Dashboard Blues...

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Spacenut
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Oooooooh Yes...

Post by Spacenut »

I received my steering wheel back from the trimmers this week...

Image

I had Jack Royal of Royal Steering Wheels (http://www.royalsteeringwheels.com) do the work for me. Perforated leather on the sides and spokes, with plain leather top and bottom and black stitching. Very pleased with the results!

I took the picture at night so it is not very clear. Still, it should appear in daylight soon!

Lauren

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Johnboy
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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Johnboy »

Evening Lauren
That looks so cool . Dare I say retro 8-)
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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by KevJTD »

been trying to think what it reminds me of....not sure if we've mentioned it before? rover SD1

loving the script on it Lauren, very 80's futuristic feel to it 8-)
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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Spacenut »

KevJTD wrote:been trying to think what it reminds me of....not sure if we've mentioned it before? rover SD1

loving the script on it Lauren, very 80's futuristic feel to it 8-)
Good spot Kev!

It is exactly that, I used a SD1 2.6 steering column because it is height and reach adjustable, and the wheel came with it, but it was just too big! So the old wheel went in the bin and I bought a secondhand Mountney and a conversion boss and used that instead. But I loved the style of the SD1 wheel so I bought a brand new one from Rimmer Bros and then cut, re-formed and re-welded the armature before covering the joins in polyurethane filler, which has a similar consistency to the hight density foam and can be shaped with a file when cured. The re-trim conceals all the joins, so it looks just like an SD1 Quartic wheel, only smaller - original dimensions were about 16" wide by 14" tall. It is now 14" by 12" tall, much easier to handle!

I sanded off the "Rover" text on the silver strip and then polished it to a mirror finish, then reverse-printed the Nova script onto clear plastic OHP media (remember them?) and glued the plastic over the silver base. The clear PVA adhesive prevents the polished surface from tarnishing. It's a bit fragile, but has lasted over 3 years so far. Amazingly, the name and the font come from a European export model of a Lada :lol:

Lauren

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Johnboy »

Great work Lauren. Impressive most impressive. I need to up my game .Some amazing builds on here 8-)
Have you got a date when the beast will be finished?
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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by KevJTD »

Spacenut wrote:
KevJTD wrote:been trying to think what it reminds me of....not sure if we've mentioned it before? rover SD1

loving the script on it Lauren, very 80's futuristic feel to it 8-)
Good spot Kev!

It is exactly that, I used a SD1 2.6 steering column because it is height and reach adjustable, and the wheel came with it, but it was just too big! So the old wheel went in the bin and I bought a secondhand Mountney and a conversion boss and used that instead. But I loved the style of the SD1 wheel so I bought a brand new one from Rimmer Bros and then cut, re-formed and re-welded the armature before covering the joins in polyurethane filler, which has a similar consistency to the hight density foam and can be shaped with a file when cured. The re-trim conceals all the joins, so it looks just like an SD1 Quartic wheel, only smaller - original dimensions were about 16" wide by 14" tall. It is now 14" by 12" tall, much easier to handle!

I sanded off the "Rover" text on the silver strip and then polished it to a mirror finish, then reverse-printed the Nova script onto clear plastic OHP media (remember them?) and glued the plastic over the silver base. The clear PVA adhesive prevents the polished surface from tarnishing. It's a bit fragile, but has lasted over 3 years so far. Amazingly, the name and the font come from a European export model of a Lada :lol:

Lauren

very impressive work there 8-)
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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Kegsti66 »

Lovely job on the steering wheel Lauren, it looks perfect.
Nice to see your design become reality.
I remember reading how you cut down the old wheel on your thread and the bit of script off the Lada.

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Spacenut
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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Spacenut »

Johnboy wrote:Have you got a date when the beast will be finished?
Alas no - but last year I said last year, so this year I will say this year :D

...And to be fair, I stand a reasonable chance of meeting that deadline. All I need to do is finish the rear window tunnel and get it glazed, interior side panel trim, finish off the main dash assembly, sort out the headlight and side window glazing and get the sunroof/escape hatch grafted onto the green canopy and the job is done!

...Apart from the rear brakes of course. I've got a pair of calipers I have rebuilt myself that are nearly ready to fit, fingers crossed they work!

Lauren

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Johnboy »

Sounds like the same story as my 33. But at least I've actually started the resto now . Hope yours is this year tho ;)
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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by KevJTD »

as ever Lauren, it's the details that take the time :(

very impressed with your level of patience and standard of works though 8-)

the temptation to just rush it through to use it by now would have gotten the better of lesser folks ;)
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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Spacenut »

KevJTD wrote:The temptation to just rush it through to use it by now would have gotten the better of lesser folks ;)
You are very kind Kev, but remember I have already had 5 years living with the results of the initial rush job. No point in doing that again ;)

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Alfasixnut »

Only just spotted this - more great work Lauren.
Whilst "rush jobs" usually result in more work later, at least you know what the car can do...... and will do better in the future. So it did provide inspiration!

