102 replies to this topic

[DanFuke]

[IMG]http://i374.photobucket.com

Take my money?
That looks awesome!

[Mr.P]

can I have the above one - but in gloss russet brown please????????

[mk1leg]

I've suggested they re-do these from the 60's. What do others think. The top is covered in black leathercloth and the panel face was body colour, but could be finishes to suit personal taste.
PS Roberts you have a PM.

A very nice dash and a nice idea, but...

It's basically a new top dash rail (which would have to be made from fibreglass and then trimmed in vinyl leatherette/leather), with a custom binnacle (once again which would have to made from fibreglass and trimmed in vinyl leatherette/leather or pained), so the cost wouldn't be worth it - as an estimate I's guess that you would be looking at between £200 and £300.

Which unfortunately, doesn't fit in the Classic Mini dashboard market price range (£50 to £150).


Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

Website: www.optimise-automotive.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 (0) 1782 579 080

Still worth it as a wood and picket dash is £1500+.....I'd spend £200-£300 on one from you.......

[roberts]

Take my money?
That looks awesome!

Good good.

We are hoping to keep that design to £115 (so it directly rivals the similar design of Custom Consoles) - although the carpeted glove box backing (as photographed) will be an additional £15 (ish).


Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

Website: www.optimise-automotive.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 (0) 1782 579 080

[roberts]

can I have the above one - but in gloss russet brown please????????

Painted finishes will be available on different designs (the photo is a vinyl leatherette covered prototype).

Basically, the dashboards are made from MDF and MDF doesn't paint well (spray paint, which is the finish you want in a car - smooth like the body work). The shaped edges and/or sanded edges/surfaces soak the paint in leaving a rough looking surface and it's a nightmare to seal.

As a result, that makes sealing the above dashboard ready for spray painting near impossible (as the raised blocks are shaped MFD with exposed edges that would soak the paint up).

Other manufacturers do one of the following with MDF edges, all of which we are trying to avoid (but it may depend on cost and making sure we remain competitive):

1) They don't bother sealing the MDF so once painted it looks a mess. A dashboard that I had in my Mini about 10 years ago now (that I had custom made by a company that is still going) had a painted binnacle raised block (to match the body colour) and the edges weren't sealed - this annoyed me as it looked crap. I took it up with them and they actually said to me "yeah it's just what happens when you spray MDF, it doesn't bother most people" - well it bothered me, so I took the dash apart, sealed the edges and sprayed it myself.

I wouldn't let anything leave the Optimise premises that had such shoddy edges, the "it doesn't bother most people" has stuck with me ever since, pleasing most people is not good enough - the idea to try and please everyone!!

We won't be doing this under any circumstances.

2) They simply paint the edges in a black brush on paint which although doesn't look rough (as it doesn't soak in as much) - it doesn't look great either. This method is used for the dashboards covered in laminates that have the black edges on the binnacle.

On a side note - we won't be selling dashboards with laminates (unless someone really wants one, we could as a custom option) - we will be selling dashboards spray painted in the colour of your choice to match your body work etc.

3) Alternatively, other manufacturers edge the exposed shaped MDF ends with strips of laminate - which looks more like it belongs in a kitchen, not in your car.

There's no easy way to seal MDF and we don't really want to offer any of the above options (as they don't really look good). The only way is to cover the edges in filler and sand it all smooth, which is costly (labour intensive) - our plain/flat dashboard designs will be available in painted finishes if and when we can over come the above problems at a cost that enables us to sell them at a competitive price.

So, we will be working on painted finishes - and fingers crossed we can adequately seal the dashboards and sell them at a competitive price.


Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

Website: www.optimise-automotive.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 (0) 1782 579 080

[Artstu]

Is it worth having a try at wrapping these dashes in a similar way to how you add the vinyl ? you can then come up with the smooth painted look that some customers want?

[roberts]

Still worth it as a wood and picket dash is £1500+.....I'd spend £200-£300 on one from you.......

Although you might be willing to spend the upwards of £300 unfortunately there isn't a market for dashboards in that price range.

So it's not something we are looking at as part of the product range.

Sorry about that - however, if you find 20 people who want one and are willing to pay upfront prior to production we could certainly look at making a limited edition run?


Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

Website: www.optimise-automotive.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 (0) 1782 579 080

[roberts]

Is it worth having a try at wrapping these dashes in a similar way to how you add the vinyl ? you can then come up with the smooth painted look that some customers want?

Vinyl wraps don't go round corners very well (tight corners like on the binnacle) whereas leatherette can be stretched (plus leatherette doesn't show the creases like a thin stick on vinyl does, so you get away with pulling it more).

Anyway the above means that a stick on vinyl cover would stop before the changes in shape/edges and the exposed edges would still need to be painted.

Custom vinyl covered dashboards (with any design) will also be another custom offering :)


Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

Website: www.optimise-automotive.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 (0) 1782 579 080

[invisible_kid]

<p>

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<br />
I&#39;ve suggested they re-do these from the 60&#39;s. What do others think. The top is covered in black leathercloth and the panel face was body colour, but could be finishes to suit personal taste.<br />
PS Roberts you have a PM.<br />
<img src="http://i1198.photobu...ash1LoRes1.jpg" /><br />
<img src="http://i1198.photobu...Dash2LoRes.jpg" />

<br />
<br />
A very nice dash and a nice idea, but...<br />
<br />
It&#39;s basically a new top dash rail (which would have to be made from fibreglass and then trimmed in vinyl leatherette/leather), with a custom binnacle (once again which would have to made from fibreglass and trimmed in vinyl leatherette/leather or pained), so the cost wouldn&#39;t be worth it - as an estimate I&#39;s guess that you would be looking at between £200 and £300.<br />
<br />
Which unfortunately, doesn&#39;t fit in the Classic Mini dashboard market price range (£50 to £150).<br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks<br />
Andy @ <a href='http://www.mini-interiors.co.uk' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Optimise Automotive</a><br />
<br />
Website: www.optimise-automotive.com<br />
Email: [email protected]<br />
Phone: +44 (0) 1782 579 080<br />

<br />
<br />
Still worth it as a wood and picket dash is £1500+.....I&#39;d spend £200-£300 on one from you.......<br />

<br />
<br />
</p>

Same!

[invisible_kid]

Can we set up a thread in the traders section for a limited run that people can add ther name to. cause this dash would b awesome.

Although instead of the front bit stopping just to the side of the dials could we make it so it goes allwway long

[kappa]

Are you going to do a group discount on this?

[roberts]

Can we set up a thread in the traders section for a limited run that people can add ther name to. cause this dash would b awesome.

Although instead of the front bit stopping just to the side of the dials could we make it so it goes allwway long

No, if we were to do it we would keep the original design for the top dash rail - as that is what has been requested.

By all means go for it and set up a thread - if 20+ people put there name forward we will look into it a bit more.

I will just point out though that we wouldn't be interested in starting the work until we have all 20 paid up in full, in advance. And putting your name down on a forum thread is a lot different to actually putting £300 down.

If it's for a limited edition (and it will be as were not interested in producing the item as a product) you would be looking at £300+ for a dash of that style made in fibreglass and covered in vinyl leatherette with a painted binnacle surround.

Also, looking at the schedule of development for new products that we have coming up this year we wouldn't be able to start the project within the next 6 months.

But, I'll leave that with you.


Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

Website: www.optimise-automotive.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 (0) 1782 579 080

[Deathrow]

With regards to the painted dashboards and the problems with painting the edges which I understand. What is it that means you have to use MDF? Have you considered using other woods that take paint better? Alternatively have you explored powder coating the MDF?

Another thing, you said that adding a cup holder to the back of the glove box door would need to be fiberglass and cost £50 (!). What about vacuum forming from decent gauge plastic? Much smaller manufacturing costs, it'd cost next to nothing.

I would be interested to see some unique designs for a change, the mini dashboard market has been a flat piece of wood for some time.

[roberts]

Cheers for the feedback.. I'll answer it bit by bit:

With regards to the painted dashboards and the problems with painting the edges which I understand. What is it that means you have to use MDF? Have you considered using other woods that take paint better? Alternatively have you explored powder coating the MDF?

MDF has a perfectly smooth face, which is ideal for painting to a bodywork like finish. Other sheet materials (such as ply) have a rough face or a grain on the face so they couldn't be painted with a smooth finish.

Another thing, you said that adding a cup holder to the back of the glove box door would need to be fiberglass and cost £50 (!). What about vacuum forming from decent gauge plastic? Much smaller manufacturing costs, it'd cost next to nothing.

A very nice idea (and something that we have talked about) but that would involve purchasing a vacuum former, something that we currently don't have room for.

Plus they are expensive and we would only use it for these items (unless we came up with other items in the future), so it wouldn't do much for the price unfortunately.

I would be interested to see some unique designs for a change, the mini dashboard market has been a flat piece of wood for some time.

You will probably be disappointed by the range then (sorry).

Flat designs with raised binnacles are the only option in the £50 to £130 market - simply because of manufacturing and material costs.

Once you get into creating shapes (non flat surfaces) using materials such as fibreglass it becomes a more expensive manufacturing process, hence the fibreglass dashboard market that starts at £150 mark.

And, if you consider that the £150 is for an uncovered dashboard - for a covered fibreglass dashboard you are looking at £300 ish.

I have been talking to Tony from ABS Motor Sport this week and we are going to have a go at offering there range of fibreglass dashboards covered in vinyl leatherette for a sub £300 price (fingers crossed we can pull it off).


Thanks
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

Website: www.optimise-automotive.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 (0) 1782 579 080

[Deathrow]

Using a more desirable wood and offering it stained/waxed might be an interesting experiment? Pine isn't too expensive and if it's stained/waxed it can come up looking lovely. Just an idea :).

Could it be worth looking in to other possible uses of the vacuum forming machine in order to try and justify the cost? Or maybe even creating a prototype cup holder and having a third party produce it for you at a few hundred units a run?

Aww that's a shame. Never mind though. I guess it is quite hard to come up with something unique when there are such tight space restrictions.

One last thing that did pop to mind about an earlier suggestion. Someone suggested that you could have something that appears below the dash rail on the passenger side and you said it wasn't possible. How about having some sort of bracket that attaches to the back of the main dashboard and would allow fitment of something beneath the dash rail? Could be possible for something small like a cd/map shelf? Again just throwing ideas about.