D Spares & Tyres Posted October 17, 2018 Author Share Posted October 17, 2018 I'm just starting to do the carpets as well. I've acquired some carpet tiles so am cutting them to shape.It's probably going to look awful but at least I'm having a go (and they were free) catsinthewelder, HMC, Squire_Dawson and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Spares & Tyres Posted October 17, 2018 Author Share Posted October 17, 2018 Oh and the clothes I painted this in are now in the garden. I have a good mask but the fumes were quite bad in there. Made my eyes sting. Came back in the house and Mrs Despairs ordered me back out again as I was stinking the house out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angrydicky Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 I did the bulkhead, a pillars and parcel shelf of my A35 in blue carpet tiles (pack of three from the pound shop). They looked better than they had any right to be, and a good match for the cheap 1970s blue cord carpet, my parents fitted which came out of a skip 30 years ago.Only problem is,the self adhesive glue struggles on the vertical parts once the interior gets a bit hot in summer. Would be worth putting some extra spray glue on the surfaces you're sticking them to. D Spares & Tyres 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 I keep meaning to give the old paint the headlining trick a go to get rid of the yellow-brown glue stains on the headlining of the Princess to save me making a whole new headlining. It's not that I can't do a headlining, it's just a lot of faff. Be interested to see how your job with the plastikote works out. If you hadn't said, I wouldn't have recognised the carpet as floor tiles and I suspect nobody else will either once it's all in. D Spares & Tyres 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Spares & Tyres Posted October 20, 2018 Author Share Posted October 20, 2018 Got bored of cutting carpets (badly) so I got the back seats out from under my bed and fitted themSome minor stains on the back seat (from before I had them, not from their time under my bed)It's starting to look and smell so much better in there now. You can see some damage on the door card. I'll sort that one day but there's no rush, the aim is just to improve the car for now, not to make it mint mercrocker, Burnside, RayMK and 10 others 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercrocker Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 NIce to see one of the duotone interiors looking so good.  I put one of those industrial carpet mats in the Cowley, it comes in 2.5m widths so you can have one piece in the front and one in t'back.  Made a complete arse of cutting and fitting it but I will fetch another one for £20 some time and do it properly... Coverdale sent me some samples and a price list but I like being able to take the whole flooring out in the winter rather than arse about with a 15 piece set or whatever. How did the headlining dry out like?  D Spares & Tyres and Squire_Dawson 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hooli Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 That new interior is lovely. Squire_Dawson and D Spares & Tyres 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Spares & Tyres Posted October 20, 2018 Author Share Posted October 20, 2018 NIce to see one of the duotone interiors looking so good. Â Â Â Thanks, but as with the rest of the car,pictures flatter it. It's still a massive improvement though and if I get too precious about everything it will never get done! I can always improve little bits in the future mercrocker and Squire_Dawson 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Spares & Tyres Posted October 20, 2018 Author Share Posted October 20, 2018  How did the headlining dry out like? Very well surprisingly. There are a few bits that aren't great but that is the headlining fault rather than the paints. I'm happy with it so far, as long as it doesn't all flake off a few months down the line! mercrocker 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Spares & Tyres Posted October 21, 2018 Author Share Posted October 21, 2018 I couldn't put off replacing the dashboard any longer. I hate faffing about with dashboardsThis is fairly simple as dashboards go though! Put the new one in place. Looks good initially but it goes without saying, there is a problem... The dash must be from a MK2. The heater controls are in a different place and too far away for the cables to reach. Luckily I know I have another dashboard in the loft, wrapped up in a blanket. Pretty sure it is in even better condition than this one. Guaranteed to be another MK2 version though... If it is then I'll just fit it anyway and heater controls be damned, who need s them anyway? Heaters are for sissies. Conrad D. Conelrad, Squire_Dawson, Cardinal Wolseley and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squire_Dawson Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 May I also say the duotone interior is lovey - they really are the best. Over 50 years to mellow to perfection too. Scruffy Bodger and D Spares & Tyres 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket88 Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 I couldn't put off replacing the dashboard any longer. I hate faffing about with dashboardsIMG_20181021_205138.jpgThis is fairly simple as dashboards go though! Put the new one in place. Looks good initially but it goes without saying, there is a problem... The dash must be from a MK2. The heater controls are in a different place and too far away for the cables to reach. Luckily I know I have another dashboard in the loft, wrapped up in a blanket. Pretty sure it is in even better condition than this one. Guaranteed to be another MK2 version though... If it is then I'll just fit it anyway and heater controls be damned, who need s them anyway? Heaters are for sissies.IMG_20181021_205604.jpgIMG_20181021_205615.jpgIMG_20181021_205657.jpg Stick a Mini one in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercrocker Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 AFAIK the Mk1/Mk2 dash were the same, looks like you might have a Mk3 one there....  