Wanted: step by step Elf dashboard removal/installation instructions

Before I do something I would regret, I thought it best to ask. I don't see how the dash comes apart, I would like to know the steps involved and any special tools needed. Thank you.

It's really not difficult. Assuming that all the hardware is still there, which is unlikely, it's all held together with knurled nuts or wingnuts. At least that's how mine was. If you examine it, you'll see that the side panels overlap the center panel, so they need to come out first. Feel around through the glove box doors, there should be two blind bolts on the back side of the dash ends closest to the center, undo them. One or two on the outside ends, if they're still there. Mine was missing the outside end bolts. Once you find and undo the nuts, the side panels will pull away. The center panel is attached to the bracket that fills the rotodip hole in the firewall. Just undo the nuts on each side and pull the center panel out. Once you have the left and right sides out of the way it will be pretty obvious how it comes out. I doubt you can break anything as long as you don't try to get it out with a pry bar.

I recently took mine out to be restored. The chap at Chapman and Cliff suggested that I collect all the nuts and bolts for each side separately in little containers.

I actually went a step further than that and made a diagram on paper by drawing around the shape of each part of the dash and numbering the holes and the corresponding bolts and nuts. This because they were not all original, and you will have difficulties easily re-fitting a bolt to a different hole. Then when it comes to refitting, it should be easy.

Just thought I would share.

Thats always a good idea. plenty of photos are helpful too. I drew a few diagrams of my electrical connections as there were a few which went from say green to a brown (if I remember right!)
I just wished I had made a note of where I stored all the bits and bobs cos I spent ,sorry, wasted hours looking for them when it came to re-assembling ( put a hip roof on the garage mid restoration and had to move stuff around to keep it dry!)

I followed your instructions and removed the glovebox door panels. In this car, someone had replaced the glovebox liners with folded pieces of plain brown cardboard. I would like to find some material, similar to the original liner material, to make new glovebox liners. I pulled apart the dash on a second Elf, hoping to use those glovebox liners for patterns. This car had original liners but they are in poor condition. The material is a dense paper/cardboard with black coloring on one side.

Before I start a new thread asking for glovebox help, can anyone here suggest what I can use to make new liners? Also, my "good" one has snap clips on the binnacle side, can I safely remove and reuse these clips?

thanks

Hi
I am in the middle if this myself, if you look at my thread about Coco in Projects forum, you can see how I hav approached it. If you can bide another couple of weeks I will have finished and you can learn from my mistakes! I can already tell you - go for the 2mm board instead of the 3mm because it's really stiff and you need a bit of give in it to flex it under the dash lip. Because the 3mm is so inflexible I'm having to shave it down to get it in. I'll let you know how it turns out, I am waiting for my dash wood to come back (should be in the next two weeks) to finish it.

Scooperman wrote:

Before I start a new thread asking for glovebox help, can anyone here suggest what I can use to make new liners? Also, my "good" one has snap clips on the binnacle side, can I safely remove and reuse these clips?

Over here in Limeyland, the stuff to use is called "Millboard" which is a 2.3mm thick black card which has an embossed side resembling the vinyl used to cover car roofs, etc. The other side is black.

I bought some of this from our "Woolies":

http://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/c-146-millboard.aspx

but it came in a 5ft by 4ft sheet.....so shared some with my buddies.....probably far to expensive to ship to the US of A....besides which, they rolled it for shipping which really wasn't too good if (like me) you are after flat panels.

You should be able to find a supplier stateside - perhaps Google "Millboard"

Cheers

Alan


Never tried getting he snap clips off but, really I don't think they're necessary as they are hidden behind the center part of the dash and always behind the side panels......if you can get your head inside the glovebox door (lol!!!!!) only then would you see them. I can't think of anywhere that could provde replacement ....need a shuftee on the old interweb to find out....


Cheers

Argh, wish I'd spotted that milboard at woolies, that would have been much more convenient if a bit dearer than the way I went about it!

Yo Scooperman et al

The fasteners that clip the glovebox liners to the Binnacle look something like this...note the male part has a 2BA thread option which certainly resembles the originals.

The Female part has what appears to be a removable "Locking Ring" so your plan to rescue the originals may well succeed if similar - will have to check next time I'm under Elfie's CarCover!!

Not sure if these are exactly as the originals but they are called Tenax fasteners and are probably available stateside from your local friendly fastener specialist if your originals are unusable.

http://www.jetpress.com/Products.aspx/13213/TenaxFasteners/

Cheers & hope this helps - not quite sure if you can rescue the originals to refit to new liners but knowing the above, its worth a try!

Alan

Very good information, thank you. I made no progress on this today, when (if) I get it done I will post an update. But yesterday I did go to a local arts/crafts/hobbies store and found some thick matte board for mounting paintings/posters inside of picture frames. This might be a workable material for the glovebox enclosure. I have a sheet metal brake so I will probably try using that to make the sharp bends in the material.

The Tenax fastener link looks like the correct snap clip. I was already thinking of snaps for tonneau covers and boat covers and guitar straps and whatnot but had not started searching yet.

I used black matte board when I made mine, but it was really difficult to bend without cracking. The only way I got it to bend in a predictable way was to score it and cut out a V shaped piece along the inside of the bend with an Exacto blade to give the material some clearance when making the bend.

Another way to get it to bend (fold)...worked for me...is to get a piece of 1" x1" angle iron (maybe about 8" - 10" long) where the outside corner is reasonably sharp. Then a piece of 1/4" or 3/8" thick steel plate of the same length with the millboard/card sandwiched between them. The whole lot is put in the vice (several hands helps here) and force a crease into the card about 3/32" off the required fold line (you could also use a BFH instead of the vice!). Then repeat with the crease positioned 3/32" on the other side of the required fold line (you should now have 2 creases 3/16" apart). You will find (as per original ???) the the material folds qute easily and should only delaminate between the crease lines which is OK.



Cheers

I have been following this thread for two reasons.
1) for some reason my Elf had no liners when I got it.
2) I used old door cards to line mine and admittantly did not make a good job of it as it was trial and error,cutting a bit here and a bit there. It's not bad, the powder blue makes it a bit brighter inside the glove box!

What I would like to see is a dimentioned template of the card if anyone has one to enable me to make some fresh liners.

Tony I can post you a paper template if you like, just message me with a reminder of your address.

PM sent
Cheers!

Like several other correspondents, I need to make up new inner panels for my gloveboxes. Unfortunately I don't have any patterns, which makes the job a lot more difficult. I would be really grateful if some-one could post a set of drawings for the five sided panels that form the glovebox itself, and for the two glovebox floor pieces. I have a photograph of a set that was sold on EBay recently and the floor panels look like they are made from insulating material with black vinyl material on one side. As I am in Australia, sending patterns might be problematical - dimensioned drawings sent by PM would be fine if that makes it easier. Would be happy to reimburse postage costs if paper patterns are easier. All help greatly appreciated!

I don't mind posting you a template at all. Mind you, mine is three sided - there's no ceiling or floor to them - the floor being provided by a one piece padded lining from I think it was Newton Commercial. Message me with your address if you'd like one. Ali