Dash top off - and plans for back on and leds.

[Tyre Smoke]

I decided to remove the dash top. Partly because there's some leather that has shrunk back and needs to have a trimmer look at it. And partly because I had blue led bulbs on white dials in my Cerbera and they looked great.

I read everything on here from long ago about dash top removal. Unfortunately some of the pics are no longer hosted which made things a pain. Anyway, glove box down, easy fond for the two passenger side nuts, 10mm ratchet ring spanner and we are laughing. Until I got to the driver's side. Felt around everywhere. Couldn't find the bloody nut anywhere. Stopped. Read a bit more archived PH and decided to have a tug on the dash anyway. Turns out the nut was behind a flap of excess fibreglass and not particularly tightly done up. Which allowed quite a bit of wiggle room. My hand appreciated the fibreglass flap with the rough edges though.



Anyway, got it off and have decided the dash top is a decent enough fit to get away refitting with velcro. Certainly the Driver’s side nut won't be going back on. For two reasons, one it's disappeared and two the back of my hand stings and itches in equal measure!

For those of you interested in led bulbs, there are five BA9S and two 501 bulbs required. Four of the BA9S go in the small dials and one in the speedo. The two 501s go in the back of the rev counter. Off to the bay and I bought these...



And six of these...



Which replace these...



I'll let you know how I get on with the velcro. Watch this space!

[gamefreaks]

Consider shortening the stud on the drivers side. It makes it so much easier to remove and refit the dash panel without marking the leather around the windescreen.

The drivers side bolt is easy enough to find once you know where to look. Also if it's not been done already, replace the nuts with wingnuts.

I did a thread on mine a few months ago:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Tyre Smoke]

Well there's the thing, the stud on the driver's side was quite short due to a spur of fibreglass partially obscuring it. Once I'd ripped the back of my hand to bits, it fell out. No idea where it went. That's a job for another day.

The stud. Not my hand.

[indigochim]

I'll be doing the reverse of this soon, well removing blue LEDs and swapping to warm white ones. I find the blue ones very harsh when driving distances in the dark.

I switched bulb holders when I first did the job so they all take BA9S's and the colour is uniform.

[Tyre Smoke]

Now that's not a bad idea!

[ric355]

I converted my driver's side dash top fixing to a rivnut, so it's a bolt from the other side rather than a nut. I did the same for the passenger side near the windscreen, and left the one on the front edge of the dash at the passenger side as a bolt. That makes removing and installing the dash top very easy without any chance of damaging the leather.

[Tyre Smoke]

Ahh, that might be what was on the driver's side of mine. I'll find it and see. It didn't look like the thread and nut that was on the passenger side.

[ric355]

Tyre Smoke said:

Ahh, that might be what was on the driver's side of mine. I'll find it and see. It didn't look like the thread and nut that was on the passenger side.

A rivnut stays fixed in the hole (where the bolt would normally protrude). And you remove the bolt from the other side, rather than removing a nut from the end of a bolt. It's very obvious which it is ;-)

[Tyre Smoke]

Ok, well it's not that then.

Anyway, nothing is getting bolted back down. I did fifty odd miles today with the top just resting in place. Velcro will do a cracking job.

[indigochim]

Tyre Smoke said:

Now that's not a bad idea!

I bought 10 from this seller they where £10 back in 2017 if you need some I'll still have some if I can find them.

[lwt]

Can't recall the thread size but I replaced the nuts with "M8 Female Knob Screws" (no, they are really a thing, try a search) which makes removal and refitting a whole lot easier as no need for spanners and easy to find and turn. Typically 80p each from Amazon or as 'Female Threaded Star Clamping Knob' on ebay. And a good excuse to write a post with 'knob' in it...

[Tyre Smoke]

indigochim said:

I bought 10 from this seller they where £10 back in 2017 if you need some I'll still have some if I can find them.

I'd certainly take two from you if you don't mind?

PM me please!

[Tyre Smoke]

PM received and replied to!

[Zener]

lwt said:

Can't recall the thread size but I replaced the nuts with "M8 Female Knob Screws" (no, they are really a thing, try a search) which makes removal and refitting a whole lot easier as no need for spanners and easy to find and turn. Typically 80p each from Amazon or as 'Female Threaded Star Clamping Knob' on ebay. And a good excuse to write a post with 'knob' in it...

M6 and good advice too , I use these knurled thumb nuts also

[Tyre Smoke]

Ten minutes spent wisely today.





Took a pic in the dark, but my camera makes them look much brighter than they are.



They're quite restful on the eye. I reckon white LEDs would be quite harsh and tiring though.

The dash is going back on with velcro. I drove thirty odd miles last weekend with it just resting in position, it didn't move. I reckon velcro will be fine.

[sixor8]

Looks great. I was undecided between green and blue but decided on green for my last Chimaera:



I had to buy 3 different types, changing the bulb holders may have made it simpler.