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Dash cover, leather or vinyl?
I am going to redo my dash to have the original SC layout. I have purchased the aluminum dash from Enzo, but now wondering what covering to put on it. Leather or Vinyl? What specific material to use?
Also, should it have padding or not. I noticed that SPF's do not have padding. Lastly, I notice most of the switches are lucas toggles (which I have), but several are pull switches. Where does one find the lucas pull switches? |
No comments? I know folks out must have redone there dashes. I would love to get your expertise
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If you go for originality you have to use vinyl without padding.
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The orig S/C and Comp Dash had 2 single-throw toggles on either side of the speedo, one for the electric fuel pumps and one for the diff cooler pump. Below them, on the left, was a double-throw toggle for lamps. On the right, was two rotaries.. one, a switch for the wipers, the other a rheostat for the dimming of the panel lamps. Both of those devices are Lucas parts, probably from a Jag. The real ones are both rare and expensive. :rolleyes: (...trust me.) Over on the way-left is the momentary push button for the horn. |
Y'all ever noticed that the gauges are never installed straight up in these cars? They're always tilted one way or the other.... Look at that ammeter in CW's picture compared to the other gauges...
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Rotary Switches
The two rotary switches are funny items.
1. Dimmer Switch - I've never driven a british car that needed the dash lights "dimmed", same switch in different forms is available on all the british cars. This has to be the switch that spawned the joke about Lucas switches, OFF-DIM-FLICKER, they all seem to work this way. Some are OFF-FLICKER-FLICKER positions and a rare few OFF-FLICKER-SMOKE... Most are engineered with dual tabs on one side just for bypassing them... this will "brighten" the lights and thus you can ALMOST see the gauges. 2. Wiper Switch - I've never seen the "ideal" one available, i.e. one with a park position to correctly operate the available later type Lucas wiper motors. My theory is the rotory switch was ONLY used on the older style motor, 50's style wiring and didn't need the "off" hot parking circuit. Anyone know? A special toggle switch was used with the later wiper motor and is still available. Just put the rotory HNP knob on this wiper switch... and put it in "N". If it rains, you'll be prepared! |
The special switch makes the OE wiper work and park.It's way more complicated than you might think.
I went with vinyl over a etched and painted steel dash. Verry thin padding. and Moroso tilt rings tilting 2 1/16" gauges toward driver. Biggest change was the Flaming River master switch on dash where I can reach it while belted in. |
Y'all ever noticed that the gauges are never installed straight up in these cars? They're always tilted one way or the other.... Look at that ammeter in CW's picture compared to the other gauges...
I remember reading in one of my books that the guages were installed on angles so that whatever position was supposed to be normal operating position was straight up. That way if pressure failed or something was off, the needle would point anyway but up and at an instant glance you knew there was a problem. This as opposed to trying to read the numbers on a guage at 140 mph on a long sweeper in traffic. |
I'm covering my ERA 289 FIA dash. Just bought the spray on adhesive and somebacking material (paper thin, reduces heat transfer from the metal dash to the vinyl). I had to special order the marine grade black vinyl that has the UV protectant embedded in the vinyl. Local shops didn't have UV grade stuff.
DD |
On a true race car the gauges are twisted so the normal reading is straight up so at a glance the driver will notice an abnormal reading. No problem on a flat dash gauge setup. Bigger problem for tilted gauges . You have to trim the legs of the hold in bracket.
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