Wonder if its possible to change the cables over to Mk3 (assuming they are not unicorns now) D Spares & Tyres 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Spares & Tyres Posted October 22, 2018 Author Share Posted October 22, 2018 If somebody were to bring some cables to me then I may fit them but I just can't be bothered to source and fit them really. Ideally another MK1 dash would turn up but I doubt it. I don't intend to use this car in the winter so not having a functioning heater doesn't matter to me,plus I.just want to hurry up and get the car complete! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Spares & Tyres Posted October 22, 2018 Author Share Posted October 22, 2018 Just been up in the loft... What do you reckon will be in that package then? Yep another later dash of course... But on the bright side, at least it has some better condition switches and instruments in it although the laquer is not quite as good. It also has the heater controls which the other one doesn't mercrocker, Cardinal Wolseley, Scruffy Bodger and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Spares & Tyres Posted October 23, 2018 Author Share Posted October 23, 2018 I am ashamed to say that I attempted and failed at swapping the switches over last night. I have thisAnd thisBut neither makes any mention of how to get these outThere is a small metal bit underneath them that is spring loaded. I assumed that the method of removal was to push it in whist either pulling on or unscrewing the job on the end of the switch. Neither was successful. I am either doing it wrong or not using enough force. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puddlethumper Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Isn't that a ring that you unscrew at the bottom, oower, with the two small slots ?Seem to remember these from the 70's.Probably not helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Spares & Tyres Posted October 23, 2018 Author Share Posted October 23, 2018 Yes the rings unscrew. I have tried these and they all undo fine. But without the switch knob being removed, the switch body cannot be pulled back through the dashboard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 No grub screw? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Spares & Tyres Posted October 23, 2018 Author Share Posted October 23, 2018 Nope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsinthewelder Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Is it a case that the knob pulls out connected to the inner part of the cable like a choke? I realise that the other end will now be kinked to the point that there is no chance of getting it through the outer. D Spares & Tyres 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercrocker Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Those switch knobs should come off if you find a small depression underneath, push a sharp point into it and it will dis-engage from the blim on the switch stalk.  They do tend to break up if you over-do it - just ease them off once the knob is backed away from the blim thing...   edit - stalk blim visibile in your pic - just push it back so that you can ease knob back off stalk. Missus.... Angrydicky, D Spares & Tyres and Squire_Dawson 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Ah yeah I remember now (from removing the dash knob on my MGB). That is a little ball you press in, then pull the knob gently off. (Yes shush you back there) D Spares & Tyres 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Spares & Tyres Posted October 23, 2018 Author Share Posted October 23, 2018 Well I don't drink much these days but I took the new dash and the old one into the kitchen and opened up some ale. Immediately the answer lay in front of me. The middle section of the dashboard is separate from the main section and it comes apart easilyIt is tattier than the one I was going to put in but at least I don't have to disturb the switches. It's all quite cheap quality anyway. It is plywood that has been varnished. The outside edge part has been painted with brown paint (from the factory) to hide the layers and it is this that is flaking. I'll brush it in at some point. Â Progress! GrumpiusMaximus, RayMK, Conrad D. Conelrad and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Spares & Tyres Posted October 24, 2018 Author Share Posted October 24, 2018 This evening's work catsinthewelder, loserone, Dan_ZTT and 10 others 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Reverend Bluejeans Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 Prestige. tooSavvy and Squire_Dawson 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Spares & Tyres Posted October 25, 2018 Author Share Posted October 25, 2018 Prestige.It's just some bits of plywood self tappered into place. Gloveboxes are made of thick cardboard. Fake luxury! The Reverend Bluejeans 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mally Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 Sorry to interupt, but someone just sent me a photo of one of mine.    mercrocker, D Spares & Tyres, danthecapriman and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Spares & Tyres Posted October 25, 2018 Author Share Posted October 25, 2018 That looks far more fun than what I have been doing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mally Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 I won that race, 1973 at Nelson.Someone doing research came across the photo on the front of an old book and sent me a copy. mercrocker, D Spares & Tyres and flat4alfa 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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