I bought this John Deere dash pedestal because I had a vision for a floating shelf idea. The shelves came from a store going out of business where these were used to display merchandise. They fit perfectly and had the right look! I cleaned the rust and clear coated it to preserve the patina and prevent future deterioration. The upper shelf is reinforced by a metal bar underneath. I've thought about installing working gauges that hook to 110 volts AC and then lights. It's not there now, but let me know if you'd like some extra customization!