MK1 Dashboard Replacement

[greenhulk]

Evening gents, whilst the chims having the body off im considering replacing the ol walnut dash with something else.. Has anyone changed theres to carbon or stainless or even alcantara? My interior is magnolia so im thinking a darker dash would really stand out against it, i was considering just vinyl wrapping it but not sure..

My dash


Engine Turned Pattern

Brushed Stainless steel

Brushed Satin Black Stainless Steel

Carbon


Also is there any benefit changing to the mk2 style dash or does this require ALOT of fiddling about wiring etc (sending my bill with the mechanic sky high )

Cheers
Steve

[PhilH42]

Hi Steve,

Not particularly difficult mate, I changed mine to stainless (chequered pattern ) from the walnut as it was a bit de-laminated and cracked.

Getting the dash top off is a bit of a fiddle I've heard although someone before me basically ripped everything apart and the bolts off of the fibreglass on most panels so I could just lift mine off. I spent a while sorting the panels out but all's good now. You have to unsolder and re-solder the small warning lights (not sure if this is different in an early dash without looking at pics) but otherwise its just u brackets and a few screws and bolts. I ordered a new set of LED's on ebay when I did mine as it made life easier and they were knackered anyway.

Phil

[PhilH42]

[PhilH42]

Dash needs a clean...

[Paulprior]

I have just replaced my dash, but i stuck with the walnut, mine looks the same model as yours and there was no soldering required, but loking at other recent threads the electrics look very different for the smaller clocks and heater control at least

[PhilH42]

Paulprior said:

I have just replaced my dash, but i stuck with the walnut, mine looks the same model as yours and there was no soldering required, but loking at other recent threads the electrics look very different for the smaller clocks and heater control at least

Connections to the small warning lights on mine were soldered Paul and you could not remove or refit without unsoldering the connector block first...maybe the conns on yours were different?

[greenhulk]

PhilH42 said:

Phil thats car interior porn right there, must admit that leven dash looks the dogs!

Paulprior said:

I have just replaced my dash, but i stuck with the walnut, mine looks the same model as yours and there was no soldering required, but loking at other recent threads the electrics look very different for the smaller clocks and heater control at least

cheers paul, yeah the led thingys weren't soldered in on mine either, hopefully still function when it goes back together

[PhilH42]

I picked the two dash parts up on Fleabay for £120 Steve, still in the original Leven packaging. It is tidy inside but I'd like a retrim really, I just re- coloured with furniture cliinic kit.

Incidentally and in case anyone has a worn (colour wise) steering wheel I coloured it with FC product! Mine looked awful...like really awful so I bought the colour (black HC) and used with cross linker x and sealed with super and final sealant...several coats and it came out really good and no colour loss or wear since. FC stuff is good but you have to seal really well or it stays quite sticky as I found out on some other bits

Send us a pic of the finished article when your done mate, its going to look fresh when you're finished

Edited by PhilH42 on Thursday 15th December 13:00

[greenhulk]

£120! bargain, ive only seen the engine turned & brushed stainless dashs on there so far (hawking ebay everyday.)
Oh nice work saves forking out for a new one although.. I did manage to pickup a new old stock one for under £100! Totally didnt need it but yeah, why not



Cheers Phil, i will indeed matey, Ive just dropped the 'oz vegas' off for refurb & the two seats for retrim, will get the marigolds on & give the carpets a refresh next

[PhilH42]

greenhulk said:

£120! bargain, ive only seen the engine turned & brushed stainless dashs on there so far (hawking ebay everyday.)
Oh nice work saves forking out for a new one although.. I did manage to pickup a new old stock one for under £100! Totally didnt need it but yeah, why not



Cheers Phil, i will indeed matey, Ive just dropped the 'oz vegas' off for refurb & the two seats for retrim, will get the marigolds on & give the carpets a refresh next

£100 for a good one why not! I see you're keeping the Rims, pic of those as well please...be good to see them when furbed!

I did change my carpets...they were worse than the steering wheel! When i managed to scrape the bits out from under the central vents the carpet was cream...the rest I found had been sprayed blue at some point

Before

[PhilH42]

After

[PhilH42]

Oh and leather door cards

Makes you wonder how we get time to go to work

[PhilH42]

They doir cards look better if you stand on your head

[PhilH42]

and if you spell door correctly having a nightmare today...I''m in the middle of a tender and its frying my brain....this is some light relief

[greenhulk]

Work? whats that again?.. enjoying my week off actually. After doing an hour drive to the other side of Birmingham & practising my handstand looking at your door cards.. I can now confirm i am slightly gutted i didn't take mine off & up to the trimmer whilst i was up there, the leather looks great!

