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metal dash conversion, as per eric's request

Posted by Peter-Sherman

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metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #1
Peter-Sherman Peter Sherman Melbourne, Australia 1975 MG MGB V8 Conversion	Posted: July 17, 2009 08:37AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 4,292

http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?1,1157066,1159764#msg-1159764
kilmartins in bendigo make the cowl for around 120.

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #2
Peter-Sherman Peter Sherman Melbourne, Australia 1975 MG MGB V8 Conversion	Posted: July 17, 2009 08:38AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 4,292

this is the old top

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #3
Peter-Sherman Peter Sherman Melbourne, Australia 1975 MG MGB V8 Conversion	Posted: July 17, 2009 08:40AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 4,292

new cowel riveted on, over the old top

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2009 10:30AM by Peter-Sherman.

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #4
Peter-Sherman Peter Sherman Melbourne, Australia 1975 MG MGB V8 Conversion	Posted: July 17, 2009 08:41AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 4,292

covered in vinyl, the join hides under the windscreen seal/rubber

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #5
Peter-Sherman Peter Sherman Melbourne, Australia 1975 MG MGB V8 Conversion	Posted: July 17, 2009 08:46AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 4,292

the final product. there is so much chrome it doesn't photograph well, however the detachable face of the radio/ipod fits very neatly in the chrome surround from the radio blank plate. I'm also using the american rubber bumper heater controls which have a nice chrome bezel and light up at night. The vents in the centre consol are hooked up to the heater fan. I also have mark one flaps further down in the foot wells.
A class powder coating of Moorabbin Melbourne did the wrinkle "paint" on the dash for $75, by the way. nice guy, very helpful.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2009 08:58AM by Peter-Sherman.

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #6
sunny124ny Sunny Sonnenrein Riegelsville, PA, USA 1963 MG MGB "Monty" 1980 MG MGB "Percy"	Posted: July 17, 2009 08:49AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 1,803

Wow....that's an amazing transformation!

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #7
Peter-Sherman Peter Sherman Melbourne, Australia 1975 MG MGB V8 Conversion	Posted: July 17, 2009 09:12AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 4,292

here's the old

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #8
Peter-Sherman Peter Sherman Melbourne, Australia 1975 MG MGB V8 Conversion	Posted: July 17, 2009 09:14AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 4,292

and another final photo

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #9
The Wiz Mike The Wiz Barnes STL, MO, USA 1969 MG MGB GT 1971 MG MGB GT "Blueberry" 1979 MG MGB "PopTop" 2000 Ford Ranger SC4x4 2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK 230 Kompressor	Posted: July 17, 2009 09:17AM Registered: 7 years ago Posts: 8,082

I like that! No cutting or welding of the car - except for cutting the cowl off the donor car of course.

Nulla tenaci invia est via

1971 MGBGT, overdrive, Limey relay and fuse kits, Rick Ingram struts all round, Jeff Schlemmer points distributor, mgccars.com alternator, Basil Adams camshaft and side cover, Eurospec tail lights, 1976 dashboard and console, 1999 Chevy cavalier seats, GM heater motor and fan with Ford 3 speed controller, Ford Merkur/Sierra parcel shelf, cruise control.

1979 B, Olds 215 engine with 1996 Landrover heads, Carter AFB, Camaro T5 gearbox, Limey relay kit, Rick Ingram struts all round, mgccars alternator, Jeff Schlemmer distributor with Petronix, Eurospec tail lights, cruise control, 99 Pontiac Sunfire seats.

1969 MGBGT, Miata seats, late centre console, apart from that it's stock!

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #10
Peter-Sherman Peter Sherman Melbourne, Australia 1975 MG MGB V8 Conversion	Posted: July 17, 2009 09:57AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 4,292

No, no cutting of an old car at all.
Kilmartins actually make the panel from scratch.
So easy, you just drop it on, rivet it down and done!
The vents matched perfectly, I had to run a drill through the holes at the end, but it wasn't much and was infact probably my car, not the cowl. The centre strut holes I did have to redrill. Move the slots back a little. But is was not at all hard.
What took huge amounts of time was sorting out the wiring from the DPO doing the LHD to RHD conversion All these pointless and dangerous grafts every where.

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #11
alex77 alex alcoser deep south texas, USA 1969 Triumph TR6 1977 MG MGB "Harley Quinn" 1979 Triumph TR7	Posted: July 17, 2009 10:27AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 1,051

Wow, looks nice!

