Jump to content

DIY Aluminum Dash


Recommended Posts

Posted

It's good to have a retired German engineer on hand (my father). The dash face is pretty easy - just have a sheet metal place put two 90 bends in some 14 to 16 gauge aluminum, trace & cut out the cluster shape, and use a hole saw for the gauge(s) and switches. The brackets are trickier, as the header/bulkhead behind the dash is curved and not level. We took some measurements, mocked things up with tagboard, and then bent up some practice brackets. Because he's a German engineer, dad the took all the measurements & angles, and cut some wood blocks to form the final brackets over. The cluster screws to the brackets, and stand-offs (threaded rod) are used both as bolts to hold the cluster in place, and on the other side, to receive the screws that hold the dash face on. Lot's of labor, but it's clean, light and functional. Since the pictures, I put a starter button in the left upper dash. I've left room for another gauge to the left of the oil temp gauge that's in there. If more room is needed, the dash could easily be extended in width or depth for the next dash face.

 

While dad went a bit overkill for this, as usual (it's exactly level, everythings perfectly ligned up, and very stiff), this could be be done by most, with a little help from a sheetmetal shop (we used a heating and cooling local business).

 

269279683_ZFgdP-M.jpg

 

This pic was before final dash leveling

269279662_QiXHX-M.jpg

 

269279737_zjSC8-M.jpg

 

You can see the stand-offs here

269279813_r5dgF-M.jpg

 

You can see the keyholes used in the dash top to make removal easier here. We used the tinerman nuts (clips you screw into) off of the stock dash to screw the top of the dash into the top of the face of the gauge panel

269279777_4bVaP-M.jpg

 

The blocks used to form the brackets. We screwed the metal to the blocks to hold it in place while we were forming it.

269279824_Fk6Qd-M.jpg

 

The plans:

269279783_tcVRD-M.jpg

Posted

Very nice! I can't wait to see it in person at Gateway!

 

-bj

Posted

Eric that dash is awesome and your Dad is too! I've been thinking but not acting on this very project. Maybe this Summer.

Posted

That dash looks nice but you'd better paint the top section so it doesn't glare off the windshield.

Posted
That dash looks nice but you'd better paint the top section so it doesn't glare off the windshield.

 

Yup, a little flat black crinkle finish would be in order.

Posted

Eric,

That's awesome. I just did the aluminum dash thing myself. Mine is the low rent version.

 

100_2483.jpg

Posted

I am under the impression that rule 16.2.2 limits the dash mod's to allow for cage installation only.

Maybe I mis-interpreted it, but removal and or heavy modification is not listed; and therefore banned.

You are also removing weight from up high, which helps a lot.

 

To do this modification cost money, not really in the spec spirit. IMO.

I think it looks great, but I don't want to HAVE to do it.

 

I only bring it up as everyone seemed to freak over a 6"long piece of hortizontal roll cage it the footwell as a possible preformance increase, this is a real preformance help.

 

Brad

Posted
I am under the impression that rule 16.2.2 limits the dash mod's to allow for cage installation only.

Maybe I mis-interpreted it, but removal and or heavy modification is not listed; and therefore banned.

You are also removing weight from up high, which helps a lot.

Brad

 

The requirement is for the original instruments to remain complete. I would prefer to see most dashboards remain intact or at least largely intact, but we do not require it. Some dashes get beat up and look like crap or have to be heavily modded to clear the cage anyway. I have never been concerned that saving this weight up high will creat performance a enhancement. This is certainly not a "must do modification".

 

If you must remove all or part of the dash I suggest installing some form of cover to ensure a neat an tidy appearance. The key guys is a neat and tidy appearance. We want to put a good foot forward with our cars and despite them being cheap lets not present them as poorly built and poorly maintained.

Posted

[edit - covered above]

 

The "Spec" Spirit is all about inexpensive, neat & DIY. It's is not about $$$$$ carbon dashes. This whole set-up cost me less than $40. Weight saving over an early dash are negligable. I will work on fully encosing the dash, as instruments hanging out does look less neat.

Posted

Remember if you do this then the car is illegal for SCCA ITS which is a useful class to be able to run.

Posted
Remember if you do this then the car is illegal for SCCA ITS which is a useful class to be able to run.

 

The SCCA does have a regional 944 Spec class. If you get enough guys to run, you could might be able bring it local. With 10 race weekends & 3 enduros on the schedule already between NASA & PCA, I'm full up anyway. Also I like that we can weld the A & B pillars to the cage, which would also be illegal in SCCA, so I'm going to burn that bridge to make my car safer by doing that mod soon anyways.

