If you’re looking to revamp and upgrade your 1947-1953 Advance Design classic truck with parts that do it justice but you find nothing but mass-produced, stainless-steel pieces, then LS Fabrication Ltd. can help. We’re Kris Hauser and Chris Lange, two friends and fellow vehicle-restoration contributors and the founders of LS Fabrication.

We found ourselves without options while reviving Kris’ 1951 classic Chevy/GM 3100. When we put our combined knowledge and engineering know-how to work, we created the custom Chevy truck parts we were looking for and discovered a wide audience of like-minded vehicle owners.

With billet-milled 6061 aluminum custom parts — including a 47-53 speaker grille and glove box door, a cab-spanning phantom-style dash, and a Chevy truck double din dash that brings nav and sound systems up to date — Advance Design Chevy truck owners can get a quality centerpiece for the interior of their classic truck.

Taking It to the Next Level

So, there you are. You’ve spent years and piles of dollars turning your classic Chevy/GM Advance Design pickup into a worthy vehicle for the modern road. Maybe your dream project still has the original 3100 inline-six, or it now sports a modded 350 V-8 with modern fuel injection. It has all five windows, bead-rolled kick and door panels, a custom firewall, and upgraded suspension with precision welding.

It’s hard to find a quality 47-53 billet dash replacement that makes a statement and sets off the Chevy’s classic cab. The only things typically available are production-line stamped replacements with painted-on lettering and a vestigial finish, not built to the level of detail many builders put into their project.

A CNC-machined dash replacement, faithful to the original and purpose-built by dedicated craftsmen, adds the final finish without betraying the truck’s original design. Whether your restoration is best suited by a factory-reproduction Chevy truck billet glove box and speaker grille or a sweeping phantom-style dash that spans the width of the cab, precision-machined custom Chevy truck parts are the final touch that completes the vision. See our full 47-54 Custom Chevy Truck Parts lineup.

Custom 47-53 Glove Box Door & Speaker Grille

These replacements are CNC-machined from 6061 billet aluminum — not run-of-the-mill parts stamped with painted script. Billet-machined parts are superior to stamped in appearance, sturdy design, and individual craftsmanship. The speaker grille cover also has a deleted ashtray for an updated look, and our machined dash pieces can include custom engraving for an additional charge.

The package includes a factory-reproduction billet glove box door and billet speaker grille that match original factory mounting exactly, along with all necessary stainless steel hardware and a latch for the door. These pieces also currently represent the only option for replacing right-hand dashes in Australia and New Zealand.

Custom 47-53 Chevy Truck Double Din Dash

If you’re going for a more modern design that takes the original center-dash radio placement and brings it down for a more comprehensive double din setup for touch screens or GPS navs, this panel will accommodate. The package includes a 6061-aluminum billet-milled 47-53 glove box door and a specially formatted double din speaker grille, a Pioneer ADT-VA133 installation kit for double din receivers, a stainless-steel glove box latch by LS Fab, and all required hardware.

Custom 47-53 Phantom Billet Dash

This is a complete array of parts that spans the dash from end to end, with the distinctive horizontal lines found in phantom styling. Along with the double-pane windshield and characteristic center post, the view is reminiscent of the classic DC-3 workhorse of the skies from the 1940s — an impressive display of gauges, speaker grille, and a glove box.

The CNC-machined 47-53 billet dash is fashioned with a machined finish from sturdy 6061 aluminum billet, with no ashtray in the extended speaker grille. Includes a driver-side dash piece and a gauge split piece covering the indent from the factory-original offset column — this arrangement requires a drop column.

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The set includes all installation hardware along with a stainless-steel glove box latch. The two new pieces on the left side require four holes drilled in the dash — complete templates and instructions assist with installation.

Easy Installation

Both the Chevy truck billet glove box/speaker grille installation and the Chevy billet dash installation come with comprehensive step-by-step instructions and photographed imagery, along with all necessary hardware to make installation simple.

Installation for the 47-53 Speaker Grille and Glove Box Door Set

Hardware Installation

• Remove the speaker grille and flip it to see the reverse side.
• Remove the supplied hardware from its bag.
• Use the supplied Allen keys to thread the #8 stainless steel studs into the grille’s four corners.

