TR4 wooden dash alternatives?

[Paul Heritage2]

Hi, got a 1962 TR4 which someone (presumably when converted from LHD to RHD many years ago) has put in a TR4A dash and I wish to remove it as it isn't the best looking piece of wood and would prefer something simpler.

 

A friend also has a TR4 and has covered his metal dash in black vinyl which goes with look of the car and wanting to do something similar but as I don't have the original centre TR4 part wondered if there is an alternative to a wooden dash i.e. can you buy a thin aluminium replacement which can be potentially covered and put in, albeit I'll need to sort out a suitable glove box lid.

 

If nothing already available I could use the existing wooden dash as a template and try to make my own, but hoped there would be options available but searches only come up with wooden ones.

 

Thanks.

[AlfredHitchcock]

Paul

 

Have you checked behind your wooden dash? I found a metal one behind mine and sourced a metal glovebox lid and restored it to painted white.

 

Very chuffed with the results and certainly an improvement imo.

 

Nick

[Paul Heritage2]

Hi Nick, I haven't checked but presumed they wouldn't have added the centre dial holder then covered it with the wooden dash, unless a later owner changed it to wooden dash after the LHD to RHD.

 

Will take a look, would be a nice surprise if it's there.

 

Paul.

[RogerH]

Hi Paul,

the centre gauge panel comes up on ebay quite often - usually around the £50 area.

Vinyl can look good but is often hard to keep looking good.

 

Roger

[4Mal]

If it's a 4, then the white dash should be behind. As Roger says, the gauge panel does come up and you can always ask on the forum re a glovebox lid and hinges.

Any holes left after the fitting of the wood cover can be filled.

 

I had a wood cover on mine and am delighted to be back to the painted original.

Edited May 26, 2015 by 4Mal

[gaz2trs]

White dash every time for me back to oe ????

Edited May 26, 2015 by gaz2trs

[Paul Heritage2]

Have just had a poke behind the dash and there's no panel there. The dials are into the wood and can see the wood from behind.

 

I may look at cutting out a dash in aluminium and either painting or covering as a replacement to the wood. Will see what turns up first as original would be preferred.

 

Thanks.

[RogerH]

Hi Paul,

if there is no metal dash behind the wooden then you have a problem.

The metal dash supports the sideways structure of the car. The 'H' dash support should be attached to the bottom of the metal dash.

 

The back of the metal dash does look 'woody' - have you tried a magnet on it.

 

Most odd

[Paul Heritage2]

There is the main metal panel behind the wood fascia, which is currently black. There's no centre gauge panel lurking behind so will either have to wait for the parts to turn up or go with a replacement fascia in thin aluminium and not use the separate centre panel.

[TorontoTim]

I don't doubt you could make your own, but in case you need it, Revington do a "blank"...

http://www.revingtontr.com/shop/product_display.asp?mscssid=URSG7G7GA8GN8L8U0CW88P0DP0SADKPB&CarType=TR4&ProductID=RTR6133

[stuart]

I think you are all talking at cross purposes. If you remove the wood dash you will be left with a metal backing dash which is the dash on an original TR4 painted white. If its a TR4 one it will have a small hole for the column to go through, 4a one has a slightly bigger oval shaped one. There will be a hole where the centre panel to take the 4 small gauges sits and you will need to purchase that and a glove box lid, if its a 4a one then that can be back converted with a little ingenuity to look like a TR4 one and if you do a search on here you will find people who have done just that.

[AlfredHitchcock]

This is what I found behind mine, which is a 4A dash.

 

And I modified it to look like this. Note the different steering column hole shape.

 

My car is a '62 also.

Edited May 26, 2015 by AlfredHitchcock

[stuart]

This is what I found behind mine, which is a 4A dash.

 

And I modified it to look like this. Note the different steering column hole shape.

 

My car is a '62 also.

Exactly what I was attempting to describe, thanks Alfred.

Stuart.

[Paul Heritage2]

Thanks for the help & pictures. Having pulled many TR7 dashboards apart over the years, I've only had the TR4 for 2 weeks so learning quickly. Will also start asking the Northumbria Group some questions at the next meeting, you never know someone may have some 'spare' TR4 bits I need to convert back.

[ianc]

A fellow called Ian Bond will have a stall in Wye Hall at the International Weekend - he produces dashboards for TRs, but I don't know for which models, nor in what material(s).

Ian Cornish