Dash refurb

'63 currently has a wood dash and it looks okay but I have a dash blank that I think is correct for the year. It has a the lower crash pad (Midget version) but not the upper. Lots of clips, the chrome handle and wooden backing block (original?). Too bad the stereo plate is knocked out.
I took the lower crash pad off, peeled the old vinyl off.
Is the upper crash pad like the lower or totally different?
Not sure how a dash attaches to the car even.

I'm planning on filling the stereo hole (I have a stereo but don't really want it there (is there enough depth in that spot for a modern radio?).
Recover with black vinyl. Recover the lower crash pad and reinstall.

When dealers added ammeters and such, how did they know where to put the hole? Wherever they wanted? The dash I'm working on doesn't have a whole for an ammeter, my car is currently running a volt meter. I could cut a hole for it (same diameter as the original ammeter). I could cut two holes and mount both. I could mount them both or one in the spot where the radio hole is cut out. I could not mount in the dash at all but rather hang a pod below the dash somewhere.
Wow, so many options.
I like the voltmeter better, not too concerned about originality, that's easy to put to rights anyway.
Still not sure on whether to use the stereo cut out of the OEM dash or fill it and leave my stereo in it's homemade mini center console. I wish I knew how much depth was available in an OEM dash for a stereo.
Just thinking a loud here.
As it is I hope to reuse my old switches, only one of which is an original, so I've got to add several toggles under the dash and such anyway.
So far I stripped old vinyl sanded both sides, put some rust encapsulator where some surface rust was and painted the backside of the dash with rustoleum white. Somewhere I read it helps when working behind the dash if it's white, makes it much easier to see what's going on.

I added both an ammeter and a voltmeter but put them under the dash on the passenger side and left the dash in the stock arrangement on my 71. There is enough wires and controls under the driver side dash as it is.

Jeff, I think it was just a preference thing on where things were addes. The ammeter in my car was dealer installed new. It looks like they just found a good place to fit it and cut a 2" hole in the dash for it. They did a very good job, but it is an american made gauge, and it doesnt quite match. I would like to find an original lucas or smiths one someday, but this one doesn't bother me too much considering it is as old as the car.

I was hoping you'd chime in Bryan. Where'd you get the radio blanking plate? I need to figure out the top rail too, I don't have one to look at beside the wooden one (which I may be able to cover in vinyl and use).
I think I'll not put any new holes in the dash and find another spot for the voltmeter.
I was going to fill the radio hole but maybe I'll go ahead and leave it and try my stereo there, if I don't like it I can put a blanking plate over the hole I guess. I don't like the idea of a modern stereo sitting there though, I think that would look pretty odd. I wish I knew if there was room behind the standard dash for a modern depth stereo, that would help me make up my mind.

This looks like the same one as VB but better price. Probably the way to go, leaves options open, looks okay too I think. Bryan's got one, can't be all bad.
blanking plate

Hi Jeff, and Merry Christmas.\\
I made the blanking plate. I just took a plate,cut it to the correct size, painted it satin black and put chrome trim around it. The MG dash emblem is the correct original for the car. The PO cut out the radio opening an tried to put a modern radio in it, then remembered the car is positive ground. He never mounted the stereo, but the dash was already cut. I decided to make the blanking plate after I got the car. I thought the prices they wanted for one on ebay, VB and Moss were a little high.
I wish you had decided to convert the dash 6 months ago when I still had that spare dash. I would have sent you the whole thing, unfortunately, I gave it away in September.
13 inches of snow today with 40 mph winds. We are expecting another 15 inches tomorrow. We might get more than 30 inches of snow before the weekend is over... One ripsnorter of a Christmas blizzard.


Oh, on the size of the radio. It is my understanding that a full size radio will not fit behind the dash. Wal Mart supposedly sells a radio/cd with a smaller chassis, that will fit.
I'm not even going to try to put one in mine. The mechanical symphony produced by "Miss Chuff" is music to me.... :banana:

Oh, on the top moulding. The early ones were made of curved plywood and the later GAN 2 ones were metal with glued on foam and vinyl cover. They were secured to the top of the dash with several small bolts. Until you can find a proper one, why don't you get some dense foam pipe padding, or something like one of them kid's pugal sticks, quarter notch it to fit the top and face of the dash, then cover it with vinyl. It should conform to the curve of the dash and serve until you can find a good one on ebay.

Okay, now I'm thinking if the stereo won't fit in that spot anyway, now is the time to close it up. I have a good dash blank, got lucky on that one, guy who I bought my replacement gear box just happened to have one laying around, of all the years it could have been, it ended being a MK1 Midget dash, go figure. Mine had the lower crash pad, luckily. I might just put vinyl on the existing wood thing for now. At some point I'll have to figure out how the dash attaches to the car, hard when you didn't take it apart in the first place and things have been "modified".
Sorry about the blizzard but now is the time for it.
Leaving to drive down to Florida later today, better get some sleep.
Putting toys away for a week or so.

alright, been back at it. Got the old radio hole filled (cut a thin piece of plywood, JB welded it to the back side, sanded the front a bit, bit of filler to smooth it all over, it had BETTER NOT show through the vinyl!)

Looked at some vinyl, I think I'll get the "marine" grade, supposed to weather better I imagine.
still foggy on the top rail, if someone has or is willing to take a shot or too close up of the rail relative to the rest of the dash I'll have an idea how thick to make it. Bryan's pics above give me a pretty good reference.....maybe a circumference guestimate would help me too. I think my wood one is quite thin, so I'd add a ton of padding, then wrap in vinyl. Does the top pad actually come down and touch the front of the dash or just overhang some? Sorry, it's hard when you don't know what it started like.

Here's what I'm working with:

Jeff,
I wish I could help with pictures, but I have temporarily lost my main computer with the photo files ect. I should get it back this weekend from the repair shop and if no one has posted any by then, I will. The dask top rail padding fits right against the dash face and the top of the dash with no gaps. It covers both the face and top of the dash slightly.

No rush, thanks. I have lots of work to do and plenty of time. I have to figure out the dash is held on too at some point.

VB has a blanking plat ejust like that.

Bryan, I'll never tire of telling you how much I love your car.

Here ya go for a bugeye, no padding.

Miss Agatha still looks good,Jack. :thumbsup:

Stuart.

Any recommendations on adhesive to glue the vinyl to the steel?

kellysguy said:

VB has a blanking plat ejust like that.

Bryan, I'll never tire of telling you how much I love your car.

Click to expand...

I think Bryan said he made his own.
I decided, since my stereo probably won't fit there anyway, I was going to erase all evidence of the radio thing, blanking plate isn't as good as total removal of hole I figured.

Yes, Bryan's car is kick a#$. Someday we're going to get ours side by side, they're the inverse of each other, black and red. He should have spoke wheels though.....

Maybe Lake Elkhart in 2011? I'm making plans.......going up through UP and taking 900 miles vs. the 80 as-the-crow-flies....we'll see how that works out.....one can dream.....

jvandyke said:

Any recommendations on adhesive to glue the vinyl to the steel?

Click to expand...

I stand by contact cement

3M spray on contact cement.

Jeff,

Here are some shots of the top pad. As you can see, it mounts to the top of the dash. Jack's picture shows where the mounting bolts are.

Some more.. Don't mind the dust. Miss chuff is deep in her winter's sleep right now.