Radio blanking plate

[pereirac]

HI,

Just wondered (as my car has always had a radio fitted) how is the wooden radio blanking plate held in place in the dashboard??

Thanks

[Spyder fan]

Carl
I'm not sure if this is correct, as I had a new replacement dash fitted to my S4, but the blanking plate was simply fitted in place with 2 strips of ply fixed as tabs, one either side on the rear of the plate. It just needed unscrewing from the dash. I would imagine that this arrangement allows for the plate to be removed without removing the dash once it's fitted in place using a slim hacksaw blade or similar.

I'm sure somebody has a photo of the rear of an original dash and can confirm or deny the above.

[pereirac]

Alan,

Thanks, on my new dash the blanking plate is just held in with tape. I am still wondering it it's worth refitting the radio as I can never hear it anyway when on the move....Love the photo (mine is 2nd on the left), I picked yellow over white when I had the car resprayed as I though the red over white would be too common ... ..
Carl

[Spyder fan]

Here's another view, the red car in the corner needs some work

[Jon Eckman]

My '66 S2 had 1/2" wide +/- wooden strips that were attached to the backside of the dashboard (glued?) on either side and the blanking plate was simply screwed into the strips.

The dashboard on my present '66 S3 was replaced at some point and the blanking plate seems to have been glued to a metal piece that is attached to the back of the board leaving no easy way of removing it. This is a drag as removing the blanking plate would be the easiest way to get at the bonnet pull securing nuts which have loosened up. Anyone else have or seen this set-up?

[elanner]

Yes, Alan & Jon describe the setup that I've seen. Two small wood/hardboard strips that overlap the left & right hand edges of the radio aperture are glued to the back of the dashboard . The two screws of the blanking plate simply screw into the strips.

The trick is that the strips are only lightly glued to the back of the dashboard, so that it's possible to unscrew the blanking plate, snap the strips off, and then install a radio, all without removing the dashboard.

I initially glued my strips too lightly, so that they fell off when I was screwing the blanking plate on. Fortunately it was during a test fitting before I'd put the dashboard in. I'm never going to fit a radio, so they're firmly in place now!

The other trick is to minimize the overlap so that the aperture is still large enough to let you get your hand behind the dashboard. This allows you to hunt fruitlessly for a rattle or drop something irretrievably.

Nick