Questions--Did you have to flange the replacement cowl or the original portion of the cowl where the two are riveted, or is the "bump" where the two overlap not a problem. And, did you use a sealant between the two panels, or is the windshield seal good enough.

I'm going to do a RHD conversion, but I was going to weld the replacement cowl on (sourced from a parts car). Wondering if riveting would be just as good.

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #12
Peter-Sherman Peter Sherman Melbourne, Australia 1975 MG MGB V8 Conversion	Posted: July 17, 2009 10:48AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 4,292

Riveted on top of the old. For my dash you also need 3 additional bits, which cost about $25. The centre strut you can see in the first picture, and two side struts. These I either riveted in place or borrowed an existing bolt. It's all completely reversible. I put some silicon in between the ols and new top/cowl primarily because I was concerned about vibration making an irritating rattle. The 1.2 mm thickness of the metal makes no difference to getting the windscreen back on. The join and the rivets are completely hidden under the windscreen rubber. I put the rivets exactly one half inch back from he leading edge.
I prefered riveting because I wanted it to be reversible and with welding there is an issue of weld distortion, paint. Plus a whole lot more work to to hide a change that can't be see anyway.

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #13
alex77 alex alcoser deep south texas, USA 1969 Triumph TR6 1977 MG MGB "Harley Quinn" 1979 Triumph TR7	Posted: July 17, 2009 11:05AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 1,051

Ok- Another question-- Did you leave the old cowl in place, and put the new one on top?

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #14
cgill Chris Gill Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada 1971 MG MGB GT 1979 MG MGB "BOPR V8 Conversion"	Posted: July 17, 2009 11:18AM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 2,833

Peter that looks awesome!!

Does kilmartins have a website? I can't seem to find them online.

Thanks,
Chris

My other obsession...photography!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/77646803@N00/

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #15
TKMad Tyler Madia Thousand Oaks, USA	Posted: July 17, 2009 11:19AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 748

Looks great!

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #16
Peter-Sherman Peter Sherman Melbourne, Australia 1975 MG MGB V8 Conversion	Posted: July 17, 2009 11:50AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 4,292

Alex, yes straight on top. For a while I considered painting the cowl and dash to match the car like the MGA but in the end went with tradition.

Chris
http://www.kas-kilmartin.com.au/

Contact Information

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They'll happily ship to the Canada/US. The favourable (from your point of view) exchange rate will dissipate the shipping cost. It's a strange operation. This big tin shed on a back street in a country town. Not even a sign on the door. Crammed full of new MG and Austin healey parts, with the gear/presses to make them. They were getting a batch of parts ready to ship off to moss when I was there. No doubt Moss will ship them all the way back and sell them to shops nearby at twice the price! $150 is allot for a bit of tin, but gosh it makes it easy, and from that point of view its well and truly worth it. I figure that I would have spent twice that and many days trying to manufacture a poor copy my self. There are also two pairs of captive nuts, on a small bracket, welded behind the crash roll bit, above the steering and glove box. I guess that's for the steering column? not sure. Or perhaps the mark one dashes attach there? Anyway, doesn't apply for my car.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2009 11:57AM by Peter-Sherman.

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #17
Simon Austin Surrey, BC, Canada 1977 MG MGB V8 Conversion 1994 MG RV8	Posted: July 17, 2009 11:57AM Registered: 8 years ago Posts: 8,224

Looks great, Peter. What I really find interesting is the use of the "square" oil pressure gauge. I thought that was unique to the NA cars but there it is on a RHD dash.

Well done! :thumbsup:

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #18
Peter-Sherman Peter Sherman Melbourne, Australia 1975 MG MGB V8 Conversion	Posted: July 17, 2009 11:59AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 4,292

Hey, it looks good and fills the gap smiling smiley

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #19
Peter-Sherman Peter Sherman Melbourne, Australia 1975 MG MGB V8 Conversion	Posted: July 17, 2009 12:09PM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 4,292

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Re: metal dash conversion, as per eric's request #20
alex77 alex alcoser deep south texas, USA 1969 Triumph TR6 1977 MG MGB "Harley Quinn" 1979 Triumph TR7	Posted: July 17, 2009 02:51PM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 1,051

Thanks for the info/link.

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