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Brake Saga

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As you know, the saga of my rear brake calipers is long and tortuous, so here is the abridged version. The Earth had cooled and the dinosaurs came, and my caliper bleed screws were leaking fluid all over my fresh paintwork. With no news of my calipers from BCS I bought 3 pairs of used Alfasud calipers from Graham at scrap value (thanks Graham!) and had the best pair media blasted to remove all of the rust and old paint. While he was at it, my friend Neville used one of those natty induction heaters to loosen up all of the bleed screws and pipe fittings, but we left them in place so that none of the blasting media would get into the drillings. I completely dismantled one of the calipers so I could figure out the internal workings, where the seals were, how the adjusters worked, and using that as a guide, carefully rebuilt the cleaned calipers with new seals and lashings of Castrol Red Rubber Grease :D

Once fully rebuilt, I de-greased the outside with brake cleaner and sprayed on etch primer, followed by two coats of Rays Racing Bronze to match the gearbox. When I bought the Rays Bronze paint I also purchased a can of 2K aerosol lacquer to finish them off. Now I know what you are thinking – 2-pack, in a rattle can? It’s true – when you are ready, you punch a button on the base of the can and it releases the hardener into the clear coat. You shake like crazy for 2 minutes and then you are ready to go. You get between 4 and 6 hours of pot life, which is more than enough to get several coats on, leaving 10 minutes or so to flash off between coats. Target thickness is a uniform 50 microns. I always measure paint thickness, don’t you?(!)

The end results looked pretty good considering it was my first attempt at a full caliper rebuild. After leaving the calipers for a week to harden off I took them down and carefully filed off one or two runs that would have prevented the caliper sitting squarely on the gearbox or the pads from sliding into place. I then went through the painfully familiar process of refitting them to the gearbox, bolting on the discs and routing the handbrake cable into place (I decided to leave my handbrake return spring mod for another day). I fitted yet another pair of Goodridge Speed Bleeders to the calipers (the previous pair having been ruined when fitted to the last effort from BCS – more on them later), and gingerly refilled the system with fresh DOT 4.

The brakes leak not a drop. They bled out absolutely fine. Absolutely no suggestion of leakage, even under full pressure. It is such a relief, I’ve become so paranoid about brake calipers leaking. This experience has completely restored my confidence.

In fact, I was so enthused that I refitted the driveshafts and torqued them all up, with the added bonus that the handbrake is working really effectively too!

Anyway, here are a couple of pictures I took last week. I’ve since fitted the brand new pad retaining clips which finish the job off nicely.

Image

The dreaded handbrake cable!

Image

The offside brake caliper (actually the nearside one, reversed in order to aid brake bleeding and pad adjustment from the rear of the car – not a view that Alfasud drivers normally see!)

So what of my original calipers back at BCS? My last communication with them was in January, when they told me they would get me a completion date for the work. I started getting concerned in February and sent them a number of increasingly agitated emails which elicited no reply.

After receiving a number of unsolicited special offer emails from them last week, I send them one last email asking for an update, and the following day the calipers arrived! Apparently my emails had been “treated as spam” and deleted. Mmmm.

BCS assure me that the calipers have been repeatedly pressure tested and are completely leak-free, but I won’t be swapping them out now. They were supposed to be leak-free before and look what happened. I have come to the conclusion that it was BCS re-drilling the bleed screw bore off-centre that resulted in the problem in the first place, and by not fitting inserts the issue is still likely to be there. Clearly BCS have done satisfactory work for other customers, but I have not been impressed with their standard of engineering and will have to put this particular episode down to experience :(

Anyway, on to more interesting things…

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Tunnel Vision (Part 2)

Post by Spacenut »

You may remember the first part of Tunnel Vision was to do with the centre tunnel moulding. This part covers the completion of the rear window tunnel. This was previously a piece of aluminium sheet, formed to the general contours of the body tub and extending out to cover the protrusion of the engine into the cabin area.

For various reasons this was an unsatisfactory arrangement – the panel was held in place using a variety of self-tapping screws which eventually stopped gripping, the plastic window was only 2mm thick and was debonding from the aluminium, and last but not least the extended Pipercross filters and Dellorto DRLA 45 carburettors on my Alfatune engine (which I still would like to fit one day) are quite a bit taller than the standard Weber 36 IDFs.

