Now as the labor barge slowly turns to help me out on Ruby, I’m doing the things first I do myself. Along with coach wiring one thing that really makes the coach is the dash. I have been installing Mac McNeal’s dashes since I met a GMC…. he’s been doing this longer than that! Today’s post is hoping to show you why you should purchase one of these outstanding dash options for your coach……. I also want to catch Cedric up with were we are on his beauty.
First for the gratuitous advertising for Mac…….he has 3 awesome dashes that are designed for the GMC and hand assembled by Mac himself and Shirley… the brains of the group! Used to hail from California they “retired” , moved to North Carolina and are loving life. I say retired in quotes because he could not keep his fingers out of building dashes…. he’s like that cobbler sitting there in his shop turning out perfection that no one knows what went into the manufacture. I would like to show you his wares:
In complexity, Mac starts off his line with this design that fits into the original dash “donut”… that is if your plastic dash hasn’t deteriorated off!
Today, the speedometers in all Mac’s dashes use a GPS system… no twisting cable and accurate? What can I say….. white or blach face gauges and a pile of bezel choices. Has a precut DIN radio opening…. everything today is DIN. We can install a 7″ LCD motorized screen DIN radio very nicely in it to give you backup camera, blue tooth and all that mess.
His next 2 dashes are for you guys who have a rotted dash…. the plastic in the 70’s didn’t hold up well in UV, when you find your dash resting on the steering column this is your 2 options…….
Mac’s newest design is this pretty stylish option 
Cutting the left side of your dash away, this dash comes with a fiberglass shroud that takes away all that rotted plastic and gives you more dash space. 
This cluster will hold a “double DIN”… you know how dashes today have a screen staring back at you out of the dash!
But if you want his best Mac has….. I call it the “Mac Daddy” here has been the dash that has put Mac where he and Shirley are today….. 
Don’t get excited Cedric, this one isn’t yours…. yet! This dash pictured is fitted with a single DIN radio but obviously you can easily fit a double DIN and more on this puppy.
Now you might say looks isn’t everything…. how hard is it to install…… Doncha hate it when you go watch a cooking show (which I do not do) or some other informational thing and the first words out of the guys mount is “let me show you how to do this easy thing”!!!! Dangit, if it is that easy why am I watching YOU! Things all are not easy…. Mac’s dashes are “easy” to me cause I’ve put in a bagillion of them. It’s easy for you to ride a bike today but trauma has blocked out the times before you could really do it! If you have never stripped a wire or followed a circuit…. do not attempt to install Mac’s stuff on your own. The first thing in your head when something doesn’t work is Mac wired it wrong……. nope, that’s usually not the case so please, don’t put yourself and Mac into that black hole.
Here is the box Ruby’s dash came in 
The open box on the right is for the packing. out of the box it’s completely assembled and wrapped in plastic 
There’s no question that all the parts aren’t there or don’t fit…. it’s assembled in the box! 
Prewired.. color-to-color, Mac simply outdoes himself on his professional assembly, I have his wire me in 24″ pigtails for easy connections to the coach. 
And dude…. look at the care he puts in to gauge placement…man, that’s balanced! 
Mac makes the skin for the big fiberglass shroud, I prefer to stretch it ourselves so the skin is there in the bag below 
Step 1 in this install is to prewire each harness. the entire dash is “fly by wire” all gauges electrically connected through several molex connections. I’ll prewire this then pack away the clusters until we’re ready to “plug-m-in”….. So This dash and Ruby are getting ready to be really close friends 
It’s just before 8am, Jared’s wifes car wouldn’t start so the youngen has to get to school…. it’s my morning to inspire the troops…. hope they all don’t leave! See ya tomorrow.
