Attaching the dashboard

[simonjrwinter]

The original owner/builder of my car glassed in some brackets on the back of the dashboard and some studs under the scuttle….nothing lines up so it’s all coming off. My plan is to do what I had on my last car, aluminium L shaped brackets with well nuts and 3 round headed bolts at the top of the dash and 4 underneath attached to the cross brace. Has anybody done anything different/better?
Simon

[peterc]

Simon,
I didn’t bother with any fixings at the top. The dash was profiled correctly for the scuttle and I just pushed up hard to the underside and it doesn’t move. I used 6 fixings on the return edge attaching to the scuttle frame. Maybe having the leather go over the top of the dash provided a grippier surface but it’s worked for years.
Peter C

[rhattersley]

For the top edge I padded a short length of aluminium angle and stuck it to the underside of the scuttle. The dash is a snug fit between that and the return on the scuttle.

top-bracket.png

For the bottom I shaped a couple of wooden battens to fit the gap between the return on the dash and the scuttle frame. The battens are screwed to the frame then the dash is screwed to the battens.

dash-batten.png

[StuBaker]

That's interesting, my original Hawk grp dash was self tapped directly to that plate on the square section... no need for spacer...
I did similar at the top with 16g ally angles Sikaflexed on in line with the screws.
I always find it hard to refit the dash on my own so at either end, as well as the self tapper holding the ends in, I added a domed nut on a piece of m4 stud to help locate the ends while I hold it all up. It's only just visible but well worth it to me. You just locate it and hold whilst fitting the screws.

[phlip99]

For the top edge I padded a short length of aluminium angle and stuck it to the underside of the scuttle. The dash is a snug fit between that and the return on the scuttle.

For the bottom I shaped a couple of wooden battens to fit the gap between the return on the dash and the scuttle frame. The battens are screwed to the frame then the dash is screwed to the battens.

I glassed wooden blocks rather than ali angle for the top edge and exactly the same for the bottom.

Phil

[Kenven]

Hi, as another alternative, I used the front Tonneau fittings and a small metal bracket to secure the top of the dash and drilled into the crossmember and bolted through that.

[allan horsfall]

Afternoon,

Mine is fixed at each end onto the crossbar plates and in the centre by an L bracket fixed to the underside of the mirror mounting bolts with a self tapper through the top face of the dash.
Works well, looks neat, at least it did until I had to take down the dash to sort out the mirror vibrations?