DIY Dashboard Panel Part 3 - Mockup Finished

During my holiday in Jakarta, i managed to finish the design for my dashboard panel. I encountered a problem which reminded me of the most important thing in dashboard panel design: measurement. I found out that day my 3-3/4-inch tachometer is still too wide to be installed inside the panel! I bought the tach online and didn't make sure it will fit to the panel before buying it. So this panel mockup is off to the garbage bin. I also found out that i need to reduce the switches and lamps for aesthetics reason. Below pic shows you the items removed from the design and how the tach is slightly too wide to be placed on the cardboard panel layout.
Well i guess i have to put the tachometer somewhere else. After some measuring and pinpointing hole locations..
.. below is the end result of the mockup. Next step is to transfer this design to an aluminum sheet to have the sheet cut following the design.
I can only fit five lamps and two toggle switches on the panel. So i decided to remove e-brake or check engine light, depending whether i can get a check engine light working for my ECU or not, and i also remove the fuel pump switch.

I managed to salvage some 1mm thick aluminum sheets from a glass display maker. Now that i got a hold of the aluminum sheet, i think it is slightly too thin to hold those gauges firmly but i decided to give it a go first. If it turns out being too wobbly for the panel, i'll have to find thicker aluminum sheets.

I brought the cardboard mockup and aluminum sheets to a lathe and milling workshop. Sadly, the price they offered was too expensive.. I had no more time to ask other workshop because i had other business to do while in Jakarta. So i guess the aluminum panel will have to wait..