Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboards?

[BoneIdle]

Greetings All!

I'm currently on pins and needles while waiting to pick up my Christmas present - A 1974 GT.

I had an '79 MGB back in 1986 that was my daily driver for around 8 years. Like an idiot, when I bought a new car for daily driving, I let the B get run down and finally sold it for next to nothing. I kicked myself for years over that one, so now I feel like I've gotten a second chance!

And yes, I really wanted a GT. My one complaint about the MGB was having a convertible in Georgia wasn't anything to write home about. I could only use mine with the top down for about 2 weeks in the spring and fall!

A convertible would be even worse now that I'm in central Florida, especially with no AC. Of course the GT doesn't have AC, but my current daily driver is a 1995 S10 pickup - with no AC and no vent windows! At least the GT has some nice vent windows!

While I was looking at the car, I noticed that it shared one thing with my old '79 MGB: The dashboard has a crack right in the top almost in the center. I know that someone told me what caused this, but it's been so many years that I forget the reason. It wasn't just sun or UV damage. It had something to do with engineering, maybe?

Anyway, as soon as I get the GT home, I'll take a picture ( like you guys have never seen a '74 GT before /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif )

It's nice to see that the British Car disease hasn't been cured yet!

 

[Steve]

Firstly, welcome. Good to have you on board. We may have seen '74 GTs before, but that doesn't keep us from enjoying another one.

As for the dashboard crack, not all B's have that. My last MGB, a '79 roadster from Arizona, had to have a dash top cover, and there were other cracks in other areas of the dashboard, which was definitely rather brittle. Now, my latest B, a 1980 roadster which was a Wisconsin car from day one, has a dashboard which is in perfect condition. It has very few miles still, which means that there hasn't been too much exposure to sunshine. My theory is that it's sunshine exposure which causes the problems, something which is not even an issue in the UK, so it wouldn't have been considered. UK and european cars always had different dashboards anyway..

 

[DrEntropy]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

Welcome BoneIdle!

There's NO CURE, just "management" therapy. Sounds like you're about to begin th' treatments.

Do we know one-another? If not we may soon. Check yer PM's

 

[jlaird]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

Plastic dash board cracking is caused by the plastic actually drying out, becomeing britle and you know the rest.

I spent 8 years in Saudi Arabia and almost all vehicles with plastic dashs have cracks if they are over 4 or 5 years old.

The only answer was a replacement.

Sorry

 

[tony barnhill]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

But, if a car is kept garaged when not driven & the dash covered when outside, it doesn't crack...my '79 that I've owned since new doesn't have a crack...but its either inside or the tonneau is over the dash or, if its parked ouside with top up, a window cover is protecting the dash. Actually, none of my cars have cracks in their dashes....but I go to great lengths to protect them.

 

[jlaird]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

Now you know Tony the Saudis never garage vehicles. but you are correct of course. Keep the sun off of the dash and don't let the inside bake and you are golden.

I bought a Cadilac in saudi and followed my own advice, never had a problem. Over there they had a sun shade thing to put on dashes and windows and all the expats used them.

That was a 1989 Cady and I hear from the guy that still has it from time to time, still going strong. I drove it from Riyadh with wife to the Emerates, Baharain, Guter, etc. Was a great road car for that part of the world.

 

[JimK]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

Hello, BoneIdle!
I replaced my dash (Abington Pillow) with one from Moss. Not hard, and looks great!
Seen a few '74's, but NOT yours!

 

[tony barnhill]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

Heck, from my experiences in Saudi - they don't do anything to cars except run 'em until they stop....I met representatives from BMW & Mercedes who were in Saudi buying up all the broken cars, shipping them back to factories in Germany where they were refurbished & resold!
Saw a sweet 8-series that the guy had run until it ran out of oil...could've bought cheap but no US specs...it went back to the factory for rebuild & resale in Europe! darn!

 

[ChadW]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

Tony and/or Jlaird. Are you Aramco Brats???? I am. Spent 3 years there in the early 80's. Abqaiq.

 

[tony barnhill]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

Nope - Desert Storm - was there a year from beginning to end

 

[jlaird]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

Noop, did Logistics for the Saudi Air Force. They could not be bothered to do it themselves. Eight years in Riyadh.

 

[R6MGS]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

Welcome to the forum bone, I think everyone above is right about the sun...both my Candian B's are crack free and have very nice dashes, the LE(from an island off the coast of Florida, and later Pensacola)had a small crack when I got it but the plactic was very brittle...I was careful not to disturb it and coated it in Armoral until it went to the shop for some work early last summer...it sat outside in the sun for the better part of July and when I got it back the top dash pad was covered in cracks...I just bought a dash pad cover from Ebay last night so it'll go on in the spring.

 

[Guinn]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

Back to the question. I borrowed a temporary solution for a dash cover from my Grumman-American TR2. I had found the reflections from the dash bothersome - something not wanted in aircraft - so I bought some black fake fur from JoAnn's Fabric, made a cardboard template of the upper surface of the dash, noting the vent openings and stuck it on with double faced tape. Now I have done the same with the B. Works fine and everyone who sees it thinks it is really cool!

Guinn

 

[mattmacklind3]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

Welcome and congratulations. I also sold my 74 GT for very little and always regretted it! I finally found a replacement myself. It is an illness-post pictures when you get it-we'd love to see it.

 

[BoneIdle]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

Well,

I picked up the car this evening. I think the dashboard is the least of my problems. The brakes were so hard that stopping was reminiscent of wearing oiled glass slippers while walking on a frozen pond. Now wait! I've never really done that. Really! Maybe once in Winnipeg.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif

The batteries, which were described as flat, are actually growing the salt equivalent of humungous dust bunnies!
I've cleaned some of the larger chunks off. I wouldn't be surprised to find that the terminals and the cables haven't been making good contact and that the batteries are still good.

I get some front end vibration at about 70 and there are a couple of other issues...

In short, the car's a BLAST! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

I took a picture tonight and I'll upload it tomorrow!

Thanks for all the warm welcomes and the suggestions regarding the dashboard!

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif

 

[tony barnhill]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

Be careful - as you break off those chunks at the battery cable, you mght also find the cable ends have deteriorated beyond repair....

 

[DrEntropy]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

He's so near me we could get into a rock fight. It'll all be sorted soon. Of particular concern ATM is the brakes... we may attack that immediately: BIdle, call me early! We might squeak a brake inspection in before Herself can suss wot's happened and commence beatin' me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

 

[BoneIdle]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

Battery is replaced! Dashboard still has the crack in the middle. The brakes are definitely dragging!

For anyone who's intererested: I just uploaded a photo of the little beast. I guess it needs to be approved before it shows up. Anyway, it's there

LOL Doc! Maybe we could set up a rock crossfire to take out some of the many "Type-R" Hondas that drive by here!

 

[DrEntropy]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

hmmm... may be worthy of consideration.... SPUD GUNS!!!

 

[Steve]

Re: Intro and What is it about the dashed dashboar

I just remenbered.....I have a brand-new dashboard down in my garage that a friend left when he moved and sold his 'B' with instructions to sell it if I could. Half of what he paid for it plus freight. It was from Moss. Fits the MGB of that vintage.