New Dashboard - Labels or No Labels?

[Tom D]

I am thinking having a new dash made for my '71 +2S by CG. Gary has already told me the switch labels they use are not the correct Lotus font, which got me wondering if the thing might not actually look better with no labels at all.

I'd be curious to hear the opinions of other Lotus owners: Labels or No?

(Note I intend to make this a nice looking car overall, hopefully tastefully done, but am not aiming for total originality.)

[m750rider]

I like it with labels.

Randy at Prestige Autowood in California makes a beautiful dashboard replacement with proper labels. Check with him also.

Bob

1969 S4 SE
45/8842

[stugilmour]

Agree with Bob. My dash came from Randy as well. Labels are very nicely done, sealed inside the coating. Can't speak to cost difference though. Are the CG labels just surface mounted? If so I would probably leave them off.

When getting the dash specified, suggest thinking through your plan for a radio. A modern DIN head unit won't fit due to depth constraints. I think Randy will make up the dash with a matched radio fill plate or solidly filled in. If I had it to do over I would have got a fill plate or a different size hole to fit the radio I used. The stock hole size is actually slightly larger than a modern standard DIN.

No issue if you are gong to use the stock radio as they are only about 4" deep. Some guys have modded them to accept iPod input.

Stu

[The Veg]

RD Enterprises have a fascia label set advertised on their website the looks correct, although I have not seen this product up-close so I can't vouch either way on it. I'm considering refinishing my dash, as it's about to be out for some electrical fettling anyway- so I'm interested in labeling options too.

If you know your switches well enough that you're not likely to forget what anything is, then it all comes down to making up your mind on the appearance. I'm contemplating refinishing my dashboard, and because the car is new to me and I have yet to drive it more than up and down my street, I'd label it. But again, you might know the switches so well that labels are merely icing.

Radios: Has anybody done the homework on whether or not the RetroSound radios will fit? I cannot find information on their site or their dealer's sites about the depth. If the depth is OK, they make a plethora of different units and different faceplate/knob sets for whatever retro-look you want.

[elanner]

My dash came from Gary at CG Woodcraft - and he added labels. Like Prestige's, they are under the top coat of varnish, so won't wear off.

The font looks perfect to me. If there are any differences they're obviously very minimal - to the point that nobody will notice the difference.

For my 2c, if you have no labels the dash will definitely look wrong. If you have labels it's going to be very close to 100% right.

Nick

[Tom D]

Agree with Bob. My dash came from Randy as well. Labels are very nicely done, sealed inside the coating. Can't speak to cost difference though....

Stu

Stu, I believe Gary is around $480, while Randy is around $725. I am not sure why Randy is so much more expensive, I seem to be hearing good things about both of them, but have not seen either product in person. Both seal the labels under the finish, although Randy seemed more confident than Gary concerning the correctness of his font for a Lotus.

[pharriso]

Well, this is CG (from eBay)... it just looks wrong to me....

Ray's lettering is only $14... have CG buy it from them, or send them the letters!

And since you asked, yes I think you need labels & the labels need to be under the top layers of lacquer otherwise they will peel off.

[AdrianSi]

I'm yet to install mine, but here is mine with labels from Classic Dashboards in the UK.

[elanner]

Phil, that's interesting - what looks wrong to you?

The fonts on my CG dashboard are essentially identical to the fonts on my original board. I fitted my dash a couple of years ago so don't remember noticing any difference. I think Gary's cautionary comments are a matter of being very explicit to a perfectionist customer base.

When I last talked to him a couple of years ago he mentioned getting grief from a (non Lotus) customer who complained about the color match of the sealing paint on the back of the dashboard!

Of course, the original dashboards had the letters silk screened on to the top surface, so could wear off. On the other hand, lettering under the final coat of varnish will tend to yellow as the varnish ages (err, do modern varnishes change color?).

I'm not at home right now, but can take some photos tomorrow if anybody is interested. Given that every Lotus is different we perhaps shouldn't obsess too much!

Nick

[The Veg]

Yellowing and such depends on what finish you use.

In 1993 I built an electric ukulele...long story but it was kind of a joke, although a functional joke...anyway, one of the jokey things I did was put a false-binding on the body, achieved with self-adhesive vinyl pinstripe tape from the auto store. I applied a finish over that, for which I used a polyurethane suitable for floors. This finish has a slightly yellowish tint inherently, so it made the white tape look age-yellowed...perfect!

The point of that sillyness is to research what different finishes will be like initially, and how they change as they age. Maybe the question would be put best to a woodworker's forum.

[foxoles]

Phil,
I agree - it's the letter spacing. Too wide compared to the original.
My original '73 Europa Special lettering was more like Ray's.

[pharriso]

Phil, that's interesting - what looks wrong to you?
Nick

The ratio of height to width is different & the spacing between the letters is totally wrong...

versus

The font on the dash is pretty distinctive.... the Classic Dashboards font looks good.

If I am spending close to $500 on a dash & putting all the labo(u)r to move over switches, gauges & wiring it's worth the extra $14 to get the correct font

[The Veg]

Phil, that's interesting - what looks wrong to you?
Nick

The ratio of height to width is different & the spacing between the letters is totally wrong...

s-l1600.jpg

versus

dash_lettering.JPG

The font on the dash is pretty distinctive.... the Classic Dashboards font looks good.

If I am spending close to $500 on a dash & putting all the labo(u)r to move over switches, gauges & wiring it's worth the extra $14 to get the correct font

The more modern font in the second picture is what the labels in my '70 Plus 2 look like, or at least those that haven't rubbed away.

[Robbie693]

I'm yet to install mine, but here is mine with labels from Classic Dashboards in the UK.

That looks very nice, are they doing the arrows around the heater controls as standard now or did you have to specify?

[rgh0]

When I re-laminated my dash back in 1980 I did not bother to put back the lettering as I thought it made it look to "busy" and I preferred the cleaner look without them. Still happy with that decision 35 years later.

cheers
Rohan