KugaWestie Posted February 6, 2021 Author Posted February 6, 2021 After some help from @corsechris this week, all the resistors have been removed from the dash looms and everything is working correctly. So today I spent some time tidying up the looms on the back of the dash as well as in the car. Then I fitted the dash. It is held in place with 4 wing nuts onto some big head fastener threads that were glassed into the back of the dash. All of these are right at the top of the dash. I don’t think I have ever sworn so much trying to get them 4 wing nuts on this afternoon. Hopefully that dash is in for good now!
KugaWestie Posted February 10, 2021 Author Posted February 10, 2021 Heated seat wiring fitted Since taking the photo the wiring has been tidied up a little bit and then power and earth connections made off.
KugaWestie Posted February 10, 2021 Author Posted February 10, 2021 I have started to look at how to trim the tunnel. I have decided to try and make up a complete fibreglass panel for the tunnel. Hopefully my plan works. So first off it was CAD time. I then made up a couple of side panels from this CAD template and left them to cure. These will also hide the majority of the heated seat wiring I wasn’t happy with the junction/join and shape between the front top panel that goes under the dash and the rear curved tunnel panel, so decided this needed to change. You can see it in the photo above ⬆️ I spent some time laying some new cardboard over the top of the two panels as well as masking off the bottom of the dash. Then I laid up a new panel in-situ. Once cured I removed the newly made panel After cleaning up the new top and side panel to a rough shape I offered them back into the car. I am hoping to join the side panels on both side of the tunnel, the new top front panel and rear curved top panel together to make one large tunnel panel that can be slotted into position, Not sure if that is going to work yet but it it does it will mean I can trim it complete out of the car and then simply drop it into position.
KugaWestie Posted February 11, 2021 Author Posted February 11, 2021 Some more work on the tunnel for an hour this evening has got me this far. I have had this in the car assembled as it is in the photo and managed to get it out again. A bit of a battle but achievable. I need to do some work on fixing points next and then bond/glass it all together. Once that is done I can get it trimmed.
KugaWestie Posted February 12, 2021 Author Posted February 12, 2021 Tonight I dismantled the tunnel panels and the added some beads of Carbond and pop riveted them back together. I think I will glass the joints as well. I also laid up some glass to make some angle fixing brackets from.
KugaWestie Posted February 13, 2021 Author Posted February 13, 2021 Bottom fixing brackets added to the tunnel panelling as well as rear curve brackets. Then all of the panel joints have been glassed over Hopefully one more test fit tomorrow then I can send it for trimming
Trevor Little (Trevturtle) - Treasurer Posted February 13, 2021 Posted February 13, 2021 Time to repeat myself.... Compelling viewing and reading Thanks for the updates
KugaWestie Posted February 13, 2021 Author Posted February 13, 2021 10 minutes ago, Trevturtle said: Time to repeat myself.... Compelling viewing and reading Thanks for the updates Thanks Trev, very kind. It’s nice to get a comment back so I know I am not wasting my time posting 😉
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted February 13, 2021 Posted February 13, 2021 33 minutes ago, KugaWestie said: Thanks Trev, very kind. It’s nice to get a comment back so I know I am not wasting my time posting 😉 Never! It’s just patently obvious you hardly need hints ‘n tips posting, so there’s less feedback than many might get. But it’s still a highly enjoyable build to follow.
Doug Dastardly Posted February 13, 2021 Posted February 13, 2021 39 minutes ago, KugaWestie said: Thanks Trev, very kind. It’s nice to get a comment back so I know I am not wasting my time posting 😉 Do more, post more. It's nearly as bad as waiting for Binky. 👍 I think it's going to look great at the end.
KugaWestie Posted February 14, 2021 Author Posted February 14, 2021 I completed the tunnel cover panel today, so it’s ready to be trimmed now. Here it is ready to go. I decided to spray the bottom fixing brackets black to give me some flexibility later. I may cover them with floor carpet or I may trim around them depending on how things look.
Gary Taylor Posted February 14, 2021 Posted February 14, 2021 Lovely work , and it amazes me how you “just” mould something up , it’s all really coming together now
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted February 14, 2021 Posted February 14, 2021 8 minutes ago, Gary Taylor - Scotland AO said: Lovely work , and it amazes me how you “just” mould something up , it’s all really coming together now It’s amazing the difference it makes when the surfaces don’t have to be “final finish”, it does tend to get forgotten about as a way for quickly making panels up, with Westfields though, as we’re so used to the GRP surface being directly on show.
KugaWestie Posted February 14, 2021 Author Posted February 14, 2021 17 minutes ago, Gary Taylor - Scotland AO said: Lovely work , and it amazes me how you “just” mould something up , it’s all really coming together now Thanks. Fibreglass is pretty easy once you have had a few goes at it to be fair.
KugaWestie Posted February 14, 2021 Author Posted February 14, 2021 8 minutes ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Secretary said: It’s amazing the difference it makes when the surfaces don’t have to be “final finish”, it does tend to get forgotten about as a way for quickly making panels up, with Westfields though, as we’re so used to the GRP surface being directly on show. Yep for backing panels that are getting trimmed it is quick and easy and also not very heavy. It’s easy to cut/shape as well
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