 

ITS does give you one more place to run, but not competitively in a 944 Spec car.

Posted
Remember if you do this then the car is illegal for SCCA ITS which is a useful class to be able to run.

 

The SCCA does have a regional 944 Spec class. If you get enough guys to run, you could might be able bring it local. With 10 race weekends & 3 enduros on the schedule already between NASA & PCA, I'm full up anyway. Also I like that we can weld the A & B pillars to the cage, which would also be illegal in SCCA, so I'm going to burn that bridge to make my car safer by doing that mod soon anyways.

 

ITS does give you one more place to run, but not competitively in a 944 Spec car.

 

 

The 944-spec class (not by that name) is a class in the Rocky Mountain Region of SCCA. They race under rules that are real close to ours and in 2009 will be the same as our rules. So no need to race in ITS when you can race in 944-spec or spec-944. If The Rocky Mountain Region gets enough cars I'm sure the region near you would adopt the rules for a regional class.

Posted

Nice job on the dashes guys! I see RCAR still has the stalks, I could not tell if Eric's car had wipers at all, but my stalks are long gone, and I need to wire wipers to a 3 way switch, off+low+high. Any ideas on what wires?

Posted
Nice job on the dashes guys! I see RCAR still has the stalks, I could not tell if Eric's car had wipers at all, but my stalks are long gone, and I need to wire wipers to a 3 way switch, off+low+high. Any ideas on what wires?

 

 

I just removed the stalks, and wired switches. I just put wires together until I found low and high speed. Start with the larger gauge wires - the smaller ones are intermittent functions. I hooked up the low speed, and put a quick conector on the high speed wire, so if I need that, I could hook it up quickly.

Posted

I just run my wipers on high. I dont believe that it makes any difference at what speed they are running just that they can run. Or there is always the option of getting a three pole switch so that you can have low off and high.

Posted

The requirement is for the original instruments to remain complete. I would prefer to see most dashboards remain intact or at least largely intact, but we do not require it. Some dashes get beat up and look like crap or have to be heavily modded to clear the cage anyway. I have never been concerned that saving this weight up high will creat performance a enhancement. This is certainly not a "must do modification".

 

If you must remove all or part of the dash I suggest installing some form of cover to ensure a neat an tidy appearance. The key guys is a neat and tidy appearance. We want to put a good foot forward with our cars and despite them being cheap lets not present them as poorly built and poorly maintained.

 

16.2.2 Factory dashboard instrument panels must remain intact. Additional gauges may be added. In cars with early dashboards, replacing of the tachometer and speedometer with aftermarket components, in the factory location is allowed. Modifications to the dash as necessary to accommodate the roll cage tubing are permitted.

 

Joe,

I dont see how removing/cutting dash in half is supported by the rules as listed. To allow someone whom did it and as a 'special' case I understand. But I like the rules as listed where-in if it doesn't say you can, you can't. As listed, it say you can't cut your dash off except to clear your roll bar. Seems pretty clear cut to me.

 

If you start to let people explore minor modifications, whats going to happen? Can I lighten my hood? Slightly?

 

My two cents,

 

Cheers,

Posted

Brad,

 

Joe can give you a definative opinion, but here's mine.

 

There is no provision in the rules stating what you can and can't remove from the interior, except that you can remove the AC/vent system, and the stock cluster must remain intact.

 

The carpet, stock steering wheel, rear seats, etc. are also not mentioned, and by your reading of the rules, would have to stay.

 

There is a clear line here. If it is bolted in, and it's not necessary to the operation of the car as a racecar, then it can come out. You can take any thing off the hood (washer assembly, sound insulation, etc.), but you cannot cut on it to lighten it - that's the line. The dash, however, is bolted in, so it may be removed. The reason there is wording about allowing modding the dash for the rollbar is that that does involve cutting, which would be forbidden if not expressly allowed. If the whole dash must remain intact, there would be no need to make the clarification on the cluster, as it is part of the dash.

 

I did not ask for special "dispensation" I see this as squarely in the rules and spirit of the class.

 

I hope this helps this make sense.

Posted

That makes perfect sense, thanks.

I hate grey areas in a spec class.

 

Cheers,

Posted
That makes perfect sense, thanks.

I hate grey areas in a spec class.

 

Cheers,

 

 

Agreed, and you raise a valid point that this area could be clarified with some reference to gutting the interior with the next revision of the rules.

 

I'm just jealous you guys are already racing .

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...