I commenced by making a cardboard template of the body tub, taking into account the curved sides, and built up the area between the carbs so that there would be room for the Alfatune induction system. Because my engine protrudes into the cabin, the window tunnel is essentially the reverse of the standard Nova tunnel – flush fitting on the engine side, with the tunnel extension on the cabin side. I tried to make it look as aesthetically pleasing as possible, with angled buttresses formed from foam sheet and then glassed over. The initial moulding looked far too box-like over the centre section, so I introduced a large chamfer to the panel, which helps keep it torsionally stiff, while still maintaining the clearance around the carbs.

Like the Nova tunnel, the glazing is applied from the cabin side, and butts up against the flange formed in the rear panel of the moulding. The layup is around 3mm thick across the rear, which retains the curve nicely and permits a reasonable seal (even without sponge seals) with just two fixture points.

After a fair amount of localised filling and sanding to get a good finish, I etch primed the panel and then shot a coat of coarse texture coat at it. This isn’t meant to provide full coverage, so the grey etch tends to show through. I used a special top-coat to cover the primer and texture finish, but the overall effect was a little dull, so I tried chassis black instead. This gives just the right amount of semi-gloss finish, I think.

Image

You can see that I have been working on the panels either side of the tunnel as well. These were originally covered in grey carpet, but I am hoping to get away with paint this time, so final finish is important.

Image

I have marked a template for the window glazing in cardboard and will pass this on to Plastics 4 Performance. I will have the window made up in 4mm polycarbonate this time and will probably ask for an obscuration band to cover the bead of sealant. It also allows me to scuff up the surface to provide a good key for the adhesive.

Image

With the canopy closed the window tunnel looks quite at home with the hexatile bulkhead and seats. I took this picture as an aid to figuring out how to deal with the side panels. The floor carpet needs to extend above the body mounting flange and I was thinking of maybe using trimmed millboard or possibly carbon fibre sheet (I’ve still got some), retained with clips to cover the carpet edge. A chrome strip might be nice along the bottom of the panel for extra 1970s appeal but my plans are not fully formed as yet. Trim will be vinyl tuck’n’roll, oriented diagonally of course :D

More news as it happens…

Lauren

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by junior »

Good effort. Most interesting. Do keep going. :D

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Spacenut »

Sorry about all the broken picture links. I will try and re-upload some of them in the future, but for the time being here is an update on where we are...

Image

I'm quite pleased with this view. Oil pressure sender is developing some resistance to ground, so the STOP RIGHT NOW symbol isn't illuminated (needs sub-10 psi for that) and as usual I have forgotten to pull up the handbrake and flick the main beams on. But the symbols are there :D

Image

Latest attempt at new light baffles in the telecam monitor housing, also you can see the texture finish on the various dash components.

Image

The illusion is rapidly shattered when you look at how much of the interior is still unfinished!

Image

...But overall I am quite pleased with the way the instrument pod turned out, particularly the texture finish, which helps to disperse reflections in bright sunshine.

More progress soon!

Lauren

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Johnboy »

Evening Lauren

Well it looks great to me . Keep up the great work. Its going to be a Cool bespoke car that's for sure 8-)
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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Spacenut »

Thanks JB - I'm getting there!

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by junior »

Good effort I like how it is working out. it is well on its way now. Keep going. :D

By the way, would I be correct in recalling this car from a trip to a skid pan near Goodwood a good few years ago ?

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Spacenut »

junior wrote:By the way, would I be correct in recalling this car from a trip to a skid pan near Goodwood a good few years ago ?
Yes, you would be correct! That was the Goodwood section skid pan evening, I remember Paul Hyde was there from the West Sussex section too - the training certainly came in handy a couple of years later on an icy roundabout. Applied FOG (Foot Off Gas) and see-sawed the steering wheel until I came to halt...

Lauren

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Kegsti66 »

Nice update Lauren. Instrument cluster looks really good now you have prepped and painted it.
Well smart and looking good.

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by junior »

Spacenut wrote:
junior wrote:By the way, would I be correct in recalling this car from a trip to a skid pan near Goodwood a good few years ago ?
Yes, you would be correct! That was the Goodwood section skid pan evening, I remember Paul Hyde was there from the West Sussex section too - the training certainly came in handy a couple of years later on an icy roundabout. Applied FOG (Foot Off Gas) and see-sawed the steering wheel until I came to halt...

Lauren
Yes he was, I remember his 33 dashing past me the moment we hit the A27 Brighton bound.

