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TR4/4A Recommendations for Wood dash 1962 TR4

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R

rnpennington

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All,
My car has a wood dash installed by the PO that doesn't look all that hot. I ordered one from TRF about a year and a half ago and just not got to the point of installation. Unfortunately, it almost works correctly. The holes for the ignition and turn signals are off by just a wee bit, as you can see from this picture taken straight on. Click on the picture and you can see the difference clearly.
dash lights off center.jpg

Not a criticism of TRF, maybe their dashboards fit on all the other early TR4's, mine just happens to be "special".

In any case, because of the metal dash behind the wood dash, and the fact I don't want to start enlarging holes, I'm looking for recommendations for places I can get a new dash from.

Moss doesn't carry them, I know VickyB has them, but I was wondering what other people may be available.
 
Bob, I'm about as annul as they come, but getting parts for these cars and not requiring a little adjustment for the individual part or car is expecting a lot. I would put a stone on a dremel and go a little sideways and that will take care of it, you and I will know and I can live with it. LOL.

Wayne
 
Mine came from TRF and was as close to perfect as you could ever expect. I would look at moving the lights a bit -- either by wiggle room (if there is any) or by enlarging the holes in the metal dash.
 
Bob-

Have you tried seeing how far off the dash is if you keep all other parts unattached? Like the center switch plinth or attachment screws? It look like if you could persuade the dash to go slightly to the right you might be fine. If not, and the holes don't line up I'd bring it to Charles attention and politely suggest a replacement there. I doubt there are variances in your metal dash, the culprit is likely the wood dash if it is off.

Randy
 
Think that dash is "off?" Try rebuilding an MG TD. None of the many wood body parts fit without a lot of what the Brits call "fettling". When I restored mine back in the '70s, I spent many hours cursing and fettling with wood files and rasps to make the pieces fit since the metal panels go over the wood. What a RPITA. And when I went to have my TR6 bumpers rechromed, the plater in Massachusetts told me he had a set already plated that I could pick up that day for $750.00. When I went to put them on the car, I could'nt make them fit nowhow and had to take it to a body shop. Took 2 or 3 men over an hour to get those bumpers to fit. You got off lucky, my friend. "Egg it out" as we use to say when I worked at Allied Foreign cars in Boston back around 1957.
 
Well, I talked with Albert (Chuck's brother) at TRF and they are sending me another dash. He had me send the measurements from my car to make sure it would fit. As he said - they use a jig (as would any woodworker) and it is possible that they may have been some sawdust,a wood chip or anything else that could have put the dash I got slightly off.
Once again, I feel we are very lucky to have the kind of major vendors (Moss, TRF) that understand customer service. This seems to be a concept that rarely exists in todays world.

Tune in later - Same Bat time, Same Bat channel for more updates!
 
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