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Spitfire Crash pad / dashboard overlay 78 Spitfire

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Joe_Pinehill

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I just got one of Victoria Brit's DashBoard covers. To install it, looks like the defrost vent covers should be removed from the crash pad. From the Vic Brit catalog, these seem to be held with nuts, which I assume are asessable from underneath or with the dash/instrument panel removed.
I also got a veneer, and plan to redo the instrument panel.

Has anyone installed one?
 
I just did my TR6. On it the windshield frame comes out, dash face out, and glove box. The dimister vent covers have bolts holding them on that can't be accesed without removal of those items. Spit may be a bit different.It is a fair bit of work, and if the windshield frame comes out, you may want to replace the gasket at the base.
 
The crash pad is held down by 10 nuts. You have to get at them from under the dash. The studs from the crash pad go through the metal dash frame, and the nuts hold it down from underneath.

You're going to want to do both the fascia and the crash pad together. The Leyland manual advises you to remove the fascia first (starting with the centre panel), then disconnect the air flow control from the fascia. Remove the 4 nuts holding down the demister vents and remove the demister vents, then remove the other 6 nuts securing the crash pad to the body. Pull out the ashtray bowl, unbend the tabs holding the ashtray frame and remove it. Then carefully raise the crash pad to free the studs from the body, lift out the crash pad.

I found getting the fascia out (and disconnecting all the guages, speedo, etc) was by far the more difficult part. Once that's done, crash pad removal is pretty straightforward. They do tend to stick in pretty tight, but just put gentle, contant pressure on it to free it up and it should come out ok. The metal base of the crash pad itself is pretty thin, and if you yank on it too hard in one spot you could bend it, which could make it a real pain to get the dash contour back.

I have not installed the crash pad overlay.
 
If you're referring to the vinyl/hard plastic overlay piece, it's not necessary to remove the existing crash pad to install these. I installed one on my GT6 with the old crash pad intact. It takes some very, very careful cutting of the overlay to make it look right.

You will have to remove the demister vent covers. They are held on by two nuts under the dash. It helps if you have very small hands to get at those nuts.

Removing the entire crash pad is a relatively big job. If you're going to that much trouble, I wouldn't suggest covering the pad with the Vicky Brit hard vinyl cover. It's may be better to simply recover it with new vinyl.

Teglerizer.com website has a great tutorial on how to recover the crash pad with new vinyl. It looks better than the hard vinyl ones, I think, and fits far better.

Let us know, and good luck!~
 
Your first post noted you were planning to redo the fascia (new veneer...?). If so, you need to remove it anyway. Would seem a good time to do both.

As noted in a previous post, if you do take the crash pad out, recovering with vinyl is a pretty good and economical option. I took this route, and the finished product, including re-covered lower fascia rails, looks good and a little more 'elegant' than the original thin-vinyl covering.

Parklane in the UK sells 'kits' to do the dashtop and rails reasonably priced.

https://www.parklaneclassics.co.uk/

Just an option....
 
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