When building a rod or custom, one of the subtlest yet most effective things you can do in the cockpit is to keep the dash as clean and smooth as possible. As speed-obsessed gearheads, it's natural to want as much information about your motor as possible, so many people fall into the trap of adding gauges by busting out the hole saw and hacking up a perfectly virgin dash in the name of "progress." Likewise, many pre-war rod owners desecrate what would normally be a beautifully flowing dash by drilling a bunch of holes for switches, gauges, indicators, and the like. While this may be the simplest solution to your quest for more gear to goggle, it certainly isn't the prettiest. However, fear not, my faithful followers, as a simple solution is in order.
A sanitary yet simple aluminum or painted steel panel tucked away unobtrusively is the easiest way to add gauges, lights, or whatever else your heart desires to the cockpit of your land rocket without having to touch that factory-fresh dash. While some of the gauge companies offer pre-made panels, it's quite easy and cost effective to make one yourself, and the result will look much better. All you need is a piece of sheetmetal, a selection of hole saws and drill bits, and a band saw. When it came time to mount the ignition switch, headlight switch, high-beam indicator, and turn signal indicator on my roadster project, I made just such a panel then tucked it out of sight under the dash. If your car has a glovebox or large ashtray, you can get really creative and hide things there, or a well-placed piano hinge can also do wonders for keeping things out of the way when your car is in "show" rather than "go" mode.
Take a quick gander at the following images and see just how sanitary things can be. If you have a particularly interesting variant of this concept, take some high-quality pictures and send them in; you might see your handiwork in the next Tips & Tricks!