Leven interior kit

[miniman]

You all know this already but for anyone who is thinking of getting any of the Leven interior stainless steel items, get on with it! They really are beautifully designed and engineered bits of kit. Supplied with excellent instructions and all the tools you need to fit. I've just installed a dash kit and the stalk, steering wheel screws, steering column knob and wiper delay knob kit and what a hell of a difference it makes to the interior.

The gluing of the mounting brackets to the radio panel was a nightmare (took 5 attempts!) but other than that it all slots together perfectly. Well recommended

[Rooster]

Oooh please tell me how to do the radio part of the dash, mine has just come away after only a year of use, and not serious use at that!

[miniman]

You basically have to glue the small metal brackets onto the back of the panel. Which is not as easy as it sounds as they have to be in precisely the right place because as well as fixing the panel to the fibreglass dash shell, they also hold the switches and warning lights (on early Chims).

I tried the following:

- make up a cardboard template from the old panel and stick the brackets on in the same place on the new one - this didn't work as the switches wouldn't attach

- completely remove all the switchgear from the car (from reading about other experiences, not everyone seems to do this) and then effectively reassemble it on a workbench (dining room table ) gluing it back together at that point

- I tried both regular Araldite and Araldite Metal. Regular worked better.

My top tip is - don't get too enthusiastic and assume that the glue will set in less than 24 hours. I redid the whole thing 5 times as I kept taking it out to the car to reassembly only for the glue to give way and the whole thing to fall apart in my hands.

Depending on how it's come apart, it might be easier to leave the 2 main mounting brackets attached to the car, and glue the panel onto them instead of them onto the panel, if you see what I mean.

[fluffychim]

I wanted some of the replacement aluminium ashtrays for my 2000 chim to match the rest of the ali bits but Jules at Leven said they had none left and she didn't know when they may be making them again

So come on guys, if you fancy some nice shiny ashtrays instead of black plastic ones give Leven a call - if there's sufficient demand they just might put them back into production! Pretty please Leven?

[AlRaven]

Anyone got the Leven oil cap? looks nice but not cheap.

[PVN]

fluffychim said:

I wanted some of the replacement aluminium ashtrays for my 2000 chim to match the rest of the ali bits but Jules at Leven said they had none left and she didn't know when they may be making them again

So come on guys, if you fancy some nice shiny ashtrays instead of black plastic ones give Leven a call - if there's sufficient demand they just might put them back into production! Pretty please Leven?

My 1998 Chimaera 450 doesn't have any ash trays. Is this unusual?

[puffsorted2]

PVN said:

fluffychim said:

I wanted some of the replacement aluminium ashtrays for my 2000 chim to match the rest of the ali bits but Jules at Leven said they had none left and she didn't know when they may be making them again

So come on guys, if you fancy some nice shiny ashtrays instead of black plastic ones give Leven a call - if there's sufficient demand they just might put them back into production! Pretty please Leven?

My 1998 Chimaera 450 doesn't have any ash trays. Is this unusual?

Nope, both my Chim and Griff don't have them.

[jsr]

I've bought a lot of the level parts too. Vastly improves the interior. The black plastic original parts look far too cheap, and i never really liked the original veneered dash (at least not with the colour of my interior).

Here's a before dash and after for comparison:



I've also had to glue the radio part a number of times. Found araldite (sp?) just a bit soft and seems to loosen in the heat of summer. My top tip is to use max strength super glue and also to dremel the back of the dash panel and the metal hooks tht need to be glue to it. I created a very rough and grooved surface for the glue to bond too and it has held strongly for nearly 2 years now.

[medieval]

Sorry guys - completely off thread I know but I have only just got my '93 Chimaera and I notice that JSR's picture shows the door release knob in its own separate section in the tunnel cover.

Mine sits in the recess with the gear lever and the handbrake - is this just a feature of the the early cars?

Kind regards

[TVR Thomo]

medieval said:

Sorry guys - completely off thread I know but I have only just got my '93 Chimaera and I notice that JSR's picture shows the door release knob in its own separate section in the tunnel cover.

Mine sits in the recess with the gear lever and the handbrake - is this just a feature of the the early cars?

Kind regards

Yes it is, 93 and 94 cars i think? Anything after that is like above.

Cheers
Neil

[miniman]

TVR Thomo said:

Yes it is, 93 and 94 cars i think? Anything after that is like above.

I believe cars with the SD1 gearbox have the door release along with the gearlever and handbrake, the T5 gearbox cars have the door release separate.

[medieval]

Thanks chaps - thought there would be a reason behind it.

[russ turner]

I've got most of the Leven interior kit but struggling with the steering wheel screws though. Looks as if previous owners have had a go and rounded off the allen key profiles and the only one that it isn't rounded off doesn't want to move at all - any clues at to how to get them out?

Also, seem to recall seeing somewhere an idiots guide on how to fit the gear lever surround but can't remember where. As I'll need the idiots guide does anybody know where it can be found.

Re the comments about the ashtrays, same applies to end of dash vents, so lets get demand up to make it worth Leven's while

Thanks

Russ

Edited by russ turner on Saturday 21st July 12:41

[miniman]

russ turner said:

I've got most of the Leven interior kit but struggling with the steering wheel screws though. Looks as if previous owners have had a go and rounded off the allen key profiles and the only one that it isn't rounded off doesn't want to move at all - any clues at to how to get them out?

I found them really tight, not sure whether they get a dab of Loctite in the factory. Anyway, I thought I was going to either round out the sockets or snap off the key but they all budged in the end. With a couple of them, I gave them a quick tweak clockwise first (i.e. tighten them very slightly) and then slacken off. Or you could try fitting some kind of tube over the allen key to give a bit more length and leverage (although be careful you don't rip the wheel rim or dash with it).