Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Anyone tried Blurtac?

steve lyle wrote:And a hint on the inserts. They have slots you can use to drive them in with a flat edge screwdriver. Don't do it - the brass is too weak, and you're liable to break off one side of the slot. Instead, get a longer #6 screw, and lock two nuts onto it so there's a few threads showing on the outer end, and drive the insert in with that.

Regards,
Steve

I went with Plan A & the brass inserts... also took Steve's suggestion & used a SHCS with 2 nuts to put the inserts into the dash:

Worked a treat:


So that's 2 better ways to attach the under dash trims

Phil, maybe I missed it but what size hole (drill bit size) was needed?

gjz30075 wrote:Phil, maybe I missed it but what size hole (drill bit size) was needed?

Greg, drill size was 11/64”

Excellent craftsmanship!

I have one of these dreadful trims to refit after doing my column bushes. Just a thought, would 3M press in place emblem tape work? It's not cheap and I am not 100% sure it would take on the edge of the dashboard. However it is thin and is strong enough to hold emblems on.

I will be fitting new under dash trim pieces shortly.

I think the best solution I’ve seen so far is to slot the screw holes in the area of the trim which attaches to the edge of the dash. This allows the trim to me removed by simply loosening the screws one turn and not actually removing them.

The other advantage is that the holes in the lower part of the trim only need be large enough to insert a PZ1 screwdriver - 5.5mm.

Lotusian wrote:Velcro works for me. Removed and replaced several times, and still firmly attached.
Ian

I like the sound of velcro, makes removing the trim nice and easy..and no holes to drill


Carl

What fasteners were originally used on this trim?
I have a pair to fit to my car, but no fasteners. Figured I'd give the original fun way a try so I can see what all the fuss is about before giving up & going with velcro.

Ganzdachhaus wrote:What fasteners were originally used on this trim?
I have a pair to fit to my car, but no fasteners. Figured I'd give the original fun way a try so I can see what all the fuss is about before giving up & going with velcro.

I believe they used #6 sheet metal screws, about 1/2" or so. At least that was what my car had when it got to me.

Yes, screws, with a little plastic plug to fit into the hole where the screwdriver was applied to the screws.

steve lyle wrote:

Ganzdachhaus wrote:What fasteners were originally used on this trim?
I have a pair to fit to my car, but no fasteners. Figured I'd give the original fun way a try so I can see what all the fuss is about before giving up & going with velcro.

I believe they used #6 sheet metal screws, about 1/2" or so. At least that was what my car had when it got to me.

According to the parts list:


7 off DWDS0608 = Raised Head Countersunk Wood Screw #6 1/2" long
1 off PSTS0606 = Plain Self Tapping Screw #6 3/8" long

Now why would one screw be shorter? Perhaps the screw near the headlight pull/push switch?

Somethings off. 3/8” dia makes no sense. The dash plywood is barely 1/2”.

For screws, the 6 means #6, not the dia in 16ths.

Bud English wrote:For screws, the 6 means #6, not the dia in 16ths.

Ah… that makes more sense! Will edit my post