custom dash project

[landroversforever]

I like the lines of the console! 

Shifter and handbrake sounds like a good plan too  

[ianmayco68]

Cheers Ross .

[daveturnbull]

Looks very nice, but don't forget about access to the fuse box. I guess you're ditching standard fuse box cover as I can't see how that would work with the console?

[ianmayco68]

Cheers Dave , the plan is too not use the standard fuse box. I’ve been toying with the idea of using a disco 2 engine bay fuse box as it’s wired together using a copper printed circuit so only switch wires but I haven’t looked into that properly yet , other option is I’ve got two fuse boxes of eBay, I’ll post some pics up when I get chance, a small one I was intending to use for the front lights and other bits and a main one which takes up to 18 fuses and relays so everything can be in one place, and was also planning to relocate the fuse box .

[SHY 7G]

Hi unsure if your aware that the Car Builder solution Company sell a 12 Circuit Wiring Module / Fuse Box for £112.80 + P&P,  that's not too bad but there again that depends on your budget, how deep your pockets are, and whether or not you'd like to to build a purpose built unit that suits the need of your own Landy. https://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/cbs-12-circuit-wiring-module.

As I'm slowly plodding along with my hybrid build, I decided to build my own "wiring module"/ fuse box set up. I was lucky to pick up a second hand "wiring module" off that well known auction site, it came with a wiring diagram, so I sat down and picked it apart to make up it's wiring circuit, to which I modified to suit the setup of my own project, Okay still a work in progress but won't take long to button it up and as my custom dash is not far off the complete wiring of the project will begin.  

Hope that's of some help to you all

[ianmayco68]

 

So bit more done today , the console finished up last week like this ,

nothing at all done in the week as I had enough of were I've been working for quite a while and the shifts where doing my head in ,so another job popped up on indeed so I applied had the interview Wednesday morning was offered the job straight away handed my notice in on the afternoon and I start a week Monday , and I'm happier already  .

So back to business , fuse box , yes I've seen the stuff on there site SHY7G and I'm not overly keen on that board . This is what I'd had the idea of using , 1st up the Disco TD5 engine bay fuse box ,

most of the main things to be wired are in this and as you can see it's a printed circuit so no wires between fuses and relays only switch wires ,

and everything is fused but whether it will work with out the ECU I'm not sure , I have looked into it a bit and I can't see this not working this one cost me a tenna , I got another one for £15 with all the plugs in the rear . So onto my second idea , this consists of 2 fuse boxes a small one in the engine bay for the lights and such ,

this has a top and bottom cover and should do the lights and such and then for in the cabin this one ,

should be plenty of room for expansion there , I've not made my mind up which to use but I think the 2nd option is the favorite .

So made the inner mounting plate for the auto shifter , which came out like this ,

and fits in the console like this ,

I then moved on to how I was going to fix the shifter , mounting plate and the top plate together , as the shifter trim has 2 pegs at the front 

and a strip at the back on the top surround

I need something moveable so everything can be taken apart easily without to much hassle , so came up with this 

weld bolts to the base plate then use double nuts to set the height , as there's quite a bit of movement up and down when the shifter trim surround is fitted , I also opened the holes out to take m6 bolts , if your totally lost I'm sorry all will become clear when I get some bolts long enough . So with that sorted I decided that the console didn't look square so cut it apart and squared it all up again also took out all the edging as it looked pants , then cut the sloped front panel down so I could fit the handbrake in , it came out like this ,

also made some new bending edge pieces which when tacked on I'll sand the sides down so they look level ,

I might have to make the top plate longer but that won't matter as I'm thinking of spraying the main console then trimming the inserts with vinyl , next job is to make the mounting bracket for the handbrake which needs to be pretty sturdy .

[SHY 7G]

Hi I see what you mean using either of the two fuse boxes you've pictured, they are a lot more cleaner and tidier having the printed circuit boards, so long as you can get it to work without having the ECU your on a winner. Did you manage to clamp down the two main bulkhead air vents? as I've also seen a few ideas off http://www.ministryofdefender.co.uk/ (they have brought out a Puma dashboard conversion kit and go through remodeling the dashboard area, there might be a few ideas there?

All this time whilst thinking and building my replacement dash I never thought of taking out the "centre cross air flue" part of the dash to make more room, will have to have a recky to see what's what.

Here's the fusebox I've put together, i'm making up a top cover that will hide and protect all the terminal connections, so all you'll see is just the fuse boxes. ( the fusebox will be mounted with fuses at the front for easy access, I'm going to mount the fusebox in the base of the centre console I'm working on.

Rich

[ianmayco68]

I have an idea but haven’t got round to trying it , I need to try the standard vent fittings first just to see if they foul the wiper mod . I’m fitting a puma gauges binnacle as there’s a company that does a box of tricks that reads the electrical signals and converts them , I’ve got a lot of ideas whizzing round my head and it’s easy to get side tracked from one part to another and end up getting nowhere so I’m starting with the central console then the center part of the dash , I’m planning on modding the heater but I think it will be more on the way hot air gets from the heater box to the vents with minor mods to the box .

[landroversforever]

39 minutes ago, ianmayco68 said:

I have an idea but haven’t got round to trying it , I need to try the standard vent fittings first just to see if they foul the wiper mod . I’m fitting a puma gauges binnacle as there’s a company that does a box of tricks that reads the electrical signals and converts them , I’ve got a lot of ideas whizzing round my head and it’s easy to get side tracked from one part to another and end up getting nowhere so I’m starting with the central console then the center part of the dash , I’m planning on modding the heater but I think it will be more on the way hot air gets from the heater box to the vents with minor mods to the box .

