Dashboard construction techniques.

[Adrian Southgate]

Seeing lots of different types of dash material and constructions on our photo albums but lets have some specific ideas / methods. I will probably edit this thread for publication in DT at some point in the future so you have been warned.

Just to start the ball rolling here is how mine was made.

Cut back the original dash facia to fit the clocks (capri 6 clock unit is quite large) then used 'meccano ' strips from halfords to locate the instrument cluster.

I used LD45 (a measurement of foam density) to make a skeleton and eventually an outer skin which is removable in segments. repair sized penny washers have been inserted into the foam during the construction process to allow a firm fixing and the majority of it has been covered with LD25 (softer) foam as impact protection. This was shaped using a very sharp knife and sandpaper and then finally covered in patterned 'skin' also made of foam.

The whole lot was assembled with lovely brown evostik (do this outdoors or the mrs WILL kill you, you'll be off your face on the fumes and won't care) 

The facia plate was from the capri club of australia, used to be available on ebay but I haven't checked recently and fits straight on to the plastic dash panel from any late capri once you remove the old foam insert. its made of H2 stainless which does need taking off every now and again for gentle lengthwise scouring to retain the brushed finish.

Trial fitting of cluster.

I do have more foam sheeting but not enough for another full dash like mine. there may be enough for a phaeton or melos though.

Over to you guys.

[Dave Adams]

It looks like a B+ to me....

[Dave Adams]

No hang on that boot section has no flares to the wheel arch as per B+ an d later model‘s so possibly a B-type?

[Paul Sheridan]

It was registered and badged as a Phaeton, My mate bought the chassis and body kit from Tim Dutton, after Tim had fitted it with a bespoke rear end , in order to take wide wheels for some kind of prototype testing ( so the story goes ) I showed this to Andy S back in 2009 and he thought that he had seen some literature on it, in the dim and distant. Doesn't have B+ petrol filler cut out in the wing either.

 

 

[Dave Adams]

not all the B+'s have the cut out for the fuel filler, just those that used Dutton's own fuel tank.....apparently.

If Tim called it a Phaeton who are we to argue?  Much the same way as early Malaga's looked like B+'s only the later ones had the boxy rear end, i don't think the factory of the time would recognise the labels we now apply to the various models.......

The boot lid looks like a B+ one though The S1's and S2's were full width.

[Dave Adams]

Beaver dash...reminds me of the email that John sent me about the new windscreen wipers...

would make for odd shaped glove box as well ;-)

[Dave Adams]

Ahhh one for Daryl.....he likes a bit of diving.

[Paul Sheridan]

Well if you have to be simple to have a giggle, I come top of the class, sitting here with a big grin on my face.

Sorry Ade, we appear to have hijaked a perfectly good post!!  May have to start this one again.

;-)

 

[Adrian Southgate]

nah... i'll just post it complete, make sure the other halfs get DT first... :-)

Seriously though, its fine I have a delete key, what could go wong wrong