Replacing the dash

[SteveA]

I recently bought a car that someone else has built and am wanting to replace the dashboard as it's a bit tatty and has a few redundant holes in it now. I have had a bit of a look and can't see how I would go about it, also google comes up with no helpful information. Do I need to remove the scuttle to get to the fixings?

Thanks

Steve

[Paul Richards]

Not sure if it's always necessary to remove scuttle, but it will be much easier and quicker if you do. 

Removal depends on how it has been fixed it. Aluminium dash from factory is usually just held by a couple of pop rivets. Replacement dash and esp. carbon dashes are normally held with sealant and need to be "cut" off using cheese wire.

Suggest you label connections to switches/guages before you remove.

[Dorset7]

I did this recently on my car to fit a carbon dash (check my blog if you've got time).

I removed the scuttle by drilling out the rivets on the front and removing the scuttle retaining bolts and plates before lifting it off rather than removing the "bulkhead" panel of the scuttle due to everything mounted on it.

I'd second what paul says about labelling everything, you never know if you'll be delayed putting things back together and you might forget (I took plenty of pictures too for reference later).

My original dash was riveted in place with no bonding agent but my new dash is bonded in place - remember a squirt of Waxoyl in the dash frame after you've drilled the rivets out, you can still hear them sliding around in mine because I forgot!!

If you need any assistance please message me and I'll do all I can to help.

[SteveA]

Thanks for the information. I will order a dash and some rivets and get started. Thanks for the offer of assistance, It will probably be after my next track outing at Croft (20th March) before I give it a go. You might well receive a message or two if I get stuck :)

Thanks again.