Dash removal - questions

[GHill]

Hi All

Thought I would post an update!

Here is the current state of play. The dash is out but to be honest I'm concerned by how many wires lead to nothing and more worryingly with exposed wires! I'd appreciate all of your thoughts here - new loom or not? EG can I save the loom or is it too far gone?

Main photo

Passenger footwell

Drivers side

Cheers
Gareth

[PeterK]

If you're going to fit the multi-plugs, then don't waste money on a new loom as you'll need major mods anyway. First, work out where the multi-plugs will fit, then start splicing in wire as required. I completely re-wired my Plus 2 in the basic method of a modern car (46 fuses and 14 relays in a fuse box under the bonnet) - what a nightmare trying to get the dash back after running the new wires. I made a rod for my own back here - due to the location of my fuse box, I ended up with wires running from just behind a switch (such as the window lift switches), out to the fuse box and back again. Adding wires for 4 speakers made matters worse, and now that the car is running, I realise that wouldn't be able to hear a decent radio anyway .

Do some wires really not go anywhere ? - mine looked like that when I took the dash out and every wire did actually go somewhere. Exposed wires could just have pulled out of connectors. i did have a bare wire running across the driver's side of the dash. I assume that the permanently live feed to the hazards had shorted out, as the wire was mainly without insulation and what remained was black an crispy !

Peter

[GHill]

Cheers Peter

Thanks for your input will go through and chance the wires although there are definitely some wires which have been cut quite deliberately! I have a feeling individual wires have been spliced in and the old ones have been left.

Cheers and merry Xmas

Gareth

[stugilmour]

If you are considering adding relays or additional / different modern fuses, I think the easiest location for wire routing and packaging is cutting out the back of the glove box. This leaves all of the relay wiring attached to the dash, and allows the whole deal to be wired up and tested on the bench. Be careful to allow enough room for the air vent duct behind the wiring though.

I used a sort of generic kit car loom from Spyder (called a Lucas Uni-Loom IIRC) to re-wire the car rather than one of the model specific stock configuration looms. I found it reasonably easy to change the wires as required to add relays and additional fuses. If you go this route or add / change circuits make sure you document everything clearly. I liked this loom as it retains the British wiring colour standard but updates a few things like a single flasher relay for hazards and turn signals. Probably more work though as things have to be moved around a bit to fit the Plus 2 and some wires (eg electric window lifts) are not included.

I added several multi-plugs as discussed earlier. Important to trial fit the dash as there is not a heck of a lot of room to fit the plugs behind the side covers. I did not make all of the sub-loom connections long enough to allow dash removal; rather the multi-plugs are disconnected first and the dash pulled free.

As my loom is a sort of custom configuration anyway, I changed the overall configuration a bit. I retained one run to the rear of the car down the right side (speaker wires separate from the main loom). Made two separate legs to the front rather than routing wires across the nose cone. Separate leg to the wiper motor. Car is changed to a modern alternator and starter which simplifies things under the bonnet. Did add a main fusible link to the main Brown supply wires though.

HTH

Stu

[GHill]

Hi All

So my winter project has (almost) come to an end!

What do you think

Before

Before

After

After

A bit of a relief to be honest - there's been ups and downs and I have learnt a sugar load!


Winter jobs

- adjusted handbrake (mot failure)
- new starter solenoid
- upgraded coil to sports coil
- new plugs
- new oil filter and oil
- replaced vacuum pipe (mot failure)
- fixed windscreen washer (mot failure - a simple wire had come off)
- new fogs for ebay purchased lucas spots
- so many tools (don't tell the wife)
- exhaust bracket (mot fail)
- adjusted height of lights (easy peasy - mot fail)
- new dash including various new parts for the dash
- new bonnet release handle
- new choke cable (not fitted)


& rest ... Just need to book the ol girl in for an MOT - couldn't have done it without the help of I) the ol man ii) people on this forum - you know who you are!!

Cheers
Gareth

[pharriso]

Well done, you've no doubt avoided a lot of issues by sorting that mess out.

[KevJ+2]

Well done indeed Gareth, you should be very proud, it's not an easy job for sure. I'm about to refit my dash and have attached multi connectors but yesterday I found out that the speedo was seized and although I got it free today, it's still not right so will need repairing
One step forward, one step back
All the best,
Kev.

[GHill]

Cheers Kev

It's certainly been a challenge and I enjoyed most of it! Good luck with your installation!

Regards
Gareth

[NedK]

This forum is a goldmine! I'm just about to start work on my dashboard, and you've answered lots of my questions.

(Pete's fusebox, by the way, is a work of art).

I will put a post together on my progress... once I've had any!

Ned

[KevJ+2]

I suppose after I banged on about how I re-veneered my dash and used letraset etc.etc. I should have posted the results. I ended up using Plasti-Cote polyurathane satin spray varnish as I personally like the the more 'natural' result it gives. Anyway, all in all I'm quite pleased with the result.

[pereirac]

The veneer on replacement dashboards tend to be thick and brittle, I learned this the hard way when the varnish on a new dashboard I was fitting in my Elan cracked horizontally from the screw holes for the ashtray. 'Luckily' I had other problems with the dashboard and managed to get it replaced (a long story).. Since then I have always drilled a slightly larger hole removing the varnish around any screw holes to relieve any stresses in the varnish.. The two holes for the screws holding in the ashtray, the screw hole for the interior light and the screw holes on the inside of the glovebox lid where the hinges fix ..