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New Dash Cover...What were they thinking?

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New Dash Cover...What were they thinking? #1
NOHOME Peter Plouf London, Canada 1961 Austin-Healey Sprite Bugeye "Lil" 1967 MG MGB GT "Maggie (GT From Hell)"	Posted: April 06, 2012 01:08PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 11,890

OK, I know repro aint the same as factory, but the thing has to at least be usable for the average guy no?

This is a 68 pillow dash. I got over the fact that the gauge depresson points were not exact. I even got over the fact that there was no depression for the oil gauge.

What I can't get over is how to install the toggle switches? The switches snap in place and are held in by a barb. However, the 1/4" of foam keeps me from being able to snap these in place.

Any ideas?

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Re: New Dash Cover...What were they thinking? #2
NOHOME Peter Plouf London, Canada 1961 Austin-Healey Sprite Bugeye "Lil" 1967 MG MGB GT "Maggie (GT From Hell)"	Posted: April 06, 2012 01:15PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 11,890

Moving on to anothe point, It would seem that the switch is further held in with this spring wire clip. As you can see, No way it is even close witht the foam between the tin and the dashboard.

At this point, I am thinking that a serious bead of seam sealer around the switch is going to be the only answer. I get a kick out of the fact that my friends always bring me these SNAFUS figuring that if I screw it up, I will replace the dash or whatever it is they could not figure out!

Since I did not buy this dash, I dont know who to rail against. Is there a better quality dash supplier much the same as Heritage versus Steelcraft?

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Re: New Dash Cover...What were they thinking? #3
Stonesmith Matt Stonesmith Louisville, Colorado, USA 1964 MG MGB	Posted: April 06, 2012 01:20PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 328

Seems like a mess, but here's what I might try. Carefully separate the vinyl from the foam around the perimeter of the opening for the swtich, then cut out a picture frame of foam around the opening. The bezel of the toggle switch should hold the vinyl in place and the reduced thickness is enough (hopefully) for the switch to grab.

Good luck.

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Re: New Dash Cover...What were they thinking? #4
Simon Austin Surrey, BC, Canada 1977 MG MGB V8 Conversion 1994 MG RV8	Posted: April 06, 2012 01:30PM Registered: 8 years ago Posts: 8,223

I agree with removing some foam around the opening. That should allow the switch to sit closer to the metal.

I don't recall running into this issue with the pads I've replaced.

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Re: New Dash Cover...What were they thinking? #5
NOHOME Peter Plouf London, Canada 1961 Austin-Healey Sprite Bugeye "Lil" 1967 MG MGB GT "Maggie (GT From Hell)"	Posted: April 06, 2012 03:34PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 11,890

Thanks guys, we got it done. Ran a seal pick around the edge and scraped out as much as I could. It was enough to get the wire frame in place.

Out of curiosity, is it the wire spring clip or the barb clips that hold the housing in place?

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Re: New Dash Cover...What were they thinking? #6
Retro Fit Tony Zito Los Angeles, USA	Posted: April 06, 2012 03:37PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 503

the spring clip holds the switch in place

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Re: New Dash Cover...What were they thinking? #7
NOHOME Peter Plouf London, Canada 1961 Austin-Healey Sprite Bugeye "Lil" 1967 MG MGB GT "Maggie (GT From Hell)"	Posted: April 06, 2012 03:44PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 11,890

In reply to # 2033141 by Retro Fit the spring clip holds the switch in place

Good, then I don't care that the barbs are doing nothing.

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Re: New Dash Cover...What were they thinking? #8
Retro Fit Tony Zito Los Angeles, USA	Posted: April 06, 2012 03:46PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 503

No...the barbs hold the spring

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Re: New Dash Cover...What were they thinking? #9
NOHOME Peter Plouf London, Canada 1961 Austin-Healey Sprite Bugeye "Lil" 1967 MG MGB GT "Maggie (GT From Hell)"	Posted: April 06, 2012 03:52PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 11,890

In reply to # 2033149 by Retro Fit No...the barbs hold the spring

Tony, I am speaking of the barbs on the side of the body as shown in the first picture. I can't see how they would have anything to do with the wire frame/spring?

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Re: New Dash Cover...What were they thinking? #10
Dave Braun Minnesota, USA 1952 MG TD "Tommy" 1970 MG MGB "Maggie" 1974 Triumph Spitfire 1500 "Sammy"	Posted: April 06, 2012 06:27PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 1,994

Has anyone tried heat from a soldering iron to strategically melt the foam?

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Re: New Dash Cover...What were they thinking? #11
NOHOME Peter Plouf London, Canada 1961 Austin-Healey Sprite Bugeye "Lil" 1967 MG MGB GT "Maggie (GT From Hell)"	Posted: April 06, 2012 06:45PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 11,890

In reply to # 2033292 by Dave Braun Has anyone tried heat from a soldering iron to strategically melt the foam?