The west Sussex section were a friendly bunch of people and had some good evenings in the pub with them. :D

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Alfasixnut »

Nice work on the Dashboard Lauren - but should it now be Dashboard Blacked as a thread title? :D

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Spacenut »

OK, here's a couple of updates...

The camber of the windscreen aperture didn't match the curvature of the glass, which probably explains why the screen debonded. I cut out the inner skin and slotted the windscreen mounting flange so I could massage the curvature of the outer skin, hopefully without damaging the paint. I used a makeshift steel bar "jacking jig" to reform the outer skin shape, then slowly build up the inner skin to lock the curvature in place. I am pretty pleased with the way it turned out...

Image

Slotted windscreen flange...

Image

Unfinished inner skin moulding, with all the dips and bumps for the new wiper location (it is offset from the normal factory position to allow the wiper to park on the left). You can also see the rivnuts used to hold the jacking jig in place.

Image

Looking better after a bit of etch primer...

Image

The reason for all that effort - now I know the new windscreen won't go the same way as the last one 8-)

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Spacenut »

Interior trim panels.

I needed to do something to integrate the side pockets into the overall interior, make them look less stuck on as an afterthought. After much consideration I settled on thin fibreglass panels with shaped foam relief glued on and then glassed over with tissue mat.

First I made some cardboard templates and covered them with resin-proof tape...

Image

Then I moulded the individual panels, cut out the holes for the side pocket and switch gear panels (on the driver's side), before adding the 10mm foam, shaping it and glassing it over.

Here's the passenger side...

Image

And here is the driver's side, with the additional switchgear panel...

Image

The black panel just behind the side pocket is a padded test piece I made up to check where I needed cushioning for my elbow when driving. The test piece was made from cardboard covered in 5mm scrim foam and then wrapped in black vinyl. It almost looks good enough to fit permanently, but I am a bit worried about damp getting to the cardboard, especially as the canopy weatherseals aren't that great.

More padding will go in at the front of the kick panels, and also the rear panels which extend into the area behind the seats. These will be made from interlocking hexagon shapes, I just can't get enough of 'em :lol:

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Headlining Tonight!

Post by Spacenut »

My canopy used to have an enormous 1970s sunroof in it. The glass had been smashed by vandals, and resigned to the fact that no modern replacement could fit in the hole, it was glassed over. The outside looks great, but the inside was always very unfinished. I wanted to address that before the windscreen got bonded in.

The original manual canopy had a moulded inner skin with a prominent central ridge between the driver and passenger. I built up this feature with shaped foam sections...

Image

Image

I also built up the ridges along the outside edge where the sunroof had nibbled into them. I glassed over the foam and then shaped some of the more awkward corners with a bit of filler and a lot of sanding. The canopy is already heavy and I didn't want to make it any heavier than it needed to be.

To get the surface smooth enough to accept a texture coat would need a lot of filler so after some consideration I decided to cover the inner roof panel in vinyl headlining material. In fact this was how I first purchased the car, way back in 1990. The headlining material used then was made up of millions of tiny craters, and after a bit of Googling I was able to identify the material as Ford Moonstone, as fitted to Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts, "back in the day". I purchased a 2m roll of the stuff from Segal Motor Trimming Supplies, together with a pot of conract adhesive used to bond vinyl roof material onto the outside of tin-tops. It's very effective!

After a deep breath and lots of effort, I was finally able to get a reasonable finish. I also trimmed the A pillars with black vinyl as per the original factory trim. Having a uniform finish on the inside of the canopy makes such a difference!

Image

I'm nearly ready to have the new windscreen bonded in now. More news as it happens...

Lauren

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Kegsti66 »

Cracking work done there Lauren.
Screen looks a nice fit and the interior trim looks good.
You have been rather busy, nice one. :D

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by junior »

That's a lot of effort to get the right effect.

Looks good and you must be pleased. Impressed.

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Spacenut »

Thanks guys - yes, it was a relief to get the screen curvature sorted, also the roof headlining. I had never done anything like that before and was particularly nervous about it, as it is pretty much a one-shot deal - and stripping the material off again would probably damage the surface, requiring more repair. Anyway, it all worked out in the end :D

What you can't see on the side panels is the moulded extensions that cover the seat slider mechanisms - the driver's side has a recessed rotary control knob to operate the carburettor chokes. I still need to make up a bellcrank to interface the control to the choke cable. Would you believe I am using an old bicycle gearchange cable for the chokes? It seems to work really well, who knew bike bits could be so useful :lol:

Lauren

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Re: Dashboard Blues...

Post by Sud 145 »

Hi Lauren have you used the bike cables with the Teflon liner ? In bike use they are smooth as silk.

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