Dash material

[mgbond]

On the center console, what material is the black pannel below the silver section that has the boost gauge.

I'm fitting a gauge in the black pannel and the garage suggest a qmax cutter as it's neater, these tools are normaly used for aluminium?

Bondy

[peterguk M500]

Dash is GRP sprayed with some black st.

[mgbond]

So would using a Q Max cutter work as I would be worried about it splitting. How would you cut a hole in this to fit a gauge.

Cheers

Bondy

[The devil]

have you taken that panel off?

[Metalman]

Not sure what a Q MAX cutter is, but if it's used for aluminium does it have fine teeth? If so i would say it's fine for cutting fibreglass, it wont chip as long as they take it easy. If you were to use a normal hole saw for cutting wood, it will have larger off-set teeth and this would be more likely to chip your dash!

[TOENHEEL]

whats used on the top of the dash?

[mgbond]

It doesn't come off. It's all part of the tunnel (I'm not talking about the silver pannel that boost gauge is in).

The noble parts wiki has nice pictures of behind and we know we can get behind it, but I need to cut a hole for the new gauge.

Bondy

[The devil]

Am I right in thinking the Qmax is where you drill a hole then put the cutter one side and the other half on the back and tighten the bolt?

[Metalman]

The devil said:

Am I right in thinking the Qmax is where you drill a hole then put the cutter one side and the other half on the back and tighten the bolt?

If it is as you say, then i would think it would break the dash rather then punch a hole through it!? Surely a fine toothed hole cutter would make the best job?

[mgbond]

The devil said:

Am I right in thinking the Qmax is where you drill a hole then put the cutter one side and the other half on the back and tighten the bolt?

yes that's exactly what it is. I'm also worried about the splitting. There is the band saw type of circle cutter but they think that will be too messy and not end up round (which is often the case with those).

Has anyone else tried it?

Bondy

[=Stella Artois=]

Use a fine tooth Hole Saw, fine, as it will cut rather than tear the GRP. Also wise to use fairy liquid to ease the cut and keep the dust down, don't for heavens sake try the QMax as it will fracture the dash.

[Noblescort]

Bondy,

I've done similar on another car. Use a fine tooth hole saw. They wobble about if the material they are cutting is too soft/thin.

Here's how to do it.

Apply a couple of layers of masking tape to the panel where you want the hole to be (this protects the panel). Put a block of hardwood behind the panel ensuring it covers the whole of the area you want to cut out (make sure it is thick enough to support the pilot drill - say 19mm). Screw through the panel into the block to hold it in place (put the screws in the area that will be waste). Then cut the hole. Hey presto, round hole.

[david.mt]

.....wot he said. Done it with quite a few previous cars and always nerve wrecking

[mgbond]

Garage thought it was aluminium and are now saying they don't want to do it. I think my best bet now is to get hold of a M400 face that has the oil/ pressure gauge hole in it in it.

Any idea how much one of these is?

Bondy