Speaker Grille Installation

• Install the new grille in the original existing holes, letting the studs slide in — take care not to scratch the dash.
• Reach behind the placed grille to finger-tight thread the provided #8 nuts.
• While there’s room for adjustment, the best time to check is after installing the glove box.

Glove Box Installation — this is a delicate operation; take care when closing the door to keep track of the top portion of the latch.

• Hold the billet glove box door open and move the hinges to the mounting holes.
• Carefully thread the #8 3/8-inch screws with a Phillips-head screwdriver, starting at the lowest hinge position before tightening.
• Carefully inspect all painted areas before slowly closing the door, avoiding any rubbing, binding, or contact with the dash.
• Adjust the hinge up/down, in/out, or left/right to resolve any issues, and check latch clearance as you close — the latch passes very close to the top of the door and may need adjustment.
• Once rubbing or binding is resolved, align the speaker grille to match the level of the glove box, using 8 screws total.
• Take extra caution each time you close the glove box to check for misalignment, then tighten hardware and remove fingerprints or tape once alignment is right.

Though there are differences between each truck, patient execution and reference to the supplied pictures will have the pieces installed nicely in minimal time.

Installation for the 47-53 Phantom Billet Dash

Again, deliberate progress and reference to the images will get you there. Use the installation templates provided for the phantom billet dash on the product page.

Hardware Installation

The two phantom gauge pieces come with a set of two 1-inch #8 set screws and a set of two flange nuts each. The gauge piece needs a top and middle set screw, while the piece surrounding the light switch needs a bottom and top set screw.

Installation Templates

• After printing, check the print size by measuring the 4-inch and 6-inch scale lines on the page.
• Take care when cutting out templates 1 and 2, using template 1 first and template 2 second.

Template 1 guides placement of a masking-tape crosshair over the left-side gauge so template 2 aligns perfectly:

• After cutting out the gauge circles, align them with the gauge holes on the dash piece and hold in place with a small length of tape.
• Construct crosshairs horizontally and vertically, intersecting at the template’s center point — about 2.6 inches from both sides. Avoid curving or curling the tape.
• The template can stay on, or you can remove it and leave the tape behind.

Template 2 determines hole placement for the phantom dash pieces:

• Hold and adjust the paper with a small length of attached tape, aligning the horizontal and vertical lines exactly with the taped crosshairs.
• With the set screws inserted in the phantom dash pieces, verify correct placement.
• Start drilled holes using a ¼-inch bit, graduating in size while verifying fitment — holes should be no larger than three-eighths inch. The steering column may need to drop somewhat to permit bottom-center-hole drilling on completed trucks.
• Use a Q-tip to apply a copper coat or a bit of paint to complete holes made in pre-painted dashes.
• Install the phantom dash pieces using the provided #8 flange nuts, confirming placement before tightening.

Send us your photos of the newly installed phantom dash — we hope everything from ordering and shipping time to your new Chevy billet dash installation went exceedingly well.

A Chevy Classic

The 1947-1953 Chevy/GM Advance Design truck is an enduring classic finding a new life on the modern road using billet-crafted custom parts that merit their incorporation. We’re here to provide a much-needed alternative to the standard mass-production material out there.

47-54 Custom Chevy Truck Parts by People Who Know

LS Fabrication Ltd. is owned by Kris Hauser and Chris Lange, two friends who established LS Fab in 2018 when looking for those same options and finding none. Kris Hauser, building out his 1951 Chevy truck 3100, knew what he wanted for a firewall. With no one willing or able to step up, Kris dropped off his truck with a talented friend, Chris Lange, who owned a bead roller.

The results far exceeded expectations. After sharing photos of the bead-rolled firewall on Kris’ Chevy truck, Kris and Chris discovered there was more than a little demand for these custom-created Chevy truck parts and decided to go into business. Their parts line expanded into other eras and applications beyond bead rolling, including high-end billet aluminum machining — LS Fabrication now sends hundreds of shipments around the world.

Give Us a Call

At LS Fabrication Ltd., we’re dedicated to developing and creating the best products and filling voids in demand where the right parts either don’t exist or don’t exhibit the quality needed for discerning vehicle owners. Thank you to everyone who has helped and supported us on this journey. Sign up for our newsletter at lsfab.com, or give us a call to collaborate on your new truck ideas and deliver the custom parts your 47-53 Chevy classic deserves.