I really like what you’re doing, and the lower section built in below the gauges if you can actually pull that off. I did several flat panels in the beginning years ago, changing them to improve functionality as I moved forward.
Here’s what I started with, the ugly original gauge plate:
And this was my first change. It looked nice, but I couldn't see half of the gauges:
Followed next by this layout. Unfortunately, the panel was also ugly so it was changed again:
Here we go again with a different layout:
Ultimately I added a sculptured panel on top of the flat panel to more closely simulate the original panel. I added speed nuts to the rim in order to remove and install the panel without chipping the original paint on the dashboard.
I’m not suggesting any of these ideas should be considered, just showing the stages I went through in finally arriving at a plan that worked in my installation.