Griff dashboards

[Notanutter]

Apologies if this has been covered before on PH - are all Griff dashboards the same ? (as in, if one came up for sale in good condition would it just drop right in irrespective of which model ?).

[LordGrover]

Two types; pre-cat & 500.
They do seem to be minor variations in each type too, but they'll probably fit so long as you put a pre-cat in a pre-cat and a 500 in a 500.

[griffter]

Do you mean the dashboard (ie the bit covered in leather) or the instrument panel?

The leather covered bit is involved although simple enough to change, but the mounting holes for bolting it to the bulkhead vary between cars. Also some are not leather but vinyl covered.

Instrument panels as LG says ought to physically fit, but the arrangement of instruments (and on very late 500s air vents) varies. Also watch for instrument hole size. Due to different instruments being used on different precats there are at least two different panel templates with different size instrument cut-outs. Same my be true for 500s.

[Adrian@]

Hi Peter, there are 5 different Griff dashs but they only have valve if they come with the matching lower panel. I've had and sold over 50+ units in the last few years to all the dealers (having bought stock from the defunct company that made them for TVR) and the value as 1 item was 50% of the matching pair. The veneers fade the moment sunlight hit them.
Adrian@

[LordGrover]

I stand corrected - apologies for misleading.
So we have pre-cat (smaller, black dials), 500 (larger, white dials) and LE (modded chimp dash?). What are the others then?

[tbdgriff500]

just removed one last night, piece of cake,up for sale,as part of "breaking griff" on the parts section of pistonheads.should fit any 500

[Notanutter]

Thanks for all the input. Just that I "might" be considering a Griff with a peely dash, and it seemed an idea to acquire a 'spare' one off Ebay and get it refinished then drop the existing instruments in.

[Uncle Fester]

There is also the metal instrument panel option.
More recently, some people have done a carbon fibre one.
Both options mean you will never have it crack again, but it comes down to personal tastes and what goes with the colours of your car.
If you're having the original dash veneered again then you have two wooden sets.
If you go metal or carbon you have a choice.
Fester

[Simpo Two]

Also two different ally finishes - spun and textured.

[Uncle Fester]

Simpo Two said:

Also two different ally finishes - spun and textured.

My car came with the textured, but I always preferred the turned/spun or whatever its called.

Were they Leven as well?

If anyone has the turned type and fancies a swap for the small checked pattern...

Fester

[mrmaggit]

Notanutter said:

Thanks for all the input. Just that I "might" be considering a Griff with a peely dash, and it seemed an idea to acquire a 'spare' one off Ebay and get it refinished then drop the existing instruments in.

The London Carriage Co. do an excellent veneer replacement service. They did the heater panel on ours, and it makes the original dash look a bit sick. They do a good job of matching the colour too.

[Notanutter]

Sounds like the way to go. I remember the dash on my V8S looked just a bit as though it had been done with a rag roller.

[The AJP Griff]

LordGrover said:

I stand corrected - apologies for misleading.
So we have pre-cat (smaller, black dials), 500 (larger, white dials) and LE (modded chimp dash?). What are the others then?

I thought that was pretty much it as well?
There were a few differnt types of gauges,but i was always under the impression the actul dash only changed 3 times.It's also worth noting that the very early 500's(i think ZZ top has one of these?) used the pre cat dash and gauges,combined with a 500 type heater control panel.

[Uncle Fester]

What we need is an illustrated guide to dash and instruments.

While I think about it, perhaps a photographic parts identification section on the Griffith pages would be a good idea.

I am never quite sure what I have. The instruments have are black with a digital odometer and I have been told they are pre-cat, but I am not sure. They have stickers on them dated August 1994.

I’m not sure what make they are. I want to change a couple if I could get some matching ones. There used to be instruments with two needles and scales in one gauge. I have never seen these in a Griff, but if I could get matching gauges I would. The ones I want are the combined oil pressure/temperature and the combined volts/amps.

Does anyone know who could help with this?

The dash isn’t original and I don’t have the original one. I would like to know what it should be like in case anyone ever wants to put it back to original.

Fester

[The AJP Griff]

Uncle Fester said:

What we need is an illustrated guide to dash and instruments.

While I think about it, perhaps a photographic parts identification section on the Griffith pages would be a good idea.

I am never quite sure what I have. The instruments have are black with a digital odometer and I have been told they are pre-cat, but I am not sure. They have stickers on them dated August 1994.

I’m not sure what make they are. I want to change a couple if I could get some matching ones. There used to be instruments with two needles and scales in one gauge. I have never seen these in a Griff, but if I could get matching gauges I would. The ones I want are the combined oil pressure/temperature and the combined volts/amps.

Does anyone know who could help with this?

The dash isn’t original and I don’t have the original one. I would like to know what it should be like in case anyone ever wants to put it back to original.

Fester

If you have the pre-cat type gauges,then the easies way to identify this is that they start in the 2 o'clock position.Top speed is 160mph on the speedo.I'm not sure,but i dont think pre-cat type were still fitted to griffs as late as Aug '94?
The cerbera uses a gauge with both temp and pressure in one,and you could install one of these,but matching up with whatever you have is not gauranteed(any pics).The cerberas tended to use the later ally bezel gauges,which are easily enough sourced from breakers etc, should you want to convert.

[Ballistic Banana]

Uncle Fester said:

What we need is an illustrated guide to dash and instruments.

While I think about it, perhaps a photographic parts identification section on the Griffith pages would be a good idea.

I am never quite sure what I have. The instruments have are black with a digital odometer and I have been told they are pre-cat, but I am not sure. They have stickers on them dated August 1994.

I’m not sure what make they are. I want to change a couple if I could get some matching ones. There used to be instruments with two needles and scales in one gauge. I have never seen these in a Griff, but if I could get matching gauges I would. The ones I want are the combined oil pressure/temperature and the combined volts/amps.

Does anyone know who could help with this?

The dash isn’t original and I don’t have the original one. I would like to know what it should be like in case anyone ever wants to put it back to original.

Fester

Happy to do this will start a new thread

BB

[Simpo Two]

Uncle Fester said:

Simpo Two said:

Also two different ally finishes - spun and textured.

My car came with the textured, but I always preferred the turned/spun or whatever its called. Were they Leven as well?

IIRC both are TVR factory originals, not Leven aftermarket stuff. However the spun finish will blind you if there's a low sun behind you - the textured one is bad enough!

Mine has the textured finish; would have preferred walnut really but life's a bugger at times... and I like to keep my car as original as possible, not plastered with aftermarket cosmetics.




Because then one day I'll have the only original Griff left and then it'll be worth a fortune, bwahahaah!

Edited by Simpo Two on Monday 17th September 20:35

[LordGrover]

Ballistic Banana said:

Happy to do this will start a new thread

BB

Did this happen?