These are the two dash options I offer for the Z and Z-based kits. The first is the Alphabet dash. Joe Alphabet patterned it after some old Italian car, I think. It looks pretty good, especially with a wood or brushed-aluminum insert. This dash is the one in Steve Graber's Velo Rossa. Steve re-used the Datsun gauges, but put new faces on them.

The Alpha dash is designed to replace the pad on the original dash structure. However, some customers have completely removed the old dash and used the Alpha as a replacement.

While the dash comes in black gel coat with molded in leather-with-stitching texture and can be installed that way, about half the dash customers cover them with leather or vinyl. Steve used a new, synthetic leather product that comes with a little padding on the backing. By the way, Steve made his own center console out of marine-grade, thin plywood and covered it in the same material.

I do not sell the wood insert, but somewhere in my treasure pile I have some brushed aluminum blanks that I'd sell for $25 each. The Alpha dash sells for $220. It DOES accommodate the stock heater controls, but Steve added aluminum trim around the controls to compliment the gauge panel.

Though Steve chose to remove the air conditioning on his car--and thus the 'eyeball' a/c vents on either side of the dash, as it comes out of the mold the dash does have recesses for those vents on either side. You can re-use the stock Datsun 'eyeballs' and hook them up the the a/c duct work.

There are no pre-cut holes in this dash, or the Simpson dash pictured next. Therefore, you can use any gauges and any combination you can stuff in there. For certain, you can use similar size and combination as the original Z gauges. The quality of the original gauges was not great, and modern gauges are available in more vintage appearance at reasonable prices.


This is the Jim Simpson-designed dash as installed in Casey Seippel's Velo Rossa. Casey chose Autometer (I think) instruments.

The Simpson dash is much more true to the shape of the original GTO dash. It completely replaces the old dash, and you have to fabricate brackets to hang it off the firewall. The price of the Simpson dash is $300.

For his dash, Casey fabricated the small extension underneath to house the sound system. The original GTO did not have a center console or lower panel, and neither does the dash as I sell.

While it is not shown in this photo, most customers re-use the Datsun heater control panel. It hangs below the dash in its stock location, and can be enclosed in a 'box' for better appearance. Also, while there are no recess for them as the dash comes out of the mold, the 'eyeball' vents can installed on either side just as in the stock dash.