New Dashboard

[JNS]

With time on my hands I am contemplating replacing the dashboard. Has anyone done this? It doesn't look easy as there isn't much room to manoeuvre.
Do you need to remove the centre console? If so, how is this done? Any sage words would be appreciated.

[Bodzer]

Hi,

I seem to recall that you have to slacken the steering column clamp. Undo the column bracket. Abit of a pain as the nuts are tight up against the dash so you can’t get a ring spanned or socket around one of them. The steering column is angled so one nut is fine but the other one isn’t. Two set screws behind the dash at the bottom. Center console needs to come up. Brackets on either side by the doors have to be freed. Vent ducting comes off easily. Two chrome facia screws at the top under the crash pad. The front edge of the crash pad might be stuck to the screen. I was lucky. My screen was out at the time. I think that’s it.

Good luck.

[BERNIEHUMBER]

HI:
I did a redo of my dash years ago and it was a time consuming project.
I first started to try to disconnect everything on the back of the dash while the dash was in place.
This soon became a nightmare as you are on your back, legs up in a Russian circus pose, for hours.
What I ended up doing was cutting the main harness that goes through the center console.
With the dash out and all the wiring in tacked at the back it was relatively easy to redo the dash and it came out great.
The problem was re-soldering each of the wires I cut taking the dash out.I made sure to use heat shrinking tubing on all the connects(make sure up put the tubing on).
The connects have been problem free for years but it was a toss up which method was less troublesome. 

[1970EuropaGuy]

I'm presently replacing the dash in my S2. The biggest problem I ran into is that it was glued to the dash top and had to be slowly cut away doing a little damage. I''m covering the dash top with leather so it isn't critical.

Basically it's just time consuming but not that difficult. If you're handy with tools making your own new dashboard isn't that difficult either.

[BDA]

If you're making a wood dash, it's best to finish all surfaces, including the back and all edges, to keep moisture out of the plywood.

[4129R]

I am building up 4 at the moment.

I am replacing the cardboard boxes with 4mm ply boxes, lined with the oatmeal trim cloth.

Take care when screwing from behind not to drill pilot holes through to the front.

The old ones fell apart, leaking screens caused them to totally delaminate the plywood.

The hardest part of taking them out is they are stapled to the crash pads so if your dash is relatively intact and original, you may damage the crash pad.

The only thing that holds the crash pads in are the 2 pairs of screws holding the demister vent covers to the fibreglass below. Hard to get at those with the windscreen in place.

[Kendo]

When you get to the de-wiring, I ran across someone's description of replacing his dash three times (didn't like the first two attempts). His approach was to disconnect the wires from one instrument, remove the instrument, and rewire it behind the dash. So he ended up with no dash and all isntruments wired up, which could be good for chasing down wiring problems. Installation was the reverse of disassembly. I don't know how he handled the crash pad.

I'll be removing the dash in a few months. So please describe what you do in great detail 

[BDA]

Many years ago, I remember a guy on the old yahoo group who said he attached a plug on the dash that had all the dash wiring go to that plug and then an opposite plug into the wiring harness. I didn't do it but I thought it was a neat idea. It would sure make ground chasing related to the dash a lot simpler!

[GavinT]

Many years ago, I remember a guy on the old yahoo group who said he attached a plug on the dash that had all the dash wiring go to that plug . . .

I think it was Richard Mann who added plugs to his dash.
Agree it's a great idea but I wonder about how easy it might be. The reason I say that is because the dash wiring is kinda all over the place.

Perhaps he added plugs where the wiring bunches together on the right hand side.
Anyone have a pic of the whole dash wired up from the back?

[GavinT]

For anyone contemplating making a dash, 1970EuropaGuy's pic clearly shows the common issue.

It's not that the clear coat has merely cracked, it's taken the first layer of ply with it.
That is, the separation point is between the face layer of the ply and the next layer down.

[BDA]

Like I said, I didn't do it - partially because I wasn't sure where I would get the plug set (I finished my car in 1999 so the Interweb hadn't come into full fruition yet) and I was wondering how many times I would want to take the dash out. Well, I've taken it out once (actually not all the way out but mostly). and it might have made that job easier. Consolidating all the grounds is very handy though.

But as you say, it probably is a lot of trouble.

[dakazman]

  Adding three cannon plugs and the grounds and the dash will come out . I missed the wires to the db10. The other two where marked in yellow. I’ll count the number of wires in those locations.
There is a few stragglers going to to he fuse holder but easy enough to pull.
   Still looking thru my pics for the aft side of dash but only partials.

[Mikey likes it!]

I replaced my crash pad and dash.  I also had a new windshield  ready to replace the one I broke taking out.  I used a RD pad that after much fitting, went right in.   While taking the dash out, I made a diagram of every wire I disconnected  to make sure I would remember how to re-assemble.  I bought a pre made dash that looks beautiful.  After the entire project,  I would change .... 
would not use any foam padding under vinyl for dash,  not use the seamed vinyl that comes with the RD dash.  The back of the dash I bought did not have the back cut out enough for the light switch.  Glad I did not glue in windshield.  Installed with same material as new.  Did paint a black stripe around inside outer 1" edge of windshield to cover adhesive.  Found out the plastic windshield  trim is hard to install...  it's rounded and the corners are not.  The curve of the windshield  around its outer edge causes the new plastic chrome trim to crinkle.  Most non-lotus people don't notice ...  but I sure do.  All in All I would do it again but try to salvage the old trim....

[GavinT]

Ha . . true enough, BDA.
You could easily spend three days figuring out where to install the plugs and never take the dash out again.

Thanks, D'man for the pic.
Mine is a Type 54, so no DB10 and only two fuses!

[4129R]

The new Banks wiring looms have 2 parts, front to back, and side to side, which includes most of the dashboard wiring.

I will post a photo of the back wired up soon, when I start after completing the "honey do" list.