CJ style dashboard in a TJ?
- Thread starter Chris
- Start date
OP
OP
Without redoing the defroster system back thru the windshield frame there really isn't a way to get a CJ dash system to fit. And I love the CJ dashboard too. I grew up with late 40's, early 50's tractors and a 52 Dodge 1 1/4 ton truck. They made things beautiful back then. Dangerous as Hell, but all the lines flowed from bumper to bumper.
I think the TJ is a miracle that they got to build with all the safety regulations and customers wanting 8 cupholders and a nanny light for every system so they don't have to know/do anything themselves. It is truly one of the best 4x4's ever made. All these new pushbutton hill climb, brake system traction control, choose which surface you are driving on features really (in my mind) defeat the whole point of the off road experience. Why go offroad with a vehicle that turns it into the same as driving down the highway? What's the point in that?
—-sorry. rant over.—-
Amen to that. The fact that the TJ was able to last until 2006 is pretty shocking in and of itself.
There are a bunch of threads on Pirate, some are old and pics are gone, but there's some very well done ones.
Hell, this would even be a nice upgrade:
Hell, this would even be a nice upgrade:
Yea, I've seen that. I like it too. I'm not sure if you can get more instrumentation into it - perhaps with combined meters?
I love the simplicity of the CJ flat dash. I think the better approach for a TJ would be to have something similar to a 1965 Jeep Wagoneer dashboard, and maybe that's kind of what the TJ designers were trying for.
I have a solution that we can all live with. Hear me out. Let's all buy CJs. As much fun as it is to try and forcefully shove nostalgia laden devices and modifications into our super high tech modern vehicles, while retaining all the creature comforts we've come to love, why not just go straight to the source? Let's grab up the remaining stock of used CJs out there, ensure that our TJs are up for daily driving, and make the CJs our fun weekend vehicles?
Best Jeep dashboards ever! They could have used more instrumentation, but fantastic the way they were.
Only real downside to those Jeeps, were if they had brakes as good as modern cars, you would become form fit to the dash. No seatbelts (Optional in '65) 4 drum brakes - non-power (at least they wouldn't throw you into the dash), most were 3sp Manuals (my '65 I'd just leave in 3rd driving around town... geared REALLY low)
Shuttlesworth
TJ Enthusiast
Speaking to simplicity and CJ flat dashes, a perfect example of CJ bare bone-dness.
I have a 1979 CJ5 Golden Eagle which has more in terms of gauges and knobs, but I do love the rugged, straight forward layout. It probably went something like this:
Some Jeep Exec. at the time " Johnson we need gauges for speed, fuel, and engine temp!"
"Hold my hole saw" - Johnson, the Jeep engineer who only knew how to cut one hole in the center of things.
I have a 1979 CJ5 Golden Eagle which has more in terms of gauges and knobs, but I do love the rugged, straight forward layout. It probably went something like this:
Some Jeep Exec. at the time " Johnson we need gauges for speed, fuel, and engine temp!"
"Hold my hole saw" - Johnson, the Jeep engineer who only knew how to cut one hole in the center of things.
Even after owning my CJ7 for 20 years it still takes a little while for me to get used to the speedometer in the middle of the dash. The simplicity of the CJ as a whole makes it appealing to me. Guess that’s why I’ll never part with mine.
