RichP Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Confused from Northampton. Had a good day - picked up my mahooooosive new silencer from Simpsons - very pleased. Spent the rest of the day pulling the car to bits (why??) and decided to change the dash from the current wallnut job (clashes with the carbon aeroscreen!) to a second hand factory dash bought from a fellow WSCC member. Now the confusing part. The new dash is from a wide bodied car, and for the last 2 years I've thought mine was also wide bodied. However, the new dash won't fit - it's about 1½ inches or so wider than the scuttle. and also higher than the scuttle. Am I a prat? Do I actually have a narrow bodied car - how do I tell? (I should point out that I didn't build it!) It's a 1994 kit registered in '95 with IRS - I thought all IRS cars were wide bodied - is this wrong? On the VIN plate it ways WSEi so I thought the W was "Wide" - is it just "Westfield"? It has "SE" moulded into the scuttle. I'd be amazed if there was so much variation over the years that a new wide body car is 1½ inches wider than an old one? (If it is a narrow, are they faster? ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Navin Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Not all IRS cars were wide There are a couple of ways that you can tell 1st off are the rear arches removeable ? If they are chances are its a wide Have a look at the rear arches, are they swaged in where your elbow would normally be. The narrow clips straight over the side of the chassis rail and is flat with the side of the interior panel. IF you can put a photo up of the inside recess of your current body work It would help. I think, but wait to be corrected, that the wides started about 91 so chances are yours is wide. The SE on the Bulkhead was on thge moulds for wide and narrow. And in general the narrows are lots faster ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twcullen Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Narrows are faster. They also came with independent rears SEi's. I think you can tell by the rear lights. If they stand out on the rear wing and don't touch the main body you've got a narrow! Also isn't the wide model an SEiW rather than a WSEi? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichP Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 I'll take pics in a bit - the RR arches are fixed, and just at the outer side of each seat the body steps in a bit, I guess to create space for the rr wheel. Having thought for a minute I bought an RAC roll bar a while back and that fitted ok - can you get them for a narrow as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twcullen Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 I'll take pics in a bit - the RR arches are fixed, and just at the outer side of each seat the body steps in a bit, I guess to create space for the rr wheel. Having thought for a minute I bought an RAC roll bar a while back and that fitted ok - can you get them for a narrow as well? Yup! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Navin Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 I'll take pics in a bit - the RR arches are fixed, and just at the outer side of each seat the body steps in a bit, I guess to create space for the rr wheel. Having thought for a minute I bought an RAC roll bar a while back and that fitted ok - can you get them for a narrow as well? Yes you can get RAC bars for a narrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenandmean Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 And in general the narrows are lots faster ! They were today at 3 Sisters when one of them with an old fart at the wheel spanked the hairdryers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Navin Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 And in general the narrows are lots faster ! They were today at 3 Sisters when one of them with an old fart at the wheel spanked the hairdryers well done mate ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichP Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 Pics: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus Barlow - Show and Events Co-ordinator Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 its a wide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichP Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 Cheers Marcus - at least I've not gone mad. Why doesn't the dash from a newer car fit then? Guess the shape of the cars around the scuttle area must have changed over the years? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus Barlow - Show and Events Co-ordinator Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Dont know why dash doesnt fit? yes maybe variations in wide depending on year, your tub at the back cuts into rear light cluster (narrows dont) and also dont think narrow came with the 'scoop' out at the side by your elbow.. what dash r u fitting ? is it 2nd hand? been fitted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Navin Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Yes definatly a wide. The dash may not fit if it is from a car that has been fitted with a newer car with body work from a different mould. Some thing llike the ZK moulds has a different face to the early moulds. There are rounded edges on th eearly but the ZK is flat on the return. Can you ask whoever you got it from what there mould was. There is normally the information lkaminated on the inside of the fiberglass. If these are different there may be other differences in the molds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markcoopers Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Rob has it. ZK body work is newer and amoung other things has locating lugs on the scuttle to locate to the tub, and is indeed a tad more acomodating for the dash. The earlier wide body does not. However i would be amazed if you could not marry the two up with a bit of trimming. Use the old walnut one as a template. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carpetstu Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 The scuttle on yours will have a rolled top the newer ones don't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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