Early dash top pad

[peters3103]

Hi Gents,

My November 61 (885175) is incorrectly fitted with the later, thicker dash pad. Can this be modified to the correct thinner type for the early cars? I'm in Australia so unsure if anyone has done this modification here.

Cheers
Pete

[Heuer]

No kit available so you need to remove the pad and trim it yourself or by a trimmer. Just thin foam and vinyl.

[Dave K]

Pete,

Unsure exactly what you mean, do you mean you have the complete later 3.8 dash or just that the covering is wrong?

If its just the covering that is wrong you can but some vinyl from BAS if the whole dash is the later style I'd leave it alone because it will have the later demister vents and you can't get the early style thin plastic break if you look at them wrong type.

Dave

[64etype]

Hi Gents,

My November 61 (885175) is incorrectly fitted with the later, thicker dash pad. Can this be modified to the correct thinner type for the early cars? I'm in Australia so unsure if anyone has done this modification here.

Cheers
Pete

It happens that I spoke with OSJI (formerly Bassett) in Muncie, Indiana about this a couple of weeks ago. They have done this retrim, but would require that the underlying frame work be sent to them.

[peters3103]

Thanks Gents,
Dave, its just the dash pad that's wrong for my car. Does this mean the demister vents are different meaning it's not just a retrim using an early dash pad as a reference? I was hoping I could just replace the foam and possibly re-use the vinyl as its correct and in good shape. I would have this done by a trimmer in the interests of a professional finish of course.

Cheers
Pete

[Dave K]

Thanks Gents,
Dave, its just the dash pad that's wrong for my car. Does this mean the demister vents are different meaning it's not just a retrim using an early dash pad as a reference? I was hoping I could just replace the foam and possibly re-use the vinyl as its correct and in good shape. I would have this done by a trimmer in the interests of a professional finish of course.

Cheers
Pete

Pete,

The dash top (metal part) is totally different from the later ones and so are the vents. The vents are unobtainable so if you still have the correct dash top and it just needs re-trimming be very careful with the demister vents they are very delicate.

Dave

[splosh]

Mini (car) under dash vents fit perfectly if one is broken !!

[Dave K]

Mini (car) under dash vents fit perfectly if one is broken !!

The centre one won't fit its about 12" long, if not longer.

Dave

[Heuer]

Something to ask Marek about making?

[peters3103]

Thanks again all. I will investigate further. Any way to identify which dash top (metal part) I have. Perhaps when the resto was done (in the 90's) it was retrimmed to the later thicker style and is in fact the correct early type.

Cheers,
Pete.

[Dave K]

Thanks again all. I will investigate further. Any way to identify which dash top (metal part) I have. Perhaps when the resto was done (in the 90's) it was retrimmed to the later thicker style and is in fact the correct early type.

Cheers,
Pete.

My guess is you have the later dash top, there is no way the later vinyl trim would fit an early one, I asked BAS if I could do this when I did mine years ago.
Perhaps when it was restored they broke the vents and with none available thought it was easier to replace the whole dash?

I broke mine when I stripped my car and had to pay $300 for a complete dash with the vents from the States, this guy has lots of E-Types partially stripped. He wouldn't sell me the vents only so I had to buy the lot, I then sold the dash to a guy in the States for $200.

He doesn't appear to advertise and the last time I emailed him he never answered.

Dave