Anything interesting been done with the 1st gen dash cubby hole?

[DaddysTruck]

It seems like a great place to install something. Apparently Ford couldn't think of anything. What have you guys done with the otherwise pointless space?

 

[adsm08]

You know, 30 years ago when these vehicles were designed people didn't think they needed a bunch of pointless useless accessories that just cost money and make people mad when the break. People wanted storage space. Also, the miniature electronics like we have now were decades away. It wasn't that Ford couldn't think of anything to put there, it's that you are viewing that spot through a 21st century lens and can't see it for what it's for. It's storage you nitwit.

I really wish people would stop looking at these 80s trucks and asking "Why didn't they put this or that stupid thing that wasn't invented yet and nobody from the 80s would have been dumb enough to put in a car there?".

Over the years I have kept papers, tissue boxes, gloves, maps, pens, and many other things in there. Currently it is home to some small hand tools and spare parts. A few wrenches and screw drivers, a spare blower resistor and headlight dimmer switch, and maybe a matchbox car or two.

One guy on here built a lock box that fit in that hole for storing tools. A lot of the mud-run guys put the air cleaner box in there.

 

[grumpyguy]

You know, 30 years ago when these vehicles were designed people didn't think they needed a bunch of pointless useless accessories that just cost money and make people mad when the break. People wanted storage space. Also, the miniature electronics like we have now were decades away. It wasn't that Ford couldn't think of anything to put there, it's that you are viewing that spot through a 21st century lens and can't see it for what it's for. It's storage you nitwit.

I really wish people would stop looking at these 80s trucks and asking "Why didn't they put this or that stupid thing that wasn't invented yet and nobody from the 80s would have been dumb enough to put in a car there?".

Over the years I have kept papers, tissue boxes, gloves, maps, pens, and many other things in there. Currently it is home to some small hand tools and spare parts. A few wrenches and screw drivers, a spare blower resistor and headlight dimmer switch, and maybe a matchbox car or two.

One guy on here built a lock box that fit in that hole for storing tools. A lot of the mud-run guys put the air cleaner box in there.

Having a bad day are we?

 

[adsm08]

Not really. Pretty good day actually, just sick of people who end up with a vehicle that's older than I am and then question why it isn't designed with the same shit mentality used to design every free millimeter out of a modern vehicle.

I like the old Rangers because they don't have all that crap, just lots of space to work and lots of spaces to store things.

I don't care that he asked what other people have done with the space, I don't care that he wants to do something with it. I don't care if he puts a freakin' espresso machine in there. What pisses me off is people who seem like they aren't even old enough to have been around when the truck was new, let alone old enough to understand why something was done one way or another at a given time coming in and saying "well this or that is stupid" when, from a mechanical stand point, it's a lot better than the way things are done now.

 

[Mark_88]

I did something unique with mine...I turned it into a 96 dash!

Now, where there was simply a gaping hole that served only to store my cassette tapes (almost perfectly) I have another gaping hole where there was supposed to be an airbag. I can still have almost the exact same storage space as my 88 dash and I can also choose to put the airbag cover over it to hide all the junk that I've managed to stuff in there...

But I'm planning on making it just like the 88 and put junk in there for all to see...maybe someone might see something nice in there and smash a window to get at it...

That is something you might consider as a down side...these trucks are not the best for security to start with and if you tempt a theif...well...you are likely to goad them enough to try to steal anything of value...

I like to keep it simple and leave the doors unlocked...

 

[Mightyfordranger]

I'm installing a rasberry pi computer in my 87 and stuffin a tft in the hole I'll disguise it as something that's dumb people won't want and the puter has a foot print of a credit card so I'll hide it up some where's and tint my windas too lol

 

[sblake01]

adsm08 made my day..........

 

[BLOODBANE]

Mine holds loose change, small screw drivers and what ever else (small crap) that I seem to come across. Every now and then i will "straighten" it all up and start all over (collecting crap).

 

[Grey_04]

I wish my truck was as simple as the '80's trucks were.

 

[DaddysTruck]

You gotta be kidding me. The 80's were the years of Knight Rider and Back To The Future. They were stuffing every electronic gadget they could into cars. Digital dashes were the craze and the Buick Riviera had the first in dash touch screen computer. Automatic electronic seatbelts, audio equalizers, computer controlled carbs, fuel injection was born, and anything that could be controlled by a button was controlled by a button. Anyway the point of this was to see if anyone did something with the hole other than collect junk that fell out every time a sharp turn is made because there's no lip on the thing. I would be satisfied with a door being made for it.

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

I used to keep my blow up doll in there till I got married, now I keep my blow up doll behind the seat for emergencies.

 

[Mark_88]

I used to keep my blow up doll in there till I got married, now I keep my blow up doll behind the seat for emergencies.

Cool...what PSI does she take?

Anyway...Daddys Truck...a door would be ok if you can get one on there without destroying the fragile fake leather padding around the hole...but it might also defeat the easy access feature...

I used to carry my highway transponder in there instead of sticking them on the windshield...but moved it into the glove box when there was a rash of thefts by some unscrupulous theives (not just the highway owners)...

It was highway robbery to me either way...

 

[ratdude747]

To answer the OP: Probably a CB, or perhaps cassette tapes. Maybe a pack of cigs for some.