Centre Console Refurb - Chapter 1

[muphy]

Finally got fed up of looking at the sticky back plastic on the console panels so pulled out the centre console to refurbish it. Here is how it looked out of the car.


I am going to add a start button where the cig lighter is at the moment, here is how it looks with temporarily fitted.


After a lot of scraping and losing a couple of fingernails, here is the panel, clean. Obviously someone found the two holding bolts
too hard to work on from under the dash so drilled a couple of holes at the bottom of the panel to make it easier to remove.
I have some nice machined Torx screws which I will use on reassembly


And, the sticky back plastic


Biggest gotcha, the fixing lugs on all the switches had been damaged and some kind soul superglued them in place.
Took a scalpel and a lot of careful scraping to get enough out to remove the switches.
Also very important to take pictures and make a note of which wires go where so they go back the same way.

Next step is to clean the metal panel, prime and paint it so that any exposed edges look nice and then veneer. Have not decided
which wood style yet but have quite a selection of veneer sheets which will do the job for the whole car.

Chapter two to follow.

Mark

[Mr Locust]

Mark,

nice work. Mine has black crackle finish on the panel and red leather dash. Not Subtle, but it grows on you.

Any chance of a shot of the back of the panel as a reference once you build it back up?

By the way, I'm almost sure the switches are Austin Princess sourced.....

[muphy]

Ian,

Is this what you are looking for, it's obviously back-to-front as seen from the back. I'll certainly take some obverse shots when I fully build the panel back up.





Mark

[B. Swankie]

I have some nice walnut veneer in stock if it is of interest! Can I ask how you are going to "seal the exposed edges to stop them lifting around the clock etc." as I can see that being a possible problem area?
Cheers
Brian Swankie.

[muphy]

Yup, definately a problem however I think I have a solution. When I _finally_ get my vacuum former back I'll take a form off the clock and then build it up slightly to be oversize then take a cast of that in rubber or silicone and then mold that in plastic having cut out the middle thus giving me a flanged bezel into which the clock should still fit. Glue the bezel to the clock and then re-fit. Same for the two knobs, I have standard round flanged bezels that will fit the holes. This will mean that all the dials, displays and switches should sit proud of the veneer about the same amount, he says with fingers crossed

Alternative, use damned strong 3M adhesive and hope that between the adhesive and a lacquer finish, it stays put. Will all depend on how pragmatic I am feeling and how close I am to the next rally I want to attend with at least some dashboard actually in the car.

Thanks for the veneer offer, I'm pretty well stocked myself as I do a bit of cabinetry in my spare time

What I really would like is a full set of Lucas 182SA switches new as the ones I have are broken (superglued in the past) and looking in some of the broken housings, the copper terminals and switch leaves are green and corroded. They will all have to be disassembled and cleaned if possible and if I cannot source a new set. Will just have to prowl the usual sites.

One more thing, will be taking a template off the dash panel with the view of making a solid wood panel. I have some lovely canadian maple and english oak that would look really good but that's a project thats quite a way away. This sodding thing called work get's in the way

Mark

[amarshall]

What I really would like is a full set of Lucas 182SA switches new as the ones I have are broken (superglued in the past) and looking in some of the broken housings, the copper terminals and switch leaves are green and corroded. They will all have to be disassembled and cleaned if possible and if I cannot source a new set. Will just have to prowl the usual sites.

http://www.autoelectricalspares.co.uk/l ... -929-p.asp
http://www.autoelectricalspares.co.uk/l ... -113-p.asp

[muphy]

Thanks Angus. The lights switch out of my panel has a different part number, it's a 182SA 33953F but I cannae find that one on the WWW. Will need to check all the numbers on the switches (only brought one with me today Doh!) and perhaps take a punt buying a new one and see if it fits.

Mark

[Mr Locust]

The headlamp switch looks right but the foglamp switch only looks like a 2 position off/on type rather than the 3 position off/on/on type with amber telltale which is in my car.

http://www.lucaselectrical.co.uk/catalo ... 63-119.pdf