Batboat Rebuild: Day 50 October 10th, 2009

I worked on the new dashboard today. This modified Glastron V-145 craft needs a new dash because it and the seats need to be moved back one foot to be in the correct proportion to the 1966 original Batboat.

When Glastron built their Batboat for the BATMAN movie they did the same thing to a V-174 Super Sport.

The "lap" of the seats should be about dead center of the length of the craft.


1/2 inch plywood makes up the dash of my boat with about 1/4 inch of fiberglass on top for strength. I'll be using 3/4 inch marine grade ply and a couple layers of 1.5 oz chopped strand mat fiberglass.

The Original Dashboard

On top of that will be some kind of satin polished aluminum or stainless steel, as seen in the original.

I'll figure out what size the metal trim is when I find out the diameter of those Mercruiser gages. I have a hunch, however, that it could be the same trim Glastron used in many of their boats at that time, including mine; 5/16 inch polished, rounded aluminum. (shown in the below pix of the glove compartment.)

A pattern for the new ply was made with "dollar store" package wrapping paper.

I've got a lot of mileage out of that roll over the past two years!

The paper was scored with open scissors along the top.

The glove compartment doesn't have a top to trace on...

... so a rough cut was made, paper taken off the dash, folded in half and the compartment area was cut the shape of the driver's side.

Pattern was clamped back on and after few adjustments the steering hole was marked.


Many of the angles of this '69 V-145 boat are 75 degrees. The dash is no exception so the ply will be cut at 75 degree angles.

This used to be quite a nice looking sport boat at one time. Hard to see it now but the dash had a modern style to it.

Glove compartment featured aluminum lined, padded "Glacier Blue" Naugahyde vinyl...


... the rest of the dash surface was covered with wood grain vinyl, as seen from under the dash.

Padded "Glacier Blue" Naugahyde vinyl was under the windshield, the steering column was chromed and the steering wheel was black with a chrome hub. The Glastron logo in the center of the hub with a wood grain background.

The hull and topside was originally white with "Glacier Blue" details.

The longest ply I have left is 4 foot. The new dash needs to be 4 foot 2 inches as the Batboat gets wider a foot back. A solution has been figured out.

Top and bottom are cut at a 75 degree angle...

... and with a few adjustments, its uniform to the original.

The dash, windshield area and laser eyes are all connected. The cold is averaging 45 degrees now but I'll work on it when able.