The dash

Well I'm about to the point where I need to tackle the dash.

Mine has two slightly recessed areas. One is about 17 5/8" long, and the other about 5 3/8" long. They are where you typically see the toggle buttons.

Do most people just cover these in an extra layer of leather (like the first photo), just black it out (kind of like the second) or do you typically see aluminum there? If aluminum, anyone know how to bend it around that radius? It's not a typical bend but a gradual one.
 

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Brian Stewart
Supporter
Mine is aluminium. I made a crude bending brake out of a couple of pieces of timber, one of which was radiused to give the correct curve. Was relatively simple to do.
 

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Thanks folks. I contacted Cushman as they do have them. Will see if they will work for me. If not...a broom handle it will be!
 
Darrin,

I am doing my dash as well. It might be time for a trip to my house or to your house to compare notes. I plan to have leather on the top and down to the vertical part of the dash, but have satin black paint elsewhere. I don't want to have a reflection on the windshield from the dash, hence the leather top.

I don't see why you need to have another panel for the switches. I plan to mount the switches directly to the fiberglass. Am I missing something?

If you do want to bend some aluminum panels, we have a brake that will do a radius.

-Bob Woods
 

Brian Stewart
Supporter
I suspect it depends where you get your dash from Bob. Mine came with only a paper-thin layer of fibreglass in the area where the switches go - i.e. designed to be removed and an alloy panel put in. I guess if your dash is two or three layers of glass thick in that area there would be nothing stopping you mounting the switches directly to it.
 

Ian Anderson

Lifetime Supporter
Darrin,

I am doing my dash as well. It might be time for a trip to my house or to your house to compare notes. I plan to have leather on the top and down to the vertical part of the dash, but have satin black paint elsewhere. I don't want to have a reflection on the windshield from the dash, hence the leather top.

I don't see why you need to have another panel for the switches. I plan to mount the switches directly to the fiberglass. Am I missing something?

If you do want to bend some aluminum panels, we have a brake that will do a radius.

-Bob Woods

Bob
Easier to remove 4 screws and move the switch panel than to "footwell dive" when you need to check comment ions, change a bulb on a gauge etc.

We've all had to wriggle down head first under our dashes and I for one don't like it and trying to extracate myself would have made youtube blockbuster.

Ian
 
I've made aluminium ones as well, easier on maintenance and looks more period (which was the main reason). Was bent over a 1/2" rod and the rest was hand formed to suit the dash, 1 or 1.2mm thick, can't remember.

Clayton
 

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Darrin,
I knew I'd be moving my switches around after the shakedown, so I made my switch plates disposable. Used the aluminum blanks as my mold to lay up one layer of cloth, one layer of carbon, and a reusable aircraft piano hinge. Simple for me to do.
 

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Darrin,

I have measured the radius on my Tornado dash. It is 3/4" and I think we have an adapter for our sheet metal brake that will work if you want to have aluminum panels. We should get together to compare notes on the dash and other things.

Brian,

Good point about the thickness. I think I will put some more fiberglass on the back just to be safe.

Ian,

I plan to make my whole dash removable. I will post something on my build log soon to show you how I plan to do it.

Clayton,

Your dash is absolutely beautiful. A real inspiration. The paint has a leather-like texture to it. How did you do that and what paint did you use?

Tom,

Great workmanship.

-Bob Woods
 
Hi Bob,

Cushman has them for a good price but I never heard back from him so I was thinking about making some. My areas at 17 5/8" x 5 3/8" and 5 7/8" x 5 3/8"

I'll try to take a photo in the morning before I go to work.


Darrin,

I have measured the radius on my Tornado dash. It is 3/4" and I think we have an adapter for our sheet metal brake that will work if you want to have aluminum panels. We should get together to compare notes on the dash and other things.

Brian,

Good point about the thickness. I think I will put some more fiberglass on the back just to be safe.

Ian,

I plan to make my whole dash removable. I will post something on my build log soon to show you how I plan to do it.

Clayton,

Your dash is absolutely beautiful. A real inspiration. The paint has a leather-like texture to it. How did you do that and what paint did you use?

Tom,

Great workmanship.

-Bob Woods
 
Thanks Dave / Bob

I wanted to run a painted dash, but our ADR's require a soft padded dash...
Its vacuum formed vinyl over foam, done by the Dash Doctor in Melbourne.
Here you can see where it didn't quite make it around the column cut out (painted black, but hidden anyway).
Quite pleased with the results.

Clayton
 

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Bob,
It looks like a 2K high fill polyurethane primer. It can be gotten with a satin finish. I am in the middle of doing my engine surround and under the light covers, and the appearance is just like that. Have to be careful cause a lot of primers in black are not truly black. There are some flat clears that will give that look as well.

Bill
 
Bob,
I get a similar effect with the SEM Texture Coating on my dash.

From SEM...."Texture Coating duplicates the original finish on plastic bumpers, instrument panels, dashes, consoles and other textured plastic and vinyl parts. May be topcoated with Flexible Bumper Coater, Color Coat or most refinish materials. No priming required."

Clayton,
The vacuum formed vinyl sounds like a great product!
 

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