Help with mounting dash on MK4

[vtullomk4]

Sorry I have not posted in a while. Plan to do a build thread, but can't seem to break away from building. Brakes done, steering done, pedals and foot boxes in, drop trunk mod in, suspension done....making great progress.

My question is on the dash. I am making a custom modular dash with various clusters and wood veneer. So laying out the top is critical.

The hoop and the dash have different radius, as does the under body. I made a template of the underbody, so I am good there.

The question is on the mounting height. Jeff and others have suggested 3/16 of hoop exposed on left and right. I mocked this up today. But then the center of dash does not even hit the center of the hoop. Kinda floats.

If I move the dash up to the hoop, then the sides are above the hoop, which might hit the body

Not sure which is correct. Or if I should trim the dash. Attached are some pictures. Not sure they are clear enough. Some look upside down. But any and all suggestions are appreciated.

Vince

[vtullomk4]

With dash top flush with hoop

[CraigS]

Set it up the way Jeff says. One other thing to consider is lowering the mount screw holes so they aren't hidden behind the body. With your dash layout I'd be thinking about pieces of 1 inch aluminum angle attached to the back of the dash board so that screws run through the other side of the angle and then up into the bottom of the 3/4x3/4 tube.

[vtullomk4]

Agree. That's what I attempted to do. But if I do the left and right per Jeff, then the body lip does not even reach the top of the dash panel. I am leaning toward moving it up and trimming the 2 end wings to be below the hoop. Does that make sense?

[Al_C]

Yes, follow Jeff's suggestion on spacing. Once you have a workable dash, "tack" it in place and test fit the body. This will help you see where the gaps might be. If you are doing a veneer, your clearances will be different than if you do leather/vinyl. Ask me how I know...

One other thought regarding veneers: ensure that your chosen paint color goes well with the color of the wood finish. That, and a few impossible-to-eliminate bubbles in the veneer, led me to scrap dashboard version 1 and opt for leather on version 2.

[FLPBFoot]

Agree. That's what I attempted to do. But if I do the left and right per Jeff, then the body lip does not even reach the top of the dash panel. I am leaning toward moving it up and trimming the 2 end wings to be below the hoop. Does that make sense?

Yes trimming the two sides off to match the curve of the dash hoop is what I needed to do. I took off a good 3/8 inch on each side in order to match the dash hoop contour.

[Norm B]

Don’t trust the dash hoop to be lined up with the rest of the car. Clamp the dash in place and stand behind the car and compare the bottom of the dash to the 2x2 square frame that the firewall mounts on. With my dash set up exactly as instructed against the hoop, the drivers side was 3/4 inch lower than the passenger side. Ended up trimming more off the drivers side and almost nothing off the passenger side to make thee dash look straight.

Norm

[rich grsc]

Match the hoop and dash at the outer ends, not the middle. This really isn't rocket science.:rolleyes: :p

[Jeff Kleiner]

The bend of the hoops varies but the body's cowl wraps around the top of the dash and hoop with plenty of coverage to hide any discrepencies. This photo shows the line of the underside of the cowl and typical measurements from that line to the top of the hoop:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=133426&d=1597170967

Note that this one is a little far down on the RH side (3/8" rather than 3/16") but it didn't create any issues.

Jeff

133426

[rich grsc]

Well damn, it is rocket science

[vtullomk4]

This is very helpful. I am using a wrap on the aluminum and veneer on the 5 "modules". I want the gap on the top of the modules to follow the curve of the body lip.

So I think I will use Jeff's picture as a guide and set the gap about 1/2 inch below the lip of the body.

Thanks for everyones help.

Vince

[Jeff Kleiner]

..,I want the gap on the top of the modules to follow the curve of the body lip.



Then you better put the body on otherwise it’s pretty much a shot in the dark.

Jeff

[vtullomk4]

133477Thanks to all. So I took all this info to the shop today. I measured the body lip at center, left and right. Made a cardboard template of the actual curve. Held the aluminum panel up and confirmed overlap.

Set up the modules on paper using actual sizes(using scanner) to size, and laid out top and bottom edges.

Left module clearly was off, but now I can redraw an even gap all around. Gaps look close to what Jeff showed.

I also verified that the panel is level and parallel to the 2x2 tube. So I am pretty close now. Any objections? I'll probably make one out of plywood to test.

Vince

[vtullomk4]

One last question. I assume the body will sit on the dash hoop? I don't see bulb seal for the dash, just the firewall. Do I put foam insulation on it to protect?

Just trying to determine if it will be in contact or a gap so I can finalize dimensions. I know it would be easier to put the body on, but it is a different location and makes it difficult.

Any clairification is appreciated.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Body does not touch the hoop.

Jeff

[vtullomk4]

Thanks. I'll do my best and post results when I get there. Appreciate the help from everyone.