Dash Rebuild

[Guest The Modfather]

Just to give you an update and some pics of my dash rebuild. Sorry for the quality of the pics. The tan dash is the old one (hope you'd realise that anyways )

It isn't wired into the main loom yet as I still have to sort out the mess (pic included) but I just wanted to see what it all looked like. I'm impressed with it, and spent last evening doing the wiring, which went ok, I hope!

 

Old tan coloured dash, ugly or what?

 

New black dash, no foam padding, miles better!

 

The blue wire...........

 

I think the original builder worked for BT.

[gaz0571]

nice job hopefully will have my car fully rewired and new dash for new year..

[Guest The Modfather]

Yeah. my clocks were/are my xmas pressie from the wife, but I needed to make sure that they fit/work/are the rights ones/look right and all the other feeble excuses in order to play with them now and not after xmas

[dlovettuk]

Looks really good - what's it made out of

[Guest The Modfather]

It's MDF and vinyl. I got the vinyl that has a little stretch in it, and even without any foam behind it, it has a slight bounce to it. Much better than having a wad of foam behind it. Not too keen on the "cushion" look

[Graham B]

Looking much better Darren. I had forgotten that the monocoque hadn't got all the pipework ( 2B ) behind the panel. It allows for a much more freeflow layout.

Anything was an upgrade to the original; -- the original builder had a budget, and at the time , probably a time constraint to get the car finished and to the test.

 

Enjoy the country lanes when the weather improves.

 

Graham B

Sump off !! - must get it shortened!!!

[Guest mower man]

Nice one keep up the quality and you will have a VERY nice car regards mower man

[Guest mower man]

Nice one keep up the quality and you will have a VERY nice car regards mower man

[Guest The Modfather]

Thanks guys for the nice comments. The snow here has beaten me, and the onset of frost bite made me come in early last night! I've got tomorrow to play so hopefully will get some of the loom done. Will be getting rid of all the yellow vinyl and replacing it with black. Had to make a new tunnel top board as the old one was kapput. Side cockpit trims will also be renewed.

[Jamiep]

Looks good, its given me a push to look at mine.

Quick question, is the steel panel behind the dash structural? I only ask as mine only has the cut out for the sierra clocks so I would need to make a few more for extra gauges. I don't think it is as it is light gauge with no folds to stiffen but I just wanted to check.

[Guest dinger]

I like that alot, Getting some good ideas for my dash now,

 

Just a quick off topic, what indicator stalks are those?

[Guest The Modfather]

Jamiep.

I was surprised to NOT see any cross bar behind the dash panel, so I guess that it is structural. I have taken the opinion of "If I need a cross bar to help in an impact, it will probably be too late anyway!" It is fairly thick as I had to cut away a little to get the clocks in, and blunted one jigsaw blade.

 

Dinger.

Not sure what stalks they are. I pressumed that they were Sierra ones. Sorry, I didn't build the car, I'm just trying to sort out a very bad job

 

My new lower switch panel with yellow piping

 

Tunnel panel, again with piping, ready to be fitted

 

Just need to sew up the new homemade black handbrake gaiter (this was in the cacky tan colour), there was already a black gear gaiter so not bothering to renew as it is clean. The main dash needs the piping applied, probably tomorrow.

[Guest The Modfather]

It's all gone to pot!

 

I am trying to marry up the wiring and it is a nightmare. There are two white multi connectors, which appear to be Ford originals. Both of these blocks then went into 12 core cable, and then up to the original Sierra instrument (as pic)

 

The wires going in to the blocks don't all correspond to the colours that are stated in the Haynes manual (13.26) and those stated on the RHOCaR help pages for Sierra clocks.

 

I have the following colours entering the blocks, and the colours leaving the blocks which then connect to this 12 core cable:

 

First block:

 

input --------output

red/white - brown/white

brown/green - brown/yellow

black/red - grey/yellow(green?)

black/white - black white

brown - EMPTY

green/blue - brown/green

 

Second block:

 

input ------output

brown - brown

blue - blue

brown/yellow - brown/black

brown/green - EMPTY

black/yellow - black/yellow

black/green - black/green

black/white - EMPTY

blue/white - blue/white

 

Is there anyone who can work this lot out please? I'm not sure if anyone can tell me from the above photograph (starting left - right) which terminal relates to what on the dash panel. That would also help a great deal.

 

Many thanks

[Guest The Modfather]

I just found this on google, which should help me.

[chris n]

Fantastic transformation you've done with the dash Darren