got the dash out ;-)

[Excitedoldgeezer]

After much swearing and nashing of teeth got the dash out this weekend, with the following observations:

1. The old "wooden" dash is in fact plastic - what Ive been robbed your honor.....I am replacing it with proper wood veneer, currently in workshop having lots of varnish applied - but have I got this wrong, I assumed all chims came with proper wooden dash boards? Mine is a 1995 4ltr?

2. Make special effort to note down where the wires go before you let your farther in law move the fan switch, I have no idea now how to wire back up the electric fan switch, four cables, I think I know which way round they went before he spun the dial around? Could now have fan perm on, off or not at all?

3. The radio dash was only held in place with a bit of glue - after a desire to rebuild at least as good if not better than the original, we ended up rivoting and soldering the brackets back to the panel At one point we had the blow torch on it...cool until my 3 year old wanted ago

4. Where is the steering wheel?

5. Refitting is the reverse of disassembly - yea right, going to tackle that bit next weekend (along with the door - see earlier post)

Good fun though

Finally a random pic of my son after he got the camera and wanted to take a picture of daddies racing car:




Don't you just love our cars!

[Cider Andy]

The dash veneer is very thin but has many coats of lacquer,so it does have a plastic look about it when it comes off.

There are two variants of the radio panel, one with a single rotary lightswitch. Mine has this and was held in place by four self-tappers, two either side of the radio, which passed through two steel angles bonded on to the back of the panel. I knocked up some brackets when I put it back in, that go over the hazard and fog light switches. The switches now hold the panel firmly in place.

I'm not certain, but I think the cars could be factory ordered with an aluminium (or stainless?) dash.

[dog man]

Like the old style gear knob

[Excitedoldgeezer]

dog man said:

Like the old style gear knob

got a handbrake in the lathe to match

[John042]

My dash on removal was found to be a thin wood veneer onto a steel backing. Hence the cracking, (Rates of expension etc) so I went the carbon fibre route bonded onto the steel backing with a flexible mastic. I'm quite pleased with the result but it's almost immpossible to stop a little bit of gel coat cracking around the small cicumfernces. We are however talking about very small blemishes which many would not notice. I was wary of using wood veneer again as to replace the dash a far bit of bending is required, so didn't want to end up with a cracked surface again. Needless to say I had to replace the heater neon lights even after being so careful not to break them. The rest of the task went surprisingly smoothly, for a TVR that is! Cheers John042