Dashboards

[Frogelan]

Thanks Nick and Stu. I have sent off a note to Randy this evening (also saying that this is not urgent for the moment).

[Grizzly]

GDK are on salvage hunters tonight doing Jag mk2 woodwork for Mr PrAtchard

Haha they have got Ged's Number...... man in his shed bit nervous then, you usually can't shut him up

[RichardHawkins]

NYK,

I bought my S4 Elan dashboard from Sue Miller. Somehow it came with the wrong glove box door, the grain did not match, and the wood was a different thickness to the rest of the dashboard. I spoke to Sue about this, and she was helpful as always, but had not had another customer with dashboard and door not matching. The dash had been made for Sue by City Polishers, who happen to be in the same county as me Lincolnshire. I put the dash in my everyday car and drove to City Polishers with the intention of driving on to Sue if necessary. City Polishers are a small two person business, and were quite sure the error was not theirs. A phone call was made to Sue, that I was not privy to, and City Polishers agreed to make me a new dash. I do not know if Sue or City polishers paid. As my car is restoration from a basket case I had plenty of other work to do whilst the dash was being made. I don't remember how long it took, but I had basically given up hope and written it off as a bad experience, when I got a phone call to say it was ready.

The dash looks wonderful, I had chosen new against repair as there was little difference in price, however, I soon regretted my decision, as it did not fit. All the holes for instruments and switches were too large. I spent about a month in all making the holes for the switches smaller so that one could not see the alteration. The instruments were easy enough, I wrapped packing around them until they were central in the holes. I also found fitting a new glove box extremely tricky, but would still have needed to do this if my old dash had been repaired, as the actual "compressed fibre board" box that came with my car was not serviceable.

In conclusion my advice from this experience would be repair the old dash if possible, as it should at least fit.

Richard Hawkins

[NYK]

Good point Richard, my main reason for going for a new dash was that the car I have, 1972 S130 has a slightly incorrect dash. The one I have has the fuse aperture that requires a plastic blanking plate, which is missing. I think, looking at various photos of dashboards that it should have a wooden/veneered blanking plate. I guess an option could be to make a wooden blanking plate and get it veneered with the dash.

It sounds like you were very happy with the finish that City Polishers achieved.

Nic

[nwbaxter66]

I just received this picture of my dash from Randy as an example of his work.
N

[Foxie]

Has anyone bought a dash from classical-dash.co.uk, if not any other recommendations?

I got a new dash from Paul Matty a year or so ago.

Quick delivery, well finished, and everything fitted very well.

[NYK]

Yes, I spoke with Paul Matty, they are awaiting delivery of dashboards from their supplier which is, you?ve quessed it - Classical-dash

Nic

[Foxie]

Yes, I spoke with Paul Matty, they are awaiting delivery of dashboards from their supplier which is, you?ve quessed it - Classical-dash
Nic

A bit like that old song "There's a hole in the bucket !