Blimey, wise move in changing the carpets Phil, them old ones look like someones been having intercourse with an octopus!
Yeah i mean i was set on esoterils but the guy on FBgroup wanted £600 for some tatty ones so i figured using the contacts i have it would be ALOT cheaper to refurb my oz vegas.


Not sure how green leather would look on my door cards maybe magnolia

[PhilH42]

greenhulk said:

Work? whats that again?.. enjoying my week off actually. After doing an hour drive to the other side of Birmingham & practising my handstand looking at your door cards.. I can now confirm i am slightly gutted i didn't take mine off & up to the trimmer whilst i was up there, the leather looks great!

Blimey, wise move in changing the carpets Phil, them old ones look like someones been having intercourse with an octopus!
Yeah i mean i was set on esoterils but the guy on FBgroup wanted £600 for some tatty ones so i figured using the contacts i have it would be ALOT cheaper to refurb my oz vegas.


Not sure how green leather would look on my door cards maybe magnolia

A week off....very nice! Good to see you're spending your time wisely...tvr time should be compulsory

Intercourse with an octopus reminds me of an ex girlfriend and my mk1 Astra...the seats had a similar look and texture I seem to remember

I bought the leather cards from a guy who retrimmed again...£50 and yes better than carpet I think. Yes I know what you mean about green inserts...dark green would be alright but then its not matching...wonder if all magnolia would be too much?...mines biscuit interior...prefer the magnolia.

Yep I wanted Estorils but not much about and I wanted 16 all round so even more difficult, so in the end I bought the RS7's which have a similar look. The Oz will look really nice though.

[greenhulk]

That & starting the engine on the 'S' to any visitors who drop by is most enjoyable!

the Philmeister!

Yeah cant really visualise a lighter shade of green in them to be honest & think your right would be abit to much magnolia. I think i got the biscuit or oatmeal on the top sections of my door cards, outer bits of centre console & top dash, makes a nice contrast.

I mainly wanted them because they show off the calipers abit better than the oz vegas but they may still be visible in bright red behind them, which reminds me.. there the next thing i need to drop off to 'biggred' in worcester. Had a look at those RS7's really like them & they do look alot like the estoerils did they bolt straight on no spaces needed etc?

[PhilH42]

greenhulk said:

That & starting the engine on the 'S' to any visitors who drop by is most enjoyable!

the Philmeister!

Yeah cant really visualise a lighter shade of green in them to be honest & think your right would be abit to much magnolia. I think i got the biscuit or oatmeal on the top sections of my door cards, outer bits of centre console & top dash, makes a nice contrast.

I mainly wanted them because they show off the calipers abit better than the oz vegas but they may still be visible in bright red behind them, which reminds me.. there the next thing i need to drop off to 'biggred' in worcester. Had a look at those RS7's really like them & they do look alot like the estoerils did they bolt straight on no spaces needed etc?

I can relate to that, love the sound of the S....the guy who had mine before me spent hours and hours on the exhaust....but not much else! Still it sounded good even if he had pretty much ruined the integrity of a good stainless exhaust that ended up 50% less stainless by the time he finished with one very wonky tail pipe

That was over 20 years ago Steve and my car seats have been pretty much pristine ever since I got married

I'm sure the youtube video of a 500 griff was very much biscuit apart from the carpets and it actually looked pretty good, I'll try and find the link.

Yes but shorter nuts and 5mm spacers on the rears as the cap would not sit flush...it also fouled the hub nut thread on the rears without the spacers.

[PhilH42]

Can't see the door cards but its pretty much neutral colours all over including the carpets!

https://youtu.be/5g8NTTwipfA

Sounds awesome and the acceleration is nice!

[greenhulk]

That was over 20 years ago Steve and my car seats have been pretty much pristine ever since I got married

I'm sure the youtube video of a 500 griff was very much biscuit apart from the carpets and it actually looked pretty good, I'll try and find the link.

Yep they sure do roar! Got full stainless exhaust system & manifolds on mine, it'll be a good stable mate for its younger brother the chim

the philmeister is still the man!

Looks smart in all biscuit but i do like the contrast from different colour carpets against the vinyl tho. Wheels look tidy, was they originally diamond cut?
Let me know if you come across that checkered leven dash anywhere, they said they wont have them back in stock till may