Actually, what worked for me was to make a plate of steel the same dimensions as the bezel. I drilled a hole in the middle and welded it to a piece of rod. Heated the thing up good and warm and used it like a branding iron.

This did NOT work all that well with the fan switch since the plastic shrinks when heated. You need to do this BEFORE you cut out the opening for the switch.

IF I ever do this again, I will know to remove the foam from the back beyond the opening.

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Re: New Dash Cover...What were they thinking? #12
mitchelld996 Mitch D Los Angeles, California, USA 1972 MG MGB GT	Posted: April 06, 2012 08:22PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 1,478

I hear you, Peter. No doubt you found the lack of instructions or tips to be one of the biggest problems with recovering the dash. You needed someone like me who has done this once to give you the top tip to do the following: Before fitting the new cover, remove most or all of the foam in the area surrounding the gauges and switches. See the pic below - remove the foam behind the areas shaded green!

It's so easy to remove the foam with some rough sand paper when the cover is off the dash and then these areas can be glued neatly to the metal face of the dash.

I wonder how many people will heed my advice...

A special place in hell for the lazy bum who produces these dash covers without any decent directions!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2012 08:23PM by mitchelld996.

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Re: New Dash Cover...What were they thinking? #13
NOHOME Peter Plouf London, Canada 1961 Austin-Healey Sprite Bugeye "Lil" 1967 MG MGB GT "Maggie (GT From Hell)"	Posted: April 06, 2012 09:15PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 11,890

In reply to # 2033395 by mitchelld996 I hear you, Peter. No doubt you found the lack of instructions or tips to be one of the biggest problems with recovering the dash. You needed someone like me who has done this once to give you the top tip to do the following: Before fitting the new cover, remove most or all of the foam in the area surrounding the gauges and switches. See the pic below - remove the foam behind the areas shaded green!

It's so easy to remove the foam with some rough sand paper when the cover is off the dash and then these areas can be glued neatly to the metal face of the dash.

I wonder how many people will heed my advice...

A special place in hell for the lazy bum who produces these dash covers without any decent directions!

Mitch:

I am now preaching your gospel!

You are absolutely Fng right; no need for padding in ANY of the area you marked off. Whey is it there!!!???

Not knowing what you just showed me, I was ready to write off a dash (at my cost not my buddies) because of what happens at the fan control bezel if you DONT remove the foam BEFORE YOU CUT THE HOLE!

The good news is that I am now well educated. I won't fear this job next time. The bad news is that some other person is going to go though this because the supplier is too lazy to write the most basic of instructions.

Or even better; build a product that is finished and works...now THERE is an idea.

If there is one consolatoin it is the fact that I am pretty sure this thing was built of China. If USA manufacturing has sunk this low, there is no hope for us!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2012 09:19PM by NOHOME.

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Re: New Dash Cover...What were they thinking? #14
bobmunch Bob Muenchausen PC, Oregon, USA 1968 MG MGB GT "Traveler"	Posted: April 07, 2012 10:08AM Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 11,530

Sorry for you guys today. At least back in '88 these came with something approximating instructions (looked like about the 25th generation reproduction off an out of sorts Xerox machine) and the correct depressions for the instruments. A chemist friend even believed they were made out of ABS, not vinyl. I commiserate with your problems, and a dash is not a cheap thing to screw up (not you, Peter, but the idiot who made it). Just know that in 1988, the ones that were offered weren't made in China, but frankly looked like they came out of somebody's garage operation, albeit with at least a little more thought put into how they'd fit in the end.

BTW, that kid (my son) is now 31.

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.
Nietzsche

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Re: New Dash Cover...What were they thinking? #15
Retro Fit Tony Zito Los Angeles, USA	Posted: April 07, 2012 12:22PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 503

Peter, Now that I look at it again it doesn't look like those barbs are far enough from the back of the bezel to hold the spring. It has been so long since I've changed my light switch I forget exactly how the spring is held on. I do remember it was kind of a pain in the ass, though.

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Re: New Dash Cover...What were they thinking? #16
mitchelld996 Mitch D Los Angeles, California, USA 1972 MG MGB GT	Posted: April 07, 2012 09:40PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 1,478

Bob M - no doubt it's the same small manufacturer that has been making these dash pads since you bought that one in the 80's. The market for them is probably quite small, I'm guessing less than 100-200 sold per year in the US, maybe far fewer. At $300 or $400 just for the part, not a lot of people are going to buy them for a car that many times cost the owner not much more than that (if not less!). Here are the pathetic instructions that came with my dash last summer, sounds like exactly the same copy of a copy of a copy of a copy you received. You can see these instructions are from a time when things were typed using a manual typewriter.

Mitch D

PS - I confirmed the black material is indeed ABS. I was careful to ascertain the material because I wanted to make sure the contact cement I bought would be compatible.

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