Pace automotive make some great bits for interfacing with the tdci clocks. 

[SHY 7G]

" I’ve got a lot of ideas whizzing round my head and it’s easy to get side tracked from one part to another and end up getting nowhere" 

Totally with you there,  I've started on the centre dash and I've already changed mine 4-times , and I thought I was happy with the set up I'm currently at, but there's always another way of adding something that's slightly different.  I'm making mine out of 12mm ply for now and then maybe make it out of ali-sheet once all's well.

 

 

[FridgeFreezer]

That Disco fusebox shouldn't need an ECU, it's only a box of wires. The problem will be if your idea of what should connect to what is the same as Land Rover's.

[ianmayco68]

Thanks all for the input it’s much appreciated and very helpful .

Hadn’t heard of them Ross , someone on here put a link up think it was Mo to a site that do a box of tricks for the binnacle got the link on my puta but can’t remember the name.

Yes Fridge I see what you mean, I have had a look at the wiring diagrams and been through working out what wire goes to where as there’s also an internal fuse box , I think all the wires to the ecu and such come from the internal box but I’m going to rig it up and see if it’ll work.

Yes SHY7G I’ve no doubt mine will be altered a few times before it’s finished, I’m making mine out of steel I only tack it together so it’s easy enough to take apart to alter .

[ianmayco68]

So the end is in site , did some this weekend but not as much as I would have liked . Start my new job tomorrow so had a leisurely weekend but it's all days from now on no more bloody shifts   . So got some long bolts from B&Q and drilled the original plate , but then thought I think it needs to be out of thicker sheet so new plate was made , bolts welded in and it goes together like this ,

the gear selector off the gearbox fits in like this ,

it all bolts together and should be secure enough as it will be bolted to the console somehow , also made the mount for the handbrake .

This isn't finished , the seatbox plate will have to be bolted to the seatbox more securely than it is normally and a hole cut in it for the hand brake cable and a slot for the gear shifter cable , but that won't be done till the console is fully functioning so I only have to cut once . Here's a couple of pics of it mocked up in the cab the console was tweaked slightly to move the shifter back and the curves were smartened up .

Then made the plate to fit over the hi/lo lever and after making it a bit more curvey it came out like this .

Need to finish the front up might fit a couple of cup holders in and a change dish then need to make something up to attach it to the center of the dash , it's all good fun .

[landroversforever]

That’s coming together really nicely! I like it a lot!  

[SHY 7G]

Hi Ian, regarding your electrical fuse/relays box ideas;

I've just come across this on Amazon and thought I’d just put out there as an alternative. idea.

DEDC Automotive Car Fuse Relay Box 12V Holder

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DEDC-Automotive-Metallic-Terminals-Holding/dp/B0787VG3WM/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1_sspa?keywords=DEDC+Automotive+Car+Fuse+Relay+Box+12V+Holder&qid=1557846702&quartzVehicle=21-320&replacementKeywords=dedc+automotive+car+fuse+box+12v+holder&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull-spons&psc=1

 

[ianmayco68]

Hi SHY7G , that's like one of the one's I've brought (2nd picture) brought mine off eBay though , was planning to use it for the lights and other stuff in the engine bay if I go down the 2 box route , should be able to bolt it to the wing .

[ianmayco68]

Sorry it's taken so long Steve but I kept forgetting , definitely a no go with the vent flaps as you can see from the pics below -

so i'll be locking the in some how got the idea and I've made the brackets just got to try it out .

[steve200TDi]

1 hour ago, ianmayco68 said:

Sorry it's taken so long Steve but I kept forgetting , definitely a no go with the vent flaps as you can see from the pics below -

so i'll be locking the in some how got the idea and I've made the brackets just got to try it out .

Excellent, thanks for checking! I will bare this in mind for the future!

Steve

[ianmayco68]

Opinions please , do I go with the original gearbox tunnel then build the center console on top as in the pics above or ,

do I build new sides off the console ? The dash will come down and connect to the center console but they will be removable as separate pieces , your thoughts please .

[Badger110]

Personally i'd keep the gearbox tunnel a seperate entity to the centre panel for ease of access in the future.

 

The gearbox tunnel can be wrapped and sound deadened to contain the road & engine noise...if you make it an entire piece, you're looking to extend that process right into the centre panel.

 

[SHY 7G]

Is the centre of the gearbox tunnel on the same centre line as the dashboard/windscreen centre line, as on mine they are not both on the same centre line,

Also as badger110 mentioned I'd keep them both separate to each other cause on future add-ons or mod's it will be a lot easier 

Here's how mine is progressing

[FridgeFreezer]

@SHY 7G how many gauges are you planning on fitting???

[SHY 7G]

JUST A FEW!!! LOL

 

[Mo Murphy]

What progress Ian, surely the new job isn't keeping you from your project ! 😕

Mo

 

[ianmayco68]

Hi Mo , it is a bit I’m at work till 5.30 on a night now till Thursday and the old body clock is re adjusting back to normal but I’ve been doing jobs on the main rebuild , trying to tie a lot of loose ends up as there’s things in the dash part of the project that I can’t do till I’ve got other stuff done like the windscreen, till that’s in I can’t finish up the wipers . So I’ve been posting on the main page but will be back on this soon .