headhunter Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 Has anyone fitted the centre part (switches console) of a 2002 dash to an old style dash? If so what method of fixing do you recommend? Also did you fabricate sides/ends, if so, what from and how were they fixed? Any help appreciated. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiWhite Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 I have, and it's a bit of a pain. The only parts you really need are the centre console (where the switches live) and the dash tray (which the centre console fits to). I've had to remove my vent handles, but it's not much of a hardship. The dash tray fits in fairly easily, but you might need to be a bit inventive with some screws to hold it in place. The dash top needs to come off no matter what. The centre console also fits in nicely, but to hold it in place you need some screws down through the top and into the dash tray, and some lock self tappers through the two lower holes and into some holes in the old lower dash. It's much more functional and better looking, but you might find that the factory switches are a bit of a pain, in as much as they're very expensive and hard to wire up. I covered mine with a sheet of carefully folded aluminum and cut holes for the stereo, a load of ARB style switches and (soon) some more guages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 tech archive has a full write up inc part numbers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headhunter Posted October 4, 2005 Author Share Posted October 4, 2005 Thanks Siwhite and white90 I have looked at the archives, but they concentrate on the electrics. It's the physical centre dash installation I am after advice on particularily when fitting to the older type (pre 2002) dash set-up. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbocharger Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 If you just want the hardware to make your radio/switch install look tidy then I suggest you bribe Si for more photos of his - it's a very tidy install. Simon - do you have a feel for which parts are necessary (and which can be replaced by self-tappers!) and what the whole thing cost? It'd make a lovely mounting place for my radio and EGT unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headhunter Posted October 6, 2005 Author Share Posted October 6, 2005 Is fitting the dash tray a simple procedure? Are they easy to get hold of or is it a visit to the main dealer? John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jules Posted October 8, 2005 Share Posted October 8, 2005 It will cost about £70-90 bepends on how well you get on with the parts department (when I ask for somthing now they ask what was if off originaly) You only need the tray,fram and face panel. all the clips they give are carp. Some bloke was selling them for £200+ on Ebay how I don't know I fitted mine when the dash first came out in 2002. You do need to cut your dash and work out a way of retaining the face panel though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 Si, i don't suppose you have the part numbers for the bits you ordered do you? looking at Microcat it look like you only need the complete replacement dash bit that runs from pass door upto instrument binacle, and the vent trim that goes aroudn where the handles would have been. Can you remember what you paid for it? i would also go for the solid sheet over the front similar to yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMc Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 James, Have a look at Colin Reed's excellent site, detailing the parts needed and how to fit them - Colin Reed's 2002 Dash Page Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whistler110 Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 It's much more functional and better looking, but you might find that the factory switches are a bit of a pain, in as much as they're very expensive and hard to wire up. I covered mine with a sheet of carefully folded aluminum and cut holes for the stereo, a load of ARB style switches and (soon) some more guages. Very sharp looking with the Ali covering it. Nice sticker above it to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reads90 Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 i have fitted one to my old 90 , it was easy to do , but the switches are a pain to conect , but if you are putting other suff in the spaces you don't need to worry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiWhite Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 I bought everything the Main Dealer suggested (basically everything on the Microcat page) as I didn't want to strip the old dash out, just to discover some fiddly little thing was missing. The only parts you NEED are; Big black dash tray that runs from the passenger window to the left hand edge of the instrument binnacle Silver (or black) switch housing (holds switches and stereo) Stereo housing (clips onto switch housing In order to do this install properly you would need to replace the steel lining behind the dash for the TD5 job - this would allow the pukka bulkhead flap handles to be used (old style ones don't fit) and allow the dash tray to screw in properly. I have kept the old steel lining and binned the bulkhead vents - it's not too much of a pain, and something I might get round to doing eventually. In terms of attachment, I've used a couple of gert self tapping screws through the factory holes in the dash carrier and into the lower dash panel. The top is held in place by the top dash rail. The switch housing is held on to the dash carrier by two self tapping screws at the top, through two tabs in the switch panel and into two captive nuts (clip-on type) attached to the top edge of the dash carrier. The lower edge of the switch panel is attached to the dash tray by two long self tappers which go through the dash tray and into two holes drilled into the lower dash panel. The job is fairly straightforward and gives a nice improvement over the old system. The ali panel was bent by a local CNC sheetmetal firm, as I'd given up with the TD5 switches. Total cost of the project was about £150 (which included a big pile of bits of LR junk I didn't need!) Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted October 17, 2005 Share Posted October 17, 2005 Si, cheers for the info. i may look into something similar to this in that i was thinking of making up a front facia the same as yours, and then making some sides to attch to the front and just mounting that straight onto the existin g dash. i would cut away the block at the bottom so i can get my stereo in, in the same place as yours, then mount the CB above that. room for swithces and dials further up. it would have a removable front cover for easy access, similar to yours. not quite sure how to join the front to the sides with out big bolts etc. and want a neat fit. How far does the front face of your protrude out from the original dash tray leading edge? still in the development this one i think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiWhite Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 James, Not too sure how far it protrudes, it has to be fairly 'forward' as there's a large chunk of the wiring loom behind the dash which will determine how far it needs to stick out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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