Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 A brief ( ) diversion - and somebody did ask! When I sold my old VDO instruments after getting one of Mickmade's finest carbon dashes, I still had the old factory vinyl dash left over. It looked very sorry for itself where the vinyl had lifted at the back and had holes cut in for the battery isolator switch. So I decided to dig it out, have a dry run by recovering it and get it flogged on and out to a new home. Yes, as others have found, they're a git to clean when you're taking them back to bear metal, but buoyed on by the captain's words of encoragement - he's our regular dash meister nowadays dontcha know i pressed on. I won't bore you with the filling of the cut out switch holes - i just epoxied a cover plate of fresh aluminium on the back and Bondo'd the holes up from the front. Now, I have to admit, despite trying all the recommendations in the thread I posted, I've still drawn a blank on 3mm foam. The manager of the furniture supplies place I tried basically explained that most couldn't do it as it was narrower than the blade there machines use for slicing the stuff up! It is out there somewhere, but I gave up in the end, and used the fall back solution. I bought a length of foam backed headlining material from Martrim - essentially 3mm foam but with nylon headlining cloth stuck to one side. It's not perfect, but glued cloth side down with contact adhesive - I used the Martrim spray on High Temperature stuff, just like the captain recommends. (Ask the Captain why ) Then it was a case of laying out the vinyl, face down and I drew round the shape of the dash on the back. this then let me spray adhesive onto the vinyl WHERE IT WRAPPED ROUND BEHIND THE DASH. I also needed to spray the matching area behind the alloy dash board. This is important, 'cause you want the vinyl to be able to move and stretch on the face of the dash itself so that it takes up the shape. You can see here, where I've stretched it round and started to do some of the trimming - including opening up for the instruments. Another shot of it at this stage, the vinyl had now started to "settle" and sit flat to the padding. So I carried on cutting out the instruments and main switch openings; you can see from the back how it's done. You have to be careful when making the radial cuts that you don't go too close to the rim ofthe opening - or when you fold the material back, the cut will overlap the edge and be visible from the front. To the upper right is the little plate covering the cut-out switch holes - if it's ever needed again, the new owner can just pry it off etc. I also deliberately didn't cut out the main rocker switches - this is how you get it if you ask for the "Mega___" dash, that way if you have no heater and wipers, you don't have empty holes in the dash. And the final dash as it appeared in the ad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KugaWestie Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Then it was a case of laying out the vinyl, face down and I drew round the shape of the dash on the back. this then let me spray adhesive onto the vinyl WHERE IT WRAPPED ROUND BEHIND THE DASH. I also needed to spray the matching area behind the alloy dash board. This is important, 'cause you want the vinyl to be able to move and stretch on the face of the dash itself so that it takes up the shape. Looks good that - Where exactly did you apply glue on the back of the vinyl? Everywhere, or just the area that is in contact with the back of the dash? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 OK, final bit on the crash-pad. Pleased with how the dash turned out, (looked so good for a first attempt when I'd finished it I nearly kept it, just in case ) First job was to stick the nylon headlining in place, again, nylon side in - thanfully it has a bit of stretch so it can follow the curves. Here from the drivers side, viewed as if from the front of the car: And from the passengers side, viewed as if from the back of the car: You can see in this one - to the right of the picture, where the modified "roll" kicks up to swoop over the top edge of the Dash2 And finally, the whole thing ready for the vinyl to be fitted. And that takes me up to the end of the piccies. The idea was, (still is) to take some more now showing it trimmed and fitted to the car, along with the modified dash with it's extra switches. But in the end decided to have a Christmas break from working on the car, (with one exception, cough JK, cough) and just drive it when I could. So, as it stands, I've got one half of this pair fitted: With the other safely in Mr Lippy's possession Hopefully the smaller one for the passenger side should be with me in a couple of weeks. and I'll try and get some more photo's taken of what the car actually looks like now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 Looks good that - Where exactly did you apply glue on the back of the vinyl? Everywhere, or just the area that is in contact with the back of the dash? Yes, just where it wrapped round onto the aluminium at the back of the dash. I'm sure there may be a tiny bit of overspray onto the foam, but I tried to keep it to an absolute minimum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Ever open up a thread thinking it will be good, then read it and find out it's really good, then read it more and more and find out it's not only excellent but that compared to that person's skill level, you're a ham-fisted moron? This is one of those threads for me. Great work Dave, most impressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KugaWestie Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Yes, just where it wrapped round onto the aluminium at the back of the dash. I'm sure there may be a tiny bit of overspray onto the foam, but I tried to keep it to an absolute minimum. Thanks - must remember that then - no glue on the foam then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 Doh shucks I'll go and look at Windy's thread again and get brought right back down to Earth with a bump. But in a good, inspired to do better way, if that makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I used the Martrim spray on High Temperature stuff, just like the captain recommends. (Ask the Captain why ) How i laughed when, after having just finished re-upholstering the dash over two days using standard contact adhesive, the vinyl started to slide off in the sunshine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 There were bits of the crashpad that I couldn't do this on - basically cause it curves back on itself, I noticed the factory had glued the vinyl to the foam in these spots too. For the same reason. In hindsight i wish i hadn't, cause it causes a slight line to pull in the vinyl that I've seen on a few cars with this pad. And I'm sure it's down to the vinyl not being able to slide and stretch over the foam. I've managed to improve it quite a bit with the judicious use of a steam iron. (Do not let the hot iron come close to the vinyl, just use the steam jets from a few inches away. You'd be surprised how much it helps the vinyl to move and adjust to whatever its stretched over. Providing of course that it can move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 Just a brief update as Timmeh was asking about the JK seat Mounts - managed to take a few photos yesterday. Only got the drivers seat in so far, (waiting on a new, narrower passenger seat to be made). You can just see the two shiny dome headed Alan bolts that hold the alloy seat back braces to the seat. Fiddly as anything to line up the mounting points. For some reason, (maybe I'm just lobsided myself, whenever I get the seat lined up in its most comfy position, it looks twisted in the pics. Yet If I force the seat squarer looking, it pulls on my neck when I'm holding the wheel. Think I'll jus have to live with it looking slightly off centre at the back IYSWIM. The brackets, the centre of the car side isn't too bad for access. But the outside bracket... This is looking from the back of the car forwards and down, between seat and wheel arch. The tunnel is carpeted, so no issues there, but where the wing of the back rest and the wing of the thigh support run close to, or in contact with chassis members or bodywork, I've just stuck small pads of the soft fuzzy half of some industrial Velcro onto the car for protection from scuffs and rubbing. (The same sort of wide velcro the factory supplies to fix the trim down ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 A quick pic of how the cars looking with screen in place, And the scuttle with all those engine bay facing holes glassed and gel coated over. Felt almost criminal drilling fresh holes for the catch tank, VIN plate etc after all that work! You can just make out the Aluminium access panel behind the expansion rank in this picture. - Next time it's off, I'll try and take some pics of the glassed in and tapped Aluminium frame I built around the opening. And lastly for today, as the dry sump tank had already robbed the engine bay of the standard Westfield washer bottle location, and still wanting somewhere easy to access for topping up, (I've been down the semi hidden tank rout before, not again!) I ended up making a sort of "flying bracket" arrangement to welded in, in front of the DS tank. The picture is a little deceiving, it actually sits much lower than the height of that rear exhaust header. (I was concerned the whole tank might melt! So decided I'd keep an eye on it and heat shield if necessary. As it was, the tank has been fine, though the soft plastic lid got a bit toasty and wouldn't seal very well. Fortunately, I was able to buy a nice blingy Off The Shelf Alloy screw cap with matching neck, that was the perfect size to replace the standard cap. Since that's been fitted, it's been fine! (I think I might look at putting some of the reflective sleeve on that top hose though). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLiNK Motorsport Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 All looks very good Dave and we look forward to seeing it just after the begining of Feb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleggy the Spyder Man Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 looking tip top chap - keep up the good work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Talented, clever people... Don't they make you sick? Nice, nice work mate, well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Pete Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Top work and well done for taking the pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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