Dashboard mounting - rear of square tube

[Vspeeds]

To me the transition from the body to the dashboard doesn't look right...The leading edge of the body is not bull nosed and is too shallow. The original car had the aluminum body shaped around the round cross tube.

Has anyone mounted the dashboard behind the square tube to give the distance between the body and dashboard some depth? I mocked up my idea. I haven't put the body on but my pictures from when I received the kit show the lip of the body completely covering the square tube. Let me know what you think. Would I run into any aesthetic problems? I do not have a glovebox or heater so I will still have room behind the shortened dash for the wiring.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=87469&d=1529295020

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=87470&d=1529295071

[mike223]

I like it.

I'm not sure if it can be done "easily", but otherwise - I like it.

[Big Blocker]

Depending on your model (MKI, MKII, MK3.1, MKIV) most builders just build up that surface to rounded (Bull nosed) . . . when they do their body work.

Doc

[edwardb]

One of the changes to the Mk4 was making the round detail to the front and rear cockpit edges standard. Comes out of the mold that way. Before they were flat and many built them up to a similar rounded profile. We did that with my first build, a Mk3. Is the picture posted the FF 289 body? If so, I'm a little surprised they're back to the flat detail like previous Mk's. This is a close-up of my #8674 Mk4. Painted without modification. The same effect can be achieved with Rage Gold and some forming. This seems like a better option to me than trying to move behind the dash tube. The body won't cover it and it's not going to look great IMO.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/edwardb123/Factory%20Five%2020th%20Anniversary%20Mark%204%20R oadster/Graduation/IMG_1466_zpsao8mfz6q.jpg (http://s867.photobucket.com/user/edwardb123/media/Factory%20Five%2020th%20Anniversary%20Mark%204%20R oadster/Graduation/IMG_1466_zpsao8mfz6q.jpg.html)

[MPTech]

The MK4 was changed to include a rounded nose across the dash like I believe you are describing.
There were several posts on the other forum illustrating how to achieve this with the earlier versions.

[Vspeeds]

One of the changes to the Mk4 was making the round detail to the front and rear cockpit edges standard. Comes out of the mold that way. Before they were flat and many built them up to a similar rounded profile. We did that with my first build, a Mk3. Is the picture posted the FF 289 body? If so, I'm a little surprised they're back to the flat detail like previous Mk's. This is a close-up of my #8674 Mk4. Painted without modification. The same effect can be achieved with Rage Gold and some forming. This seems like a better option to me than trying to move behind the dash tube. The body won't cover it and it's not going to look great IMO.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/edwardb123/Factory%20Five%2020th%20Anniversary%20Mark%204%20R oadster/Graduation/IMG_1466_zpsao8mfz6q.jpg (http://s867.photobucket.com/user/edwardb123/media/Factory%20Five%2020th%20Anniversary%20Mark%204%20R oadster/Graduation/IMG_1466_zpsao8mfz6q.jpg.html)


Yes, the first photo is from the FFR website of the 289 USRRC. Its a MK3 chassis with a 289 body. The body at the rear of the seats is rounded and looks good but not the front. The front is semi rounded. Its side profile looks like the number “7”

Thanks everyone for the input. Im an amateur and didnt even consider adding material and forming the body to make it look better.

[Vspeeds]

Correction, the 289 USRRC is a MK4 chassis with a 289 body