Help with dash installation

[Jeff's First FFR]

Getting ready to bond the leather to the dash. I thought I'd better test fit it first. The instructions in the assembly manual aren't very clear. Whoa! the dash is wider than the body:

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So...I must have missed something. There is really no instruction how to fit the dash. I guess it bends in under the body.
Also the manual says to mount the dash supports:

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but where? They are too long to go between the dash and the tunnel top and too short to go between the dash and the fire wall.
I would really appreciate any experience anyone has had with this dash installation.

Thank you all in advance,
Jeff

[Jeff's First FFR]

Getting ready to bond the leather to the dash. I thought I'd better test fit it first. The instructions in the assembly manual aren't very clear. Whoa! the dash is wider than the body:

106039106040106041106042

So...I must have missed something. There is really no instruction how to fit the dash. I guess it bends in under the body.
Also the manual says to mount the dash supports:

106043106044

but where? They are too long to go between the dash and the tunnel top and too short to go between the dash and the fire wall.
I would really appreciate any experience anyone has had with this dash installation.

Thank you all in advance,
Jeff

Well...I guess I figured it out. Dash center is aligned with top of hoop. Then the ends have to be bent somehow around toward the front.
I centered the dash on the hoop and the steering shaft cut out is also centered. So I guess that is correct. Now just need to make angle brackets to mount the dash to the hoop from behind. Proceeding...

[phileas_fogg]

Lots of threads on fitting the dash. But the rule of thumb is mount the dash with about 3/16" of the hoop showing on the left and right, and the center of the dash is just about flush with the dash hoop. If you're frame is level, you can also put a level across the bottom of the dash to confirm the 3/16" showing at each side. Trim about 2" off the right side of the dash so that it doesn't interfere with the smaller firewall panel (you can trim the left side too if it makes things easier). Then tuck the ends of the dash behind the tops of the door hinges. When you're fitting the body, you may find that the top of the dash sides are too tall & push the body up, which will mess up your windshield fitting. If so, trim the dash down so that the sides are free of the body.

Bend the dash supports at the back so that they form an "L". Make sure the back face of the dash is flush with the face of the hoop when making your measurement at the bottom. The short part of the "L" gets riveted to the 3" frame, and the long part fits between the back of the dash and on top of the under dash bend. Place these supports under the headlight switch and the key switch to provide those heavy items some additional support.

If you want additional support for the dash, ditch the F5-provided brackets & make some under dash supports. These really stiffen up the dash & provide extra real estate for mounting switches or behind the dash items.


John

https://live.staticflickr.com/4329/36123021622_d2545be019_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/X34VPC)IMG_3470 (https://flic.kr/p/X34VPC) by jhsitton (https://www.flickr.com/photos/91016165@N07/), on Flickr

[Mark Reynolds]

There is a link to a youtube video that describes an approach to anchor the ends of the dash.

https://www.breezeautomotive.com/shop/dash-support-bracket-kit/

[swwebb]

Mike Everson - replicaparts.com - also has an underdash panel that I used.

http://replicaparts.com/under%20dash%20filler%20page.htm