better....

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/z...psb6df782e.jpg

+1 ....Looks sweet, Post some pics of the new dash as you are building it

Here it is fitted in the boat. I had originally thought of doing it blue to match the wheel and arch (which is being powder coated candy blue) with silver lettering. The more I look at it, I am now thinking white with blue lettering? What do you guys think on color??

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps88ba0321.jpg

White.

White if you can match the rest of the console.... Are you going to take the bezels and have them coated to match the wheel?

They already are....... The controls are being powder coated as well. There won't be any gauges on the new panel. All gauges will be an the panel with the wheel. The GPS is smart craft enabled so it can show me all of my gauges if I choose.....

The reason I was thinking blue is because the arch, bow rails, seat base, controls, and grab handles are being powder coated candy blue (same color as steering wheel.

Does the boat have any graphics? You could do it in white and do something to compliment the graphics along with the name.

Right now. The boat has an ugly blue and yellow stripe, that is being removed. So for the time being the hull will be solid white, with candy blue arch, rails, etc. It will also have the "Concept 30" in matching blue. Eventually it will get a graphic, but just like my Velocity, I have to have the boat for a while and then eventually I will come up with a design the suits the boat well...

I decided to use MS paint to try and see what the new panel would look like Blue with Neon Green Graphic and Labels. Our plan is to eventually add a graphic to the hull sides that is primarily blue with a small neon green highlight. So with that in mind I think this is what we are going to go with. It just didn't sound like it was going to work until I was able to see it (even if it is a rough representation)....

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps15e6510d.jpg

This is clear acrylic with the hull graphics painted on the back from my new Renegade build. GPS cover will be painted to match just to give you some ideas.

Erik[ATTACH=CONFIG]522696[/ATTACH]

Sorry for the upside down pic haha

The one I am having done will be done on clear acrylic as well. Just instead of a graphic, solid color. The switch labels and the concept logo will be painted from the back side as well.

I like the blue. Less glare in bright sunlight.

I wanted to try and take apart both Tachs to repaint the inner trim ring due to yellowing before I bought new ones. The Tachs worked fine, just had discoloration under the glass. Well after I got both of them apart I realized since I am repaint it the inner ring, I could do them in whatever color I wanted... Since I have no plans of using the speedometer I decided to use it to try a different color. I think it turned out very nice. I will be doing this to all of the gauges. The neon green will match the graphic and labels on the new panel and the outer bezels are being powder coated to more closely match all of the other powder coated blue stuff (like radar arch, handles, rails, etc).

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/z...psaa5eb57b.jpg

You could always go white and the get some custom cut vinyl graphics. I did this whit my machine last week. Was very low coast and I felt it looks way better than plain white.

I needed all of the switches labeled as well. I figured if I did those in vinyl, they would chip and flake off fast being so small..

Yours definitely looks better than plain white.

Here is a before and after of the Tachs. For a few minutes worth of time I think that was a few hundred bucks well saved... (for a trial I used the inside trim ring from the Speedometer I am not going to be using. The final color green will be a bit brighter)

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/z...pse66d77b0.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/z...psdca81536.jpg

Looks great

I went with the clear acrylic and going to airbrush the back side, used one of my old gauges as a template and have other parts on order. http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...psffa415c6.jpg

I have not done this but I think if you get the stickers negative cut, the I've quick coat of paint and remove them it should hold up...... Just an idea

That is what Ultimate Marine Panels is doing for me. They are cutting a piece of acrylic (using my template), then masking off the Concept Logo and the labels (from the back side), shooting the Blue. Then removing the masking and shooting the Neon-Green. By shooting if from the back side it gives the panel some depth. After I thought about it, for $200 it didn't seem worth it to do the panel myself. I'm sure I'd be in it close to $75 in materials. I am sure having a company that specializes in doing dash panels, will result in better fit and finish (than I would have done). Plus I can spend my time on other projects like, recovering two cockpit panels, redoing the cuddy headliner and walls, installing the stereo, wheeling out the entire boat, reinstalling all of the aluminum parts (that are currently at the powder coaters), and the list goes on.....

What would be pretty cool, and I might try it one day.... Is to cut a piece of clear acrylic for the dash, mask off the logo from the front side. Paint the front side with the color of choice (in this case blue) then paint the back side white. So once the masking is removed the logo will appear white. Some how mount LED lights in the Acrylic so when the key is on, it will illuminate the logo (in my case green LEDs). Hmmmmm..... Might try that sooner than later.