Dashboard - part 1

Now I have all the gauges, switches and warning lights, I thought that I should get on with it. The day was sunny and relatively warm, so I could work outside. Keeps the dust off the Cobra!

First I fettled the ends of the dash GRP panel. These were fouling the hinges at each side, so needed trimming with the Dremel. Four 5mm holes were then drilled in the GRP panel, two across the top and two at the ends near the doors (see the photo below). These were countersunk to take the screws, which at the moment were left loose. Four 6mm holes were drilled in the scuttle lip to take the dashboard screws. This allows for any slight misallignment of the dashboard screws.

I was not happy with the position of the switches and related warning lights that I had come up with, so these were repositioned. The dash was trial fitted to ensure that I could see the switches and warning lights from the drivers seat with the steering wheel in place. Once I was happy, the gauges, switches and warning light hole centres were marked on masking tape and re-measured and measured again to make sure that they were in the correct place.

Hole centres and diameters marked

The hole diameter was marked on the masking tape to remind me what sized hole to drill, allowing 1mm either side for the leather. So each hole was 2mm bigger than the actual size of hole needed. A step drill was used to avoid any chipping of the GRP. Where I did not have the right sized hole cutter, I made the hole undersized and then opened it out with a file or the Dremel, checking the hole size with digital calipers as I went. When I had drilled each hole I checked that the instrument fitted ok. I had made the hazard switch hole too small, as I had measured the thread size, forgetting that the switch body went into the hole. At least it was the right way - too small a hole.

The switches do not have a very long threaded section around the switch lever, so the GRP needed to be thinned at the back of the panel a little to allow them to come through sufficiently.