Chrimaera dashboard

[paramount1443]

Bought a replacement walnut dash board from TVR-MADS but can`t get the dash lights to fit the holes.
The lacquer had bled into the holes making them too small. tried to carefully drill out but the lacquer has chipped off. Don`t know what to do now.

[jamienshelly]

Hi, A small round file will not be as harsh as drilling, and if the chipping is not to large then may be a larger bezel will cover up the chips. You may have sand back and re coat the dash, but I am sure there will be someone along soon with a simpler and better idea.

[slippery]

Sort of on topic, so I'll ask the question here (sorry OP!).
I'm looking at Chimaeras at the moment and prefer the classic looking walnut dash to the the contempory aluminium items that some people have had fitted to their cars. What sort of costs are involved in taking one back to standard (assuming I got a local specialist to do the job and didn't attempt to DIY it?

[blaze_away]

Talk to the supplier, its there problem not yours.

[paramount1443]

I bought mine from TVR-MADS @ £240.00 but its darker than original & have the problem with the holes for the lights as above.
Waiting for a response from TVR-MADS

[Andav469]

paramount1443 said:

Bought a replacement walnut dash board from TVR-MADS but can`t get the dash lights to fit the holes.
The lacquer had bled into the holes making them too small. tried to carefully drill out but the lacquer has chipped off. Don`t know what to do now.

Is your car the early or late dash?

I replaced my facelift car with a dash from TVR MADS 2 months ago with little drama.

It depends on how much the lacquer has chipped, if its small, you can touch it up with lacquer from a touch up stick, once dried you can polish it up so that it will never show.

[Andav469]

paramount1443 said:

I bought mine from TVR-MADS @ £240.00 but its darker than original & have the problem with the holes for the lights as above.
Waiting for a response from TVR-MADS

Your original dash when new would have been dark, the sunlight over the years will have bleached it

[paramount1443]

1998 model

[Andav469]

paramount1443 said:

1998 model

Which lights are the problem, heater LEDs?

[paramount1443]

No, all the other dash lights, Tried filing down the holders but did not work.

[Andav469]

paramount1443 said:

No, all the other dash lights, Tried filing down the holders but did not work.

That isn't right, I would be discussing the issue with the supplier, mine were tight to fit but not to the point that I couldn't fit the holders without modification.

[paramount1443]

TVRMADS have agreed to replace next week but says should only use a file in one direction to enlarge holes to avoid chipping the veneer.
Hope he keeps his word.

[K4TRV]

slippery said:

Sort of on topic, so I'll ask the question here (sorry OP!).
I'm looking at Chimaeras at the moment and prefer the classic looking walnut dash to the the contempory aluminium items that some people have had fitted to their cars. What sort of costs are involved in taking one back to standard (assuming I got a local specialist to do the job and didn't attempt to DIY it?

These are the people with experience & quality: http://www.london-carriage-craft.com/tvr.htm

Really not a DIY project, unless you have a "lot-of-time-on-your-hands" - IMVHO

T

[Andav469]

K4TRV said:

These are the people with experience & quality: http://www.london-carriage-craft.com/tvr.htm

Really not a DIY project, unless you have a "lot-of-time-on-your-hands" - IMVHO

T

I replaced my dash in an afternoon and I didn't rush, it's a bit fiddely but not hard!

[K4TRV]

Andav469 said:

I replaced my dash in an afternoon and I didn't rush, it's a bit fiddely but not hard!

I was referring to DIY replacement of the veneer 8-))

Replacement, one-for-one is good going as an afternoon job, more like a day's work??

Trev

[Andav469]

K4TRV said:

I was referring to DIY replacement of the veneer 8-))

Replacement, one-for-one is good going as an afternoon job, more like a day's work??

Trev

Ahh yes, to replace the veneer as a DIY is not something I would like to tackle.

[slippery]

K4TRV said:

These are the people with experience & quality: http://www.london-carriage-craft.com/tvr.htm

Really not a DIY project, unless you have a "lot-of-time-on-your-hands" - IMVHO

T

Thanks very much.

[TVRinBFG]

There are a number of threads running elsewhere about naming and shaming; and I think this is a brilliant example of how it can perhaps adversely affect a small business.

To reiterate, my Company has supplied the OP with a dash where the lacquer has spilled into the holes, making the hole diameter too tight. This is totally not right.

However, the OP has not phone to discuss this (we could have easily sent him a new dash set); or even to ask how to rectify this (it’s actually even easier, as it's relatively simple to fix); but simply had a go with a drill, which has by the sound of it totally damaged the dash lacquer. Then instead of contacting my Company and waiting for a reply, he has come onto the forum at 0757hrs; and told everybody TVR MADS have supplied a faulty product. So the result of this Post is anybody reading it, will assume we regularly supply faulty goods. And “blaze-away” actually thinks, that although the OP has drilled the dash, it’s still our fault.

Then at 0822hrs the OP has come on again and stated that he is still awaiting a response from my Company, which sort of gives the impression we don’t care, or we routinely just ignore customers. However, the OP only sent me an email explaining his situation at 1653hrs yesterday and which I have only received this evening, having been at Chobham, track yesterday and today.

The OP phoned my mobile at 0953hrs this morning, told me his garage mechanic had drilled the holes, to which my reaction was, the mechanic is a bodging gorilla. I explained how the lacquer should have been filed, but agreed to send him a replacement if he sent the old one back, despite the OP or his gorilla ruining the dash, when it’s such a simple fix. The conversation lasted 3 minutes 21 seconds. So the situation is resolved and hopefully everybody is happier.

But then we return to this Post and at 1332hrs the OP says TVR MADS have agreed to replace the dash but finishes with “Hope he keeps his word”; which depending upon how you read it, sort of cast aspersions on whether I am honest or not?

Then at 1344hrs K4TRV posts “These are the people with experience & quality” and gives a link to a rival firm. And again depending upon how you read it, this suggest TVR MADS don’t have the experience & quality?

Finally reading Slippery’s Post at 1951hrs, this suggest where perhaps he will be spending his money? So naming and shaming my Company has cost me at least one lost sale.

Anybody else ever get a problem with TVR MADS, please contact us first and at least give us the chance to resolve the problem.

[Bassfiend229hp]

TVRinBFG said:

<<STUFF>>

One of the most frustrating things I deal with day-to-day at work is that customers with "issues" with products that they should simply call their dealer and say "sort it out" end up trying to fit other peoples problems (and unfortunately their often-poorly-thought-out-and-frequently-inappropriate-solutions) to their own issues, and then grumbling when it doesn't work completely ignoring the big-ass sticky at the top of our forums that says "If you need support contact us directly at..."

The internet is a double edged sword - more people can find your products but also any comments once up there are basically there for posterity ... how often have you Googled for something, had a result and looked at it but not taken a look to see when it was posted? Probably bloody years ago!

Phil

[Krautchimaera]

I am fully with the guy from TVRMads.
If you have a problem contact your supplier is the very first thing you should do.
anybody who has ever worked with veneer like I did years ago, knows they are typically 0,7 mm thick.
Just the idea of putting a drill through a painted and polished veneer thats been glued onto steel hurts me and sends shivers down my spine.

I think the OP is really lucky by getting the dash replaced which he or his mechanic ruined by clumsiness.

I don't want to upset the OP but I have a company myself and I am sick of people complaining for problems which they obviously created themselves.
Having to file a hole carefully is something I would simply expect on a manmade natural (wooden) spare part of any kind.


What a waffle, sorry
Bernd