Rotodip Hole Cover Plate

The pressed metal plate that covers the roundish hole in the front bulkhead behind the speedo. Anyone have a source for these things? They seem to be difficult to come by.

any chance of a pic it may help to know what the h**l you talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! regards Steve

What? You don't know what the Rotodip hole is? For shame! Back to BMC History class with you!
Part # CZH351
#32 on this chart: http://www.somerfordmini.co.uk/eshop/index.php?main_page=page&id=125

Flat plate for Minis, but the Elf ones have a pair of brackets on the interior side.

BMC History Class? - British Leyland by then! Shirley even the last Elfs/Hornets never had those?

Well, unless I'm totally off on my own version of history, only the very end of Riley and Wolseley production came under BL. And all of the Elfs/Hornets would have had the Rotodip holes.
This from Somerford Mini:
"Up until the 1980s, when a new body treatment and painting system succeeded the traditional methods,
new Mini bodyshells were treated against corrosion by immersion in a large tank of solution, prior to
painting. During the immersion in what was called the Rotodip, the bodies were turned over in a
largely successful attempt to ensure complete coverage of the steel with the solution. To enable this,
each body was mounted spitroast-fashion on a long pole running lengthways through the specially
shaped Rotodip holes in the dash and rear seat back. So now you know, if you didn’t beforehand."

Please don't mistake my sense of humour. We Brits have to look light heartedly at the late BMC & BL period because they basically took the British car industry to it's grave. I'm aware of the roto-dip holes, I spent a lot of my youth blocking the rear ones off in order to keep scruitineers happy for motorsport events. But my point was a serious one; were the engine compartment covers ever fitted to Hornets & Elfs as I've never seen one fitted to 60s cars with a central speedo where everything gets routed through it, only the later stuff?

JH

Yes, in fact the ones on the Elfs held the mounting tabs for the center dash panel. I could show you a picture, only I destroyed the tabs on mine when I fitted my aftermarket gauge set. Again from Somerford Mini (I love those guys!)

" CZH351 PLATE, blanking, dash panel 1 1969-93; models with offset instruments and padded fascia.
FBH100130 PLATE, blanking, dash panel 1 1994-96; models with offset instruments and padded fascia.
This plate blanks the trademark 'Rotodip' egg-shaped hole in the dash panel (front bulkhead) on offset instrument fitted cars. Once the Rotodip hole was abolished in 1996, the blanking plate became redundant. It is always referred to erroneously in factory parts books as an instrument base plate - a throwback to the days of the Riley Elf when, fitted with several brackets, it did indeed support the instruments behind the Elf's wooden dashboard."

Yeah, I get the humour. I feel the same way, or almost, about the demise of most of the great US car makers of the early 20th century. The world was a better place with Studebakers, Hudsons, Packards, and the like on the roads. Just look up the history of the American Motor Company some time. It's a sad tale.

So you're looking for a bit that was only fitted to perhaps the last 500 or so cars - best of luck with that one! I agree Sommerford are pretty handy, only about 10 miles down the road from me too, which makes it very handy for those everyday bits no longer on the shelves of your average motor shop.
Cheers

JH

Methinks the particular cover plate that Red requires is not quite the same as that listed in Somerford's catalogue (but almost does the same job)...... the particular one shown is for later minis with the offset dash. Indeed I believe the cover plate which Red requires was only fitted to Elfs (Elves?) and not the Hornet whose dash was essentially the same as yer standard mini super/de-luxe/coopers (much easier to change the speedo cable!). The Elf one has two brackets welded to the internal side which support the centre dash panel which, in turn, supports the speedo....and my 64 Elf(and my previous '62) had one.

For the life of me, I can't find a piccy of one but I'll keep looking and post it if I find one...sorry not taking out my dash to expose mine - it takes forever to put the dash/instruments back in !!!

Methinks you'll only ever get one of these from a scrapper so keep yer eyes peeled on t'evilbay

you could try messaging this guy:::

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Riley-Elf-Rear-Wings_W0QQitemZ330399106718QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item4ced52469e

Good luck in your search