11 replies to this topic

[Piddling Kid]

ive got a fair bit of time on my hands at the moment and just wondered how hard it is to make a custom dash out of fibreglass.

i dont know if someone has a bit of a tutorial, i just cant think how to start, would you kind of work off a normal mini dash? i would be looking at making a centre console to fit onto it aswel.

its just getting the basic shape to fit behind that has thrown me a bit.

cheers callum

[Rob Himself]

There's custom, and there's CUSTOM.

Custom in a Mini could be anything from a personalised Mini dash, through to fitting (as someone here is doing) a Ford Ka dash ... through to making something 100% from scratch!

Start from the end and work backwards; what clocks are you intending to use - OEM ones, or aftermarket ones?

[Piddling Kid]

looking back at my original post i wasnt very specific, erm well im open to ideas really. what other car dashes have been done and are fairly easy to fit. i would like to try and go for some different dials, i would be looking at putting volt metre, oil pressure, water temp etc but would also like to try and fit a different rev counter and speedo.

bini dash -i know its in a bini but i think it looks good, along those lines (put me back in my place if you think this is going to be far out of a beginners capability).
a more simple dash - an easier dash idea

i dont know if this helps at all?

[RobG295]

I made my own dash out of checkerplate, just used an old cheapo wooden dash as a template, i'm sure you can buy/find blueprints of the main dash shape, try ebay.

Rob.

[mike49]

as much as it pains me to say it, i do rather like the Bini dash. In terms of custom making one, anything is possible when you put the time and effort into it. It could even be possible to use a bini dash as a sort of mould, then sell the bini dash back on when youre done with it. There is someone on here that has made quite an elaborate red glass dashboard, worth tracking him down for ideas

[Piddling Kid]

as much as it pains me to say it, i do rather like the Bini dash. In terms of custom making one, anything is possible when you put the time and effort into it. It could even be possible to use a bini dash as a sort of mould, then sell the bini dash back on when youre done with it. There is someone on here that has made quite an elaborate red glass dashboard, worth tracking him down for ideas

yeah i can get a normal dash made of mdf made when i want but i want to try and do something completely different. would the normal dash be a good start then work off that? what dashes from other cars have been put into minis? anyone got any pics or can add a bit of input to helping me?

[bloomers]

Just incase you are wondering. Im due to start making my own dash's with a friend. Will be up in forsale section when its under way.

Ian

[Ethel]

Bear in mind, if you're eying up the dash from a modern car most of its instruments rely on the engine management ECU to work. Fibreglass is certainly possible, but you need a mould: for a one off it may well be simpler just to fabricate it, as making the mould would be at least as much work.

[Piddling Kid]

Bear in mind, if you're eying up the dash from a modern car most of its instruments rely on the engine management ECU to work. Fibreglass is certainly possible, but you need a mould: for a one off it may well be simpler just to fabricate it, as making the mould would be at least as much work.

yeah im going to fabricate it, the only way i can think of is having a peice of mdf going in the normal position then mounting struts off it for the dials speakers etc, then fabricating. also i want to do a centre console which will be a seperate item.

is this normal dash start the right thing or is there another way to go for the base. like i said this is the only way that i can think of as when you are doing a bench install you have the bottom to work from this normal dash board peice would act as the basis (im confusing myself trying to put this across)

also where do most people get the materials from. the materials i will need? (fibreglass side of things)

[Piddling Kid]

anybody got anymore input into this pics suggestions on how i go about it, because as soon as ive done my panelwork i will be startng on this hopefully.

[simwells]

Have you had a scan through the thread of pictures of people's dashes in the styling section?

[Piddling Kid]

yeah didnt see many fibreglass dashs and they were mostly along the same kind of lines as a normal mdf dash with a few gauges etc

Edited by callum hicks, 27 February 2008 